Wake Tech Named a Great College to Work For

The Chronicle of Higher Education put out the third annual Best Universities and Colleges to Work for survey results. It surveyed more than 43,000 people at 275 campuses about how universities ranked in 12 categories to compile its list of the nation’s 97 best colleges and universities to work for.

Wake Technical Community College was one of nine two-year institutions to make The Chronicle’s Honor Roll.  In total, 30 four-year and nine two-year institutions made the honor roll, which recognizes the institutions cited in the most categories in their size divisions.  Wake Tech was recognized in five of the 12 categories: collaborative governance, job satisfaction, confidence in senior leadership, supervisor or department chair relationship, and respect and appreciation.

Wake Tech has five campuses and two centers that serve about 23,000 degree-seeking students and about 46,000 continuing-education students. The college has 840 full-time employees, of which 453 of those are faculty members.

Current Wake Tech president Stephen C. Scott arrived at Wake Tech in 2003, and one of the first things on his to-do list was to meet as many faculty and staff members as possible, and continue to meet with them regularly. By creating this open line of communication, faculty and staff members feel as if the requests and issues they present to Mr. Scott are heard.

One of the requests from faculty members was to create a leadership program to help them advance in their careers. College officials developed and implemented a program in 2004. The three-year employee-leadership program meets in five phases. During the first three years more than 60 faculty and staff members were promoted as a result of training, which includes sessions on the history and philosophy of community colleges, conflict resolution, and decision making.

Another issue that employees brought to Mr. Scott’s attention was that the institutions computer and internet access were out-of-date and limited. From 2005 to 2008, the college added more than 2,000 new computers and expanded and upgraded its Internet service by using money allocated for new equipment and a technology fee to pay the cost.

Demetra Overton, coordinator of science labs for Wake Tech summed up just why it is such a great place to work. “The people who work here, we’re not here because we have to be but because we want to be.”

Two other North Carolina universities were recognized, Elon University and Duke University.