Eastern was the recipient of two employment accolades this September. Eastern was named a “Great College to Work For” for the 10th time and the Hartford Courant listed Eastern in its “Top Workplaces” survey for the eighth time–the only public higher education institution honored among 60 “large” organizations. 

Of the 236 institutions surveyed by the Great Colleges to Work For program, only 85 achieved “A Great College to Work For” recognition; Eastern was one them for earning outstanding marks in the categories of collaborative governance and facilities, workspace and security. ModernThink, a strategic human capital consulting firm, administered the survey and analyzed the results, which were released on Sept. 16 in a special insert in the Chronicle of Higher Education.

As a university that shined in the collaborative governance category, Eastern is viewed as an institution that actively involves its faculty members in decisions related to academic programs. Eastern also placed in the facilities, workspace and security category for having facilities that adequately meet the needs of faculty, are aesthetically pleasing and provide a secure environment.

For the Hartford Courant, Eastern was ranked 10th in the “large” category–having nearly 1,000 employees–and was the only public higher education institution recognized among 60 organizations in Hartford, Middlesex, Tolland, Windham and New London counties. Results were published on Sept. 22 in the Hartford Courant.

“We are honored to be recognized once again as a top workplace in Connecticut,” said Eastern’s President Elsa Núñez. “Even though Eastern was recognized in the large organization category, our university has always prided itself on being a close-knit community and a welcoming, inclusive campus for students, faculty and staff. The Courant’s announcement reminds us that Eastern is a stable, inspiring place for our faculty and staff to come to work each day, and a supportive learning environment for our students. I am very pleased that we were among those recognized.”

The survey included 24 statements, with employees asked to assess each one on a scale from “strongly agree” to “strongly disagree.” Topics included organizational direction, workplace conditions, effectiveness, managers and compensation. Each company was assigned a score based on a formula.