Contact: Checky Herrington

MSU is being recognized as a “2016 Great College to Work For” by The Chronicle of Higher Education.

STARKVILLE, Miss.—Mississippi State University is being recognized as a “2016 Great College to Work For” by The Chronicle of Higher Education after receiving top ratings from employees on workforce practices and policies.

The results, released today [July 18] in The Chronicle’s ninth annual report on the Academic Workplace, are based on a survey of 281 colleges and universities. Only 93 of the institutions that applied for the program achieved “Great College to Work For” recognition. Results are reported for small, medium and large institutions, with Mississippi State included among large universities with 10,000 or more students.

Mississippi State earned honors in six categories: collaborative governance; confidence in senior leadership; facilities, workspace and security; job satisfaction; professional/career development programs; and tenure clarity and process. The university also was named to The Chronicle’s honor roll, a distinction for institutions that are cited most often across all recognition categories. 

“Receiving national recognition for our workplace culture reinforces Mississippi State's standing as a premier research university and an employer of choice,” said MSU President Mark E. Keenum. “We’re always working to build a more inclusive and engaged work environment where everyone has a stake in moving our university forward.”

Since its beginning in 2007, The Chronicle’s “Great Colleges to Work For” survey has grown into one of the largest and most respected workplace recognition programs in the country. The program is well known as the mark for colleges or universities that put thought and effort into serving the needs of its faculty and staff.

“The colleges and universities that make the list are highly rated by their employees for creating great working environments, an important achievement that helps them recruit top academic and administrative talent,” said Liz McMillen, editor of The Chronicle.

The survey results are based on a two-part assessment process: an institutional audit that captures demographics and workplace policies, and a survey administered to faculty, administrators and professional support staff. The primary factor in deciding whether an institution receives recognition is employee feedback.

Mississippi State launched a comprehensive branding initiative in Fall 2015 seeking to raise awareness of the university’s strengths, including diversity across campus, collaboration and a supportive and inspiring environment for students and employees.

Student-led teams at MSU are involved in a number of research and development projects with state, national and global impacts. They’re designing the eco-friendly car of the future, pursuing a cure for pandemic flu, developing concussion-free football helmets, and partnering with NASA on future space exploration.

Mississippi State has been in the top 10 nationally in agriculture-related research for more than 15 years and is applying its vast body of knowledge to find solutions for world hunger and food insecurity. MSU has entered formal partnerships with both the United Nations World Food Programme and Food and Agriculture Organization, and Keenum serves as vice chairman of the Foundation for Food and Agricultural Research.

Designated by the National Science Foundation as a top 100 research university, MSU now serves as the national lead for the FAA’s Center of Excellence for Unmanned Aircraft Systems and boasts a top 5 finish in the nation’s premier automotive engineering competition earlier this year.

“Faculty, administrators and staff play an integral role in fostering a challenging and supportive educational experience that prepares students to be leaders,” said Keenum. “Their contributions demonstrate Mississippi State’s drive for excellence in everything we do."

The Chronicle of Higher Education is a leading source for news, jobs, and information for college and university administrators and faculty. To view all results of the “Great Colleges to Work For” survey, visit http://chronicle.com/interactives/greatcolleges16.

MSU is Mississippi’s leading university, available online at www.msstate.edu.