PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — For the first time ever, a public university in Maine — the University of Maine at Presque Isle — has been named one of the best colleges in the nation to work for, according to the 2020 survey by The Great Colleges to Work For program.
As an even more prestigious honor — in its first recognition by the program — UMPI has achieved distinction as a 2020 Honor Roll Institution, achieving high scores in 11 out of 12 categories.
The results, released today in a special insert of “The Chronicle of Higher Education,” are based on a survey of 221 colleges and universities. In all, 54 four-year institutions achieved “Great College to Work For” recognition for specific best practices and policies. Results are reported for small, medium and large institutions, with UMPI included among the small universities with 500 to 2,999 students.
“We are so honored to receive this national recognition as it’s a true reflection of how our employees feel about this special place where we all work and how the continuous improvements we’ve been making together in the last several years have borne out,” UMPI President Ray Rice said. “At UMPI, our service promise is, ‘Excellence, every day!’ and this recognition shows how every single faculty and staff member on our campus is working to provide that kind of consistently great experience for our students, for our campus, and for our community.”
The survey results are based on a two-part assessment process: an institution questionnaire that captured employment data and workplace policies from each institution, and a survey administered to faculty, administrators, and professional support staff. The primary factor in deciding whether an institution received recognition was the employee feedback.
“This year’s list of recognized institutions in the Great Colleges to Work For program was united in their commitment to organization culture, even in the face of a worldwide pandemic,” Richard K. Boyer, senior consultant at ModernThink, said. “They stand apart in their recognition that workplace culture can actually be a roadmap for navigating uncertainty.”
In addition to this national recognition, UMPI was among a short list of institutions to receive honors in 11 out of 12 categories, including: collaborative governance; compensation and benefits; confidence in senior leadership; facilities, workspace, and security; job satisfaction and support; professional/career development programs; respect and appreciation; supervisor/department chair relationship; teaching environment; tenure clarity and process; and work/life balance.
Last year, only seven universities and community colleges achieved honor roll status with recognition in 11 or more categories.
The Great Colleges to Work For program is one of the largest and most respected workplace recognition programs in the country. Now in its 13th year, it recognizes the colleges that get top ratings from their employees regarding workplace practices and policies. For more information and to view all current and previous recognized institutions, visit the Great Colleges program website at http://www.greatcollegesprogram.com. ModernThink, a strategic human capital consulting firm, administered the survey and analyzed the results.
The University of Maine at Presque Isle is a nationally recognized institution of innovation and opportunity, providing students with an affordable and personalized education, a caring, small-university environment, and life-changing experiences that prepare them to be career-ready graduates. Established in 1903, UMPI now offers bachelor’s, associate’s, online and competency-based education degree programs.
