Chronicle Recognizes UB as 'Great Place to Work'

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The University at Buffalo is rated very highly as a "great place to work" by the Chronicle of Higher Education in a national survey of the quality of the academic workplace.

In results released today by the Chronicle, UB is ranked in the top 5 in eight different ranking categories among large research universities of 2,500 or more employees. The categories are:

• health insurance

• compensation and benefits (pay is fair and benefits meet the needs of employees)

• tenure clarity and process (requirements are clear, faculty members say)

• collaborative governance (faculty members are appropriately involved in decisions related to academic programs)

• housing assistance programs (UB offers a Home Loan Guaranty program to employees interested in buying homes near its South [Main Street] Campus)

• career development, research and scholarship (adequate time is given for scholarly pursuits)

• vacation or time off

• post-retirement benefits

The results are based on responses from more than 15,000 administrators, faculty members and staff members at 89 colleges and universities. The rankings were compiled for the Chronicle's "2008 Great Colleges to Work For," a new feature of the weekly higher-education newspaper available online at http://chronicle.com.

UB President John B. Simpson said UB's impressive performance in the rankings is a testament to the university's successful efforts to transform its human resources as part of the UB 2020 strategic planning process.

Based in Washington, D.C., the Chronicle is a leading international source for news and information about higher education.

"Our success in human resources puts us in league with institutions like The University of Michigan, Stanford University, Duke University and the University of Maryland," Simpson said. "Our efforts to make UB a great place to work are very much a part of UB 2020's broader goal of making this one of the very best public research universities in the nation."

Scott Nostaja, UB interim vice president of human resources, has led the UB HR Transformation Initiative. The process has resulted in many new services for faculty and staff, including new programs focusing on employee wellness and professional development, and new divisional HR units.

"Our goal is to create a culture of excellence at UB in everything we do," Nostaja said.

"In the same way that excellence in research and scholarship is part of the UB culture, creating an excellent workplace for faculty, staff and students has become a priority at UB."

A Chronicle article accompanying the rankings, "Buffalo Entices Its Employees to Seek a Healthier Lifestyle," focused on one of UB's new health and wellness initiatives. The article described how 15 pairs of UB employees lost a combined 600 pounds in 12 weeks by participating in UB's "Move It to Lose It" contest.

UB's recognition by the Chronicle is the latest among other honors received by UB human resources recently. Earlier this month, UB received the 2008 Excellence in Human Resource Practices Award from the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources in recognition of UB's HR Transformation Initiative.

In April, UB was a finalist in Buffalo's Business First newspaper's annual "Great Places to Work" ranking.

The University at Buffalo is a premier research-intensive public university, a flagship institution in the State University of New York system and its largest and most comprehensive campus. UB's more than 28,000 students pursue their academic interests through more than 300 undergraduate, graduate and professional degree programs. Founded in 1846, the University at Buffalo is a member of the Association of American Universities.