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Baldwin
Wallace
University
is
ranked
among
the
"Top
Workplaces
in
Northeast
Ohio,"
a
distinction
that
recognizes
"area
employers
who
are
doing
it
right"
as
determined
by
their
own
employees.
Now in its eighth year, Cleveland's major daily news source, The Plain Dealer/cleveland.com, says the "Top Workplaces" program "seeks to recognize area employers who create an environment and culture where workers feel respected and rewarded and where those same workers feel as if they can enrich their skills while contributing to a mission they believe in."
The mission BW faculty and staff believe in and carry out is to mentor and educate students. Bryan Bowser, assistant professor of arts management and entrepreneurship, told the newspaper in a post-survey interview, "We don't just try to develop great students. There are pathways and opportunities for faculty and staff to continue to evolve and develop as well."
"What really makes BW special is the feeling of 'family' you get when on campus. Everyone is kind and willing to help with anything," added Janet Brisky, office manager of the Lou Higgins Recreation Center.
"BW
is
known
for
cultivating
a
welcoming
community
that
is
both
supportive
and
challenging,"
said
BW
President
Robert
C.
Helmer.
"The
BW
culture
of
meaningful
belonging
is
enthusiastically
embraced
by
each
incoming
class
of
students
and
carried
forward
by
our
alumni,
but
it
starts
with
our
outstanding
and
dedicated
faculty
and
staff."
The character of the campus community is rooted in history and tradition. In 1845, more than 15 years before the Civil War, Baldwin Wallace was founded as one of the first colleges in the nation to admit students without regard to race or gender. That spirit of inclusiveness has flourished and evolved into an environment that encourages faculty, staff, students and graduates to thrive.
"What I see here is a community. The community of students merges with the community of professors and the deans and with all the departments. It's somewhat seamless," Jeannie Vassanelli, catering and events manager, told the paper. "And everybody is as important as the next."
The
2017
Top
Workplaces
list
was
determined
by
employee
nominations
and
surveys
of
businesses,
government
agencies
and
nonprofit
organizations
in
an
11-county
area.
Hundreds
of
full
and
part-time
members
of
the
BW
faculty
and
staff
completed
anonymous
online
questionnaires
through
Workplace
Dynamics,
which
was
tasked
with
compiling
employee
responses
and
ranking
the
top
100
places
to
work
in
Northeast
Ohio.
In the first year BW participated in the survey, the university ranked among the best.
"Of all the places I have worked, Baldwin Wallace is the most people orientated," said Karen Kaye, dean of BW's School of Education.
She told the Plain Dealer, "I feel that we have amazing autonomy, and I think that is important in a workplace. We have people we report to but they basically trust us to do what they hired us to do. That gives us the freedom to be responsive, to our faculty, to our students. We can create partnerships outside of the university without a lot of red tape. That creates wonderful community relationships."
"We look at the results of this survey as both a validation of what BW is doing right, and an opportunity to continue to raise the bar and set new goals for exceptional excellence," said President Helmer. "We are collectively, continually engaged in the fulfilling work of building a better University to serve our students and the region."
