University of Mary Washington has been recognized as a 2019 Great College to Work For.

Now in its 12th year, the Great Colleges to Work For survey is one of the largest and most respected workplace recognition programs in the country. The results, released today in a special insert in The Chronicle of Higher Education, reveal that of 152 four-year institutions nationwide that participated in this year’s survey, UMW is among 60 selected for the distinction.

The survey is conducted by ModernThink, a Delaware-based strategic human capital consulting firm. It highlights colleges that get top ratings from their employees regarding workplace practices and policies.

Since taking the helm at Mary Washington in 2016, President Troy Paino has worked diligently with leadership to improve workplace environment, zeroing in on key components identified in a survey completed shortly before his arrival, including communication, collaboration and compensation.

“There were opportunities to do a better job of communicating with the campus, to make them more aware of both challenges and opportunities,” Paino said. “When people start feeling that they can actively participate in making a place better, morale is going to improve.” Read more.

The University of Mary Washington is a premier, selective public liberal arts and sciences university in Virginia, highly respected for its commitment to academic excellence, strong undergraduate liberal arts and sciences program, and dedication to life-long learning. The university, with a total enrollment of more than 5,000, features colleges of business, education and arts and sciences, and three campuses, including a residential campus in Fredericksburg, Va., a second one in nearby Stafford and a third in Dahlgren, Va., which serves as a center of development of educational and research partnerships between the Navy, higher education institutions and the region’s employers.