Angelo State University has been named one of the nation’s “Great Colleges to Work For” for 2020 by ModernThink, and has been recognized in a special edition of The Chronicle of Higher Education, the major national news source for college and university faculty and administrators.
ASU is one of only 79 institutions of higher education recognized nationally by ModernThink and also ranked highly enough to be one of only 42 institutions named to the 2020 Honor Roll. This marks the sixth straight year ASU has made both the “Great Colleges to Work For” list and the Honor Roll.
Ronnie Hawkins Jr. ASU President Ronnie Hawkins Jr. said, “This year in particular, we all got to see how exceptional our faculty and staff are, as they went above and beyond to continue to serve our students in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. From shifting to online classes in just two weeks to installing all the safety equipment and protocols so we could return to campus this fall, their efforts were absolutely fantastic. That our employees remain dedicated to our students and also truly enjoy working at ASU is a prime example of why we call ourselves the Ram Family.”
Tedd L. Mitchell, MD “This is a recognition that should make everyone proud at Angelo State University,” said Tedd L. Mitchell, M.D., chancellor of the Texas Tech University System. “Offering a values-based culture across the institution has made Angelo State a desirable destination for faculty, staff and administrators. By establishing career growth and development, leadership opportunities and an enjoyable workplace, ASU is the gold standard for creating a thriving campus environment.”
The “Great Colleges to Work For” designation is based upon surveys conducted earlier this year of more than 50,000 employees at 221 colleges and universities nationally. Angelo State was one of seven Texas four-year institutions to earn the designation, one of only two Texas state-supported universities to be honored, and the only Texas state-supported university to make the Honor Roll. ASU was previously identified as one of the nation’s “Great Colleges to Work For” in 2009, 2013 and 2015-19.
The ModernThink survey evaluates employee satisfaction in 12 categories in four general areas: leadership, the workplace, careers and compensation. Its two-part assessment process includes an institutional audit of demographics and workplace policies, as well as the survey of faculty, staff and administrators, with employee feedback being the primary factor. ASU was recognized in 11 of the 12 categories.
Kurtis Neal ASU Human Resources Director Kurtis Neal said, “The leadership, commitment and hard work displayed by our employees on a daily basis create an amazing campus experience. The way everyone pulled together this year to make the campus safe for students to return for the fall semester was just outstanding. To earn the ‘Great College to Work For’ designation and make the Honor Roll for a sixth straight year is definitely something for the campus to brag about.”
Additionally, Neal said the broader national exposure for ASU that comes with the recognition will enhance the university’s ability to recruit high-quality faculty, staff and administrators. ASU currently has 977 employees, including 415 faculty and 562 staff.
