Satisfied Scholars

GAMBIER, Ohio (December 12, 2007) Kenyon professors like where they work--so much so that the College emerged as an "exemplary" employer in a survey of prominent colleges and universities around the country.

The survey was conducted by the Collaborative on Academic Careers in Higher Education (COACHE), based at Harvard University. The group surveyed junior faculty members at 56 universities and 22 colleges, asking about 12 key factors affecting work as well as life outside the office. The factors range from "nature of work" (including teaching and research) to "climate and collegiality."

Only three colleges achieved exemplary status in five of the 12 categories: Kenyon, Bowdoin, and Davidson. To qualify as an "exemplar," a college or university had to receive scores that were notably higher than those at similar institutions.

Kenyon and Trinity College received top scores for "global satisfaction." Kenyon was also listed in the exemplary category for tenure practices overall, tenure clarity, policy effectiveness overall, and climate/collegiality.

Among the universities, Brown and Stanford earned exemplary status in eight categories, while Duke received top scores in seven categories.

The survey reflects the fact that talented young faculty members are looking at more than pay and benefits in assessing where to spend their careers, according to the online newsletter Inside Higher Ed. COACHE Director Cathy Trower said: "By earning and maintaining the distinction of being a great place for new scholars to work, these exemplary institutions will be most able to attract and retain top academic talent in an increasingly competitive faculty labor market."