Campus News

UK Again Earns ‘Great College to Work For’ Honor, Recognized in 9 Categories

Watch why, once again, the University of Kentucky receives national accolades for a being a great place to work.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Sept. 13, 2021) — The University of Kentucky remains a great college to work for, according to a survey conducted by ModernThink. 

This is the fourth consecutive year UK has received the honor. This year, UK was recognized in a record nine categories, earning a place on the honor roll. 

Now in its 14th year, the Great Colleges to Work For program recognizes the colleges that get top ratings from their employees regarding workplace practices and policies. Among 196 participating colleges and universities, 70 institutions were recognized as a great college to work for. Of those, 42 institutions were named to the honor roll. 

“It takes courage to lead,” said Richard K. Boyer, principal and managing partner at ModernThink. “And the 2021 Great Colleges to Work For participants demonstrated remarkable courage, commitment and optimism in their decisions to participate in a ‘great place to work program’ in the midst of a world-wide pandemic. There’s much to learn from these remarkable institutions and their inspirational leaders.” 

UK was recognized for excellence in nine categories: 

  • Job Satisfaction & Support 

  • Compensation & Benefits 

  • Professional Development 

  • Mission & Pride 

  • Supervisor/Department Chair Effectiveness 

  • Confidence in Senior Leadership 

  • Faculty & Staff Well-being 

  • Shared Governance 

  • Faculty Experience 

The results are based on a survey of 1,200 randomly selected faculty and staff in the spring. They were asked to provide their honest feedback on UK as a workplace. 

“Earning this high achievement is a testament to the supportive and collaborative culture we work toward every day,” said Kim Wilson, vice president and chief human resources officer. “While we have all faced unprecedented challenges during the pandemic, our faculty and staff have remained resilient and focused on our mission to support all of those who rely on our university.” 

"As we develop our next strategic plan, this a compelling example of one of our principles — supporting our people," President Eli Capilouto said. "After all, when our people are successful we can do more to advance Kentucky."

The complete list of recognized institutions will be published in a special insert of The Chronicle of Higher Education. 

Pete Comparoni | UK Photo.

As the state’s flagship, land-grant institution, the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders — placing students at the heart of everything we do — and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education, research and creative work, service and health care. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing, a place where ingenuity unfolds. It's all made possible by our people — visionaries, disruptors and pioneers — who make up 200 academic programs, a $476.5 million research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.   

In 2022, UK was ranked by Forbes as one of the “Best Employers for New Grads” and named a “Diversity Champion” by INSIGHT into Diversity, a testament to our commitment to advance Kentucky and create a community of belonging for everyone. While our mission looks different in many ways than it did in 1865, the vision of service to our Commonwealth and the world remains the same. We are the University for Kentucky.