For the third time in the last four years, Norco College has been selected as a Great College to Work For by The Chronicle of Higher Education, a newspaper for college and university faculty and student affairs professionals. The College was previously selected in 2018 and 2019.

Established in 1991, Norco College became the state’s 112 college after receiving accreditation from the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges in January of 2010. Today, the College serves over 14,000 students and employs 739 individuals. The College’s economic impact totals $161.1 million, $42.7 million in operations spending, and supports 2,287 jobs in the region. For five of the last six years, the College has also been recognized as a Best College for Veterans, is home to one of the largest middle colleges in the nation, and a center for the National Center for Supply Chain Automation.

The Great College to Work For results are based on a survey of 196 colleges and universities. In all, 70 of the 196 institutions achieved Great College to Work For recognition for specific best practices and policies. Norco College was selected as a large institution.

“Norco College is no longer a hidden gem. Being recognized on the Honor Roll of this national recognition program moves Norco College front and center on the national stage,” Monica Green, Ed.D, president, said. “This designation is a reflection of the unwavering student centeredness and commitment to our mission by all our exemplary employees.”

Institutions were judged in several categories including professional development, faculty experience, confidence in senior leadership, compensation/benefits, professional development, mission and pride, diversity, inclusion and belonging, and shared governance as well as others.

The survey results are based on a two-part assessment process: an institution questionnaire that captured employment data and workplace policies from each institution, and a survey administered to faculty, administrators, and professional support staff. The primary factor in deciding whether an institution received recognition was the employee feedback. As part of the survey, staff shared what they most appreciated about the institution’s workplace.

The employee survey also underwent changes this year, including the addition of 11 new survey statements, some of which are related to first-time survey themes around diversity, inclusion and belonging, as well as faculty and staff well-being. New survey demographics related to gender identity and remote work were also included this year. In accordance with the survey changes, the recognition categories for the program were also updated this year to better reflect current patterns and methodologies in employee engagement in higher education.

“Leadership in crisis is both art and science,” Richard K. Boyer, principal and managing partner at ModernThink, said. “The leaders at this year’s recognized institutions guided their institutions through unprecedented challenges with vision and transparency, all while modeling a spirit of partnership and genuine care for their fellow colleagues. It takes courage to lead. 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’ during a worldwide pandemic. There’s much to learn from these remarkable institutions and their inspirational leaders.”

The Great Colleges to Work For program is one of the largest and most respected workplace-recognition programs in the country. For more information and to view current and previous recognized institutions, visit the Great Colleges program website at GreatCollegesProgram.com and GreatCollegesList.com. ModernThink, a strategic human capital consulting firm, administered the survey and analyzed the results.