Professor Bill Storey, historian of South Africa, discussing Mahatma Gandhi with his British Empire class.
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Millsaps College has been recognized on a national level for what its employees already know—it's a great place to work.
This week The Chronicle of Higher Education released its inaugural "Great Colleges to Work For" survey and Millsaps was recognized for best practices and policies in three categories.
"It is long due recognition that Millsaps College is a fantastic place to work," said Dr. Frances Lucas, who is in her ninth year as president of the school. "The college has a wonderful, positive spirit, which is one of the things that drew me, and many others, to Millsaps."
Among small colleges, those with less than 499 employees, Millsaps College is recognized in three categories: tenure clarity and process, with clear requirements for tenure; career development, research and scholarship, with giving adequate time for scholarly pursuits; and supervisor or department chair relationship, with supervisors making expectations clear and soliciting ideas.
"In the last decade we've worked hard to clarify expectations about performance and to provide the resources necessary to meet those expectations," said Dr. Richard A. Smith, senior vice president and dean of the college. "For example, we've worked to make the tenure review process more fair and transparent, and this recognition seems to validate that work."
This spring five faculty members were reviewed and approved for tenure. Nearly 90 of the college's full-time faculty members are tenured or on a tenure track.
Associate professor of history Dr. Bill Storey, who joined the Millsaps faculty in 1999, credits support from the college community for his success in researching and writing.
"When I left the environment of a large university to come to Millsaps I was really worried that I might not have enough time for my writing, but the college has supported me in countless ways that have allowed me to do more than I thought possible," Storey said.
Last year, Storey used a sabbatical leave to work on several scholarly pursuits such as finishing his book, Guns, Race, and Power in Colonial South Africa and starting a new research project on the history of the wine industry in South Africa.
"Support has come in so many forms," Storey said. "Including grants from the dean's office to support research travel in South Africa, help from our librarians in finding obscure research materials, assistance from the computer services department in establishing a video-conferencing network and advice from my colleagues who have read and commented on my writing."
For more information on Millsaps College's recognition in the "Great Colleges to Work For" survey contact the Office of Communications at 601-974-1033 or communications@millsaps.edu.
