Embry-Riddle Expands Its Collection of Best-Employer Awards

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University is one of the nation’s best employers in higher education, according to a survey conducted by the leading source of news about colleges and universities in the United States.

Nearly 44,000 employees at 310 colleges and universities submitted feedback on their employers for The Chronicle of Higher Education’s fourth annual Academic Workplace special report, published July 25 as part of the July 29 issue.

Of the institutions polled, only 111 achieved “Great College to Work For” recognition for their worker-friendly practices and policies – 85 four-year institutions and 26 two-year institutions. Each school is listed in one of three size categories and some schools win additional recognition in specialized categories, but the schools are not ranked against each other.

With more than 34,000 students enrolled annually at its residential campuses in Daytona Beach, FL and Prescott, AZ, at 150 Worldwide Campus locations around the globe, and in online learning, Embry-Riddle falls into the large-university category. To serve these students, the University employs over 2,500 faculty, staff, and administrators worldwide.

“The Chronicle is the gold standard in higher-education news and analysis, so we’re very proud and honored to appear on its prestigious list for the first time,” said Irene McReynolds, Embry-Riddle vice president of human resources. “We’re also grateful to our faculty and staff for the vote of confidence they gave us in their survey responses. Even in a challenging economy we continue to fine-tune our benefits package to maximize our ability to attract and retain top-quality faculty and staff – after all, our people are the foundation on which we’ve built our reputation as the global leader in aviation and aerospace education.”

Embry-Riddle employees who participated in The Chronicle survey rated the university highly enough for it to win placement in the special category of Work/Life Balance, which honors institutions that excel in creating policies and programs that allow employees more flexibility and enrichment in their personal lives.

Embry-Riddle employees enjoy several paid holidays, including the week off between Christmas and New Year’s Day, a generous personal leave program, a four-day summer workweek, a telecommuting option, a comprehensive employee assistance program, and health insurance with vision and dental coverage. A tuition waiver program offers free tuition to employees and family members, with employees allowed paid time off to attend Embry-Riddle classes.

FMI: http://chronicle.com/academicworkplace ; www.embryriddle.edu