Great College, Great Colleagues

Old Dominion University was named one of the best colleges in the nation to work for by The Chronicle of Higher Education!

The honor, released today in The Chronicle's fourth annual report on The Academic Workplace, is a result of a survey of nearly 44,000 employees at 310 colleges and universities. In all, only 111 of the 310 institutions achieved "Great College to Work For" recognition for specific best practices and policies. Old Dominion won honors in the shared governance category.

The survey results are based on a two-part assessment process: an institutional audit that captured demographics 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.

Since I began leading this institution in 2008, I have made a commitment to sustaining a campus culture where two-way communication, meaningful participation by all and respect and appreciation of a myriad of ideas is the norm. Without  our outstanding faculty and dedicated staff this institution would not have achieved the astounding advances it has in the last decade.

As I have noted many times in the past, the words of Isaac Newton capture my belief of the source of our success at ODU: "If I have seen further than others, it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants."

I want to thank every member of our faculty and staff for your daily contributions to making Old Dominion University one of the best workplaces in the nation. Whether you're teaching a class of eager students, discovering new frontiers in the lab, greeting visitors, ensuring our buildings and grounds are picture perfect, or working in a hundred different ways to make sure everything runs smoothly at ODU, you are our giants!