Job satisfaction and appreciation of benefits among other qualities make Temple a great place to work according to the results from the Chronicle of Higher Education’s first “Great Colleges/Universities to Work For” survey.

Of the top large institutions (more than 2,500 employees), Temple ranked “best in class” for health insurance and housing assistance programs, placing the university in the company of schools like Cornell, Ohio State, Stanford, University of Michigan at Ann Arbor and University of Southern California.

In addition to job satisfaction and appreciation of benefits, Temple also ranked highly in terms of a strong sense of pride and connection to the institution, community and students; relationship between supervisor and department chair; and a perception of positive changes with President Ann Weaver Hart’s leadership.

“The new leadership is trying very hard to create a more positive and entrepreneurial environment…,” wrote one respondent. Another commented, “I look forward to our continued growth and successes under President Hart and her cabinet.”

In addition, Temple employees feel a strong sense of mission and community, appreciate the diversity of the campus, and see Temple as an employer that provides opportunities for professional growth.

As one respondent explained, “The people working here at Temple are fantastic. There is a sense of community that is unique in this size university. There is a sense of pride that is quite special here at Temple. It is a place where you feel like you make a difference.”

In answer to what employees appreciate most about Temple, respondents said:

• Autonomy and flexibility
• Quality of students
• Diversity of students, faculty and staff
• Positive leadership under President Hart
• Benefits
• People/colleagues
• Sense of community
• Mission and dedication of most employees
• Opportunity to influence and instruct
• Opportunities for professional growth
• Feeling that I am part of something important
• Campus Police and a feeling of safety
• Technology

There were also areas identified where Temple can improve. Every category of employee wants more streamlined administrative processes, career coaching and development opportunities, more chances for reward and recognition, better communication, and improvements to the campus facilities. In addition, faculty would like better training for junior faculty, more interdepartmental cooperation, and more support from department chairs.

“Overall, we can say that Temple is a great place to work, but we can make it even better,” said Karen Cherwony, associate vice president of Human Resources. “We’re actively planning our strategy to address areas of concern to ensure that the next time our community takes this annual survey, we score even higher. We want everyone to feel what one respondent communicated: ‘This is an institution that is full of energy, purpose, mission and direction.’”

More than 2,000 faculty and staff participated in the survey last spring. While 89 four-year colleges and universities of all sizes were part of the survey, Temple was compared to 25 other institutions with more than 2,500 employees. The 70 survey questions covered 15 categories that focused on workplace quality, ranging from issues like benefits, facilities, and career development to questions about employee engagement, relationships among faculty, administration and staff, and confidence in senior leadership. There were also two open-ended questions that asked: “What do you appreciate most about working at Temple University?” and “What would make Temple University a better place to work?”