compensation and benefits ; professional development ; mission and pride ; faculty and staff well-being ; and faculty experience .
WVSOM was also included in the publication ’ s Honor Roll , a distinction granted to only 42 institutions recognized the greatest number of times across all categories .
A total of 216 institutions participated in the 2024 Great Colleges to Work For survey , 75 of which received recognition . An institutional questionnaire that captured workplace policies and a survey seeking employee feedback at each institution was administered by ModernThink , an organizational development consulting firm .
Richard Boyer , chief culture strategist at ModernThink , says as higher education institutions have emerged from the trauma of the past four years , there has been much action around the well-being of faculty , staff and students .
“ In the face of rising levels of burnout and mental health concerns , that focus on the individual members of our community has been critical ,” he says . “ The 2024 Great Colleges participants have brought similar intentions to the wellbeing of the institution , not just its individual members . Their commitment to workplace quality and their stewardship of culture positions them well to navigate the continuing challenges higher education faces .”
WVSOM President James W . Nemitz , Ph . D ., says it is important to him to let employees know how much they are valued for their contributions to educating future physicians .
“ I hope every person at WVSOM recognizes the work they do is important and valuable to our students — whether it ’ s the faculty members who teach them or the staff members who have a more indirect role . Everyone at our school contributes to our mission , whether they realize it or not ,” he says . “ Being a school listed on the honor roll , and in most of the recognition categories , means we are doing something right . As president , I want to continue to foster an environment where people are excited about their work and are passionate about student success .”
Leslie Bicksler , the school ’ s chief human resources officer , thanked WVSOM ’ s 314 employees for making the school a quality workplace . She says recognition in categories such as mission and pride as well as faculty and staff well-being are a testament to the work environment that employees continue to maintain since the institution ’ s inception more than 50 years ago .
“ A great workplace is no accident . It ’ s a choice by employees every day to strive to make positive changes under challenging circumstances that will move us forward in achieving our mission and goals ,” Bicksler says . “ WVSOM credits all our employees for our success and appreciates that 122 employees have been with the school for 10 years or more .” •
West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine .