University of Michigan makes list of best college workplaces
The University of Michigan is one of the top workplaces in academia, a survey published by The Chronicle of Higher Education has found.
The Chronicle published its third-annual listing of great colleges to work for today.
To create the list, it surveyed 43,000 people at 275 colleges, placing 97 of them on its list of great places to work. The survey used employee rankings in 12 categories, such as collaborative governance, and compensation and benefits, to form its list.
U-M received kudos for career development programs, facilities, work spaces, security, job satisfaction, work-life balance, tenure clarity, diversity and confidence in senior leadership.
The article noted that overall, those surveyed and working in academia remain pretty satisfied, despite the dire financial situations many universities are experiencing. Wayne State University is also a great place to work, the survey found.
What do you think of the ranking? Are you a happy or a sad U-M employee? Tell us what you think in the comments section below.
Juliana Keeping is a higher education reporter for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at julianakeeping@annarbor.com or 734-623-2528. Follow Juliana Keeping on Twitter
Comments
foreigner
Wed, Jul 28, 2010 : 1:10 a.m.
Actually, the pay to the majority of clerical workers at UMHS is a joke. Most non-clinical people you trust to take care of you at this hospital are generally making less money than the custodial staff. And there is no reward for exemplary performance. There hasn't been a raise for most employees in over 2 years and the cost of benefits to the employee has certainly gone up. Compare this to any other hospital that was ranked in US News and World Report's "Top Hospital" and you will be in shock. This university shouldn't be mentioned as a candidate in this category as it stands right now.
stunhsif
Tue, Jul 27, 2010 : 7:23 p.m.
No kidding. How many other places can a person without a 4 year degree work in their H.R. department and make over a hundred grand a year? Their current benefits and retirement packages are also a slap in the taxpayers face in light of the states economy and unemployment rate!
Upton
Tue, Jul 27, 2010 : 9:45 a.m.
The UM can be a great place to work and the benefits are embarrassingly good in view of the state's financial condition. There is definitely a dark side though. How prevalent it is, I do not know, but it does exist and it is condoned at both the school and university level. When facts are presented that reflect poorly on a school or high level person, the person presenting the facts can be bribed in exchange for silence and "voluntarily" resigning, and then guaranteed that UM will not fight unemployment claims. The facts that were presented are then "purged" to an unknown degree. In one particular example that was shared with me, documented facts were presented that could have resulted in savings of well over a hundred thousand dollars. These facts (and many others) were ignored by UM in order to avoid embarrassment and to preserve political and personal goals. As you might expect, I suspect there is a great deal more to this particular case than is presented here. Suffice it to say that in this one single case, if all actual expenses, suggested savings, and potential savings are considered, the total cost to UM and the State of Michigan could approach a half million dollars. How many times is this scenario repeated? A UM benefactor donating a half million dollars would be front page news. Maybe I am just ignorant about the inevitable cost of politics or the costs related to maintaining a high profile public image, but as a taxpayer I am extremely angered and disappointed that this culture is tolerated. I do know that a business in the private sector would eventually fail if it used the UM approach. More importantly, I know that it is you, the students, and I who bear the financial burden that allows this to continue.
Ebenezier
Tue, Jul 27, 2010 : 8:09 a.m.
Yes, the U-M is a great place to work despite the corrupt and selfish administration.
Somewhat Concerned
Mon, Jul 26, 2010 : 2:33 p.m.
This award, even though highly subjective, shows how many good people there are at UM. Despite the reign of Kwame Sue Kilpatrick and the impending ruin of some of the U's best programs, others at UM make it a nice place to work (and a place with many pockets of high quality teaching and research). Kudos to all the good people. Hang in there, if you can.
David
Mon, Jul 26, 2010 : 2:01 p.m.
The UM is a very great place to work, but when an award like this is handed out it can often be (and is) exploited by non-deserving UM administrators, units, departments, or Colleges. Even with this nice and deserving award the UM, I'm afraid, has a number of these types that result in toxic workplace environments.