WVSOM receives 10th recognition as a Great College to Work For

LEWISBURG, W.Va. (WVDN) – The West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine (WVSOM) has received national recognition for the 10 th time as a Great College to Work For in The Chronicle of Higher Education ’s annual report on academic workplaces.

The 2024 report, which surveyed employees, recognizes WVSOM in six categories: job satisfaction and support; 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 that are 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, said 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. The 2024 Great Colleges participants have brought similar intentions to the well-being 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,” he said.

WVSOM President James W. Nemitz, Ph.D., said 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 that 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 said. “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 said 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 said. “WVSOM credits all our employees for our success and appreciates that 122 employees have been with the school for 10 years or more.”

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