Rice named 'Great College to Work for'

By Ellen Liu     9/2/10 7:00pm

Rice has made the Honor Roll for the second year in a row in the Chronicle of Higher Education's "Great Colleges to Work For" national survey. This annual assessment, started in 2008, examined 275 colleges this year for 12 "core attributes of a great academic workplace." Of those 275 institutions, Rice not only made the cut as one of 97 "Great Colleges to Work For"; it placed on the Honor Roll, a privilege awarded to only 39 colleges that have demonstrated excellence in the most categories. Specifically, Rice was commended in the categories of Professional/Career-Development Programs; Teaching Environment; Compensation and Benefits; Facilities, Workplaces, & Securities; Job Satisfaction; Work-Life Balance; Supervisor or Department Chair Relationship and Respect and Appreciation.

Associate Vice President for Human Resources Mary Cronin said she was very pleased by the Honor Roll distinction.

"[Rice is] a terrific place to work," Cronin said. "There is a level of camaraderie between students and staff that's very important."

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This camaraderie, according to Cronin, springs from the shared values of those at Rice, and as the university continues to attract people committed to higher education, an interesting, motivating and stimulating team is created.

"Rice means a lot to the people who work here," said Cronin.

Admission Counselor Elizabeth Orr, who started working at Rice in July, agreed that the university's honor was well-deserved.

"[This place is] very inclusive," Orr said. "Everyone's really excited to welcome you into Rice. This [warmth] definitely helped my job performance."

Orr said Rice's reputation as one of the best colleges to work for solidified her decision to work at Rice, because she said she wanted to begin her first post-college job at a place where she would be happy.

Economics Professor Jim Brown - a member of Rice's faculty since 1992 - said the quality of students, teaching and research sets Rice apart from other universities. Students engage themselves and participate, even in large classes, Brown said. Furthermore, Brown said Rice students support professors in scholarly activities and research and treat all faculty and staff members with respect, qualities that make Rice a great place to teach and work. Brown said he is not surprised that Rice made the Honor Roll.

Associate Dean of Undergraduates Matthew Taylor agreed that students are the best part of the Rice experience.

"They are what I love about Rice," Taylor said. "Our students are not only really smart, modest and ridiculously hardworking; I love working with them."

Taylor said Rice is both a rich and challenging academic environment in which cutting-edge research informs the teaching and a collegial place to work.

Taylor summed Rice up in three phrases: shared goals, shared mission and shared purpose.

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