OCTC earns honors in 4 categories, makes list of ‘Great Colleges to Work For’

October 28, 2021 | 12:11 am

Updated October 27, 2021 | 9:49 pm

Graphic by Owensboro Times

Owensboro Community & Technical College recently made the list of “Great Colleges to Work For” according to a 2021 national survey.

The results, released in a special insert of The Chronicle of Higher Education, are based on a survey of 196 colleges and universities. In all, 70 of the 196 institutions achieved “Great College to Work For” recognition for specific best practices and policies. Results are reported for small, medium, and large institutions, with OCTC included among the medium colleges with 3,000 to 9,999 students.

OCTC earned honors in four categories this year: supervisor/department chair effectiveness, confidence in senior leadership; faculty and staff well-being; and diversity, inclusion and belonging.

“We are thrilled to receive this honor,” said OCTC President Dr. Scott Williams. “But we are even more excited to see that we did well in the new categories of faculty and staff well-being and diversity, inclusion and belonging. Our whole team has been working hard, particularly through the pandemic, to be engaged in exercises and discussions to enhance all aspects of acceptance. I am very proud of all our employees.”

The supervisor/department chair effectiveness category demonstrates and evaluates the experience of one’s immediate supervisor. It is among the most important factors influencing whether an employee is truly engaged. This recognition category is based on the survey items providing insight into critical managerial competencies such as providing clear direction and constructive feedback, and ensuring effective communication and equitable treatment.

The confidence in senior leadership category is based on the expressed confidence faculty and staff report in the capabilities and credibility of senior leadership. In the Great Colleges to Work For program, “senior leadership” is defined as the most senior members of the institution (e.g., chancellor or president and those who report directly to him/her).

The faculty and staff well-being category is new for 2021 and this recognition category is based on the impact of one’s employment experience on their well-being (e.g., the opportunity to do meaningful work, the support for work/life balance and the experience of a safe working environment).

The diversity, inclusion and belonging recognition category is also new for 2021 and is reserved for program participants who are demonstrating an institutionalized commitment to diversity, as reported through the experiences of faculty and staff. It is based on measures of individual experiences of inclusion and belonging, as well as measures of the impact of institutional diversity policies and procedures at the individual level. This recognition category is based on the responses of all employees at an institution, and does not necessarily reflect the specific employment experience of any one demographic group of any protected class of employees.

OCTC has 200 full-time and approximately 150 part-time employees, serving the greater Owensboro counties of Daviess, Ohio, Hancock and McLean. Since 2015, OCTC has participated annually in the survey and previously received recognition in 2016 for the confidence in senior leadership category. This year’s survey resulted in a 58% completion rate.

“Our employees consistently complete the survey at this level. To be recognized in multiple categories is quite an honor. We are grateful to our faculty and staff for all that they do,” said Dr. Kevin Beardmore, Vice President of Student Affairs.

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.

October 28, 2021 | 12:11 am

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