McPherson College is a great place to work, according to a new survey by the Great Colleges to Work For® program. The results, released today in a special edition of The Chronicle of Higher Education, recognize McPherson College for the seventh year in a row. McPherson College is also included on the survey’s Honor Roll for the sixth year in a row.
McPherson College is the only Kansas school earning recognition on the list. The results are based on a survey of 196 colleges and universities. In all, just 70 of the 196 institutions achieved recognition on the list for specific best practices and policies. Only 42 colleges were included on the Honor Roll, an elite group of institutions that are standouts within their respective enrollment sizes. McPherson College was recognized in all 10 categories of this year’s survey.
“Everyone at McPherson College works hard to make this a great place to work, and it’s special to be recognized again this year. This recognition is remarkable given all the challenges presented by the pandemic the past year,” McPherson College President Michael Schneider said. “The fact that we have earned this distinction now for seven years running – and been named to the Honor Roll for six years in a row – speaks to the strong, collaborative relationships among our faculty, staff, and administration.”
President Schneider points to some of the basics like the college’s health insurance plan that has not had a premium increase for more than 10 years and monthly all-campus meetings called “huddles,” as reasons why people like working for McPherson College. Additionally, involvement in programs like training from the Kansas Leadership Center, which develop adaptive problem-solving skills, and other significant professional development investments in the operating budget, sets McPherson College apart from other college campuses.
“I love that my scholarship is appreciated and supported at McPherson College,” Kirk MacGregor, associate professor of philosophy and religion, said. “Every year, I present papers at multiple professional society meetings with all of my expenses covered by the college. Moreover, I love the freedom to teach what I am most passionate about in my classes. This freedom facilitates a symbiotic relationship between my teaching and my scholarship, where students directly benefit from my research.”
McPherson College was one of 14 institutions nationwide to earn top honors in all of the report’s 10 categories, which include areas like compensation and benefits along with work and life balance.
“At McPherson College, I am given the space to try a new idea and feel supported by my colleagues,” Abigayle Morgan, a 2019 graduate, said. “I am thrilled to have a hand in shaping the current student experience that was so instrumental during my time as a student at the college.”
Community is central to McPherson College’s identity, according to President Schneider. “As our college community continues to work through the current challenges, faculty and staff are planning past our most recent and innovative strategic plan, Community by Design. The strategic plan drove decision-making and much of the work we did over the last several years, and much of the work will continue as we focus on the future. In addition, we did all of it while balancing our operating budget, maintaining our overall student retention, and working through a pandemic and enrolling the largest class in college history. By working together, these plans will nurture the creative processes to sustain innovative academic ventures like the new Health Science program, develop a new tuition revenue model based on the Student Debt Project and Kansas Commitment, and transition MC from a traditional residential campus to a vibrant community.”
The Great Colleges to Work For® survey is one of the largest and most respected workplace recognition programs in the country. This year more than 38,000 faculty and staff responded to the survey. The survey conducted by ModernThink — an organization committed to improving workplace quality — recognizes the colleges that get top ratings from their employees regarding workplace practices and policies.