July 20, 2015
The Chronicle of Higher Education has named Laurel Ridge Community College to its 2015 list of “Great Colleges to Work For®.” Only 86 colleges or universities in the nation received this designation. Forty-two schools made the Honor Roll List with only 12 being two-year institutions. The Honor Roll classification denotes colleges that are “the best of the best.” This is Laurel Ridge’s fourth year on the all around Great Colleges to Work For list, and its third time in the coveted category of Honor Roll.
[Your user agent does not support frames or is currently configured not to display frames. You may visit the Laurel Ridge website for more information.]Conducted annually by The Chronicle of Higher Education, the program surveys personnel at each selected organization, along with conducting an institutional audit that captures demographics and workplace policies. The primary factor in deciding whether an institution received recognition was the employee feedback. Laurel Ridge received the highest ratings among medium sized, two-year colleges in the 9 collective categories of:
- Collaborative Governance
- Professional/Career Development Programs
- Teaching Environment
- Facilities, Workspace and Security
- Job Satisfaction
- Work/Life Balance
- Confidence in Senior Leadership
- Respect and Appreciation
- Supervisor/Department Chair Relationship
Laurel Ridge is a top 20 employer in the region as depicted by the Virginia Labor Market Information Community Profile, with almost 600 employees. The College serves more than 20,000 residents annually, when all programs offerings (academic, workforce training, professional development and high school dual enrollment) are combined.
President of the College, Dr. Cheryl Thompson-Stacy said, “The Laurel Ridge team is the finest team I have ever had the privilege of working with in my entire career. We have dedicated, compassionate, innovative employees who truly care about our students, our workforce partners and our community. Laurel Ridge Community College provides a very positive creative work environment and I am very fortunate to be a part of this special organization.”
Great Colleges to Work For is one of the largest and most respected workplace-recognition programs in the country. For more information and to view all the results of the survey, visit The Chronicle’s Web site at http://chronicle.com/section/Academic-Workplace-2015/879/.
Founded in 1970, Laurel Ridge Community College is a multi-campus public institution of higher education. With three locations — Middletown, Warrenton, and Luray-Page County — the College serves eight localities in the Shenandoah Valley and northern Piedmont regions. The localities are the counties of Clarke, Fauquier, Frederick, Page, Rappahannock, Shenandoah and Warren and the city of Winchester. Laurel Ridge offers more than 75 associate degree and certificate programs in a wide variety of disciplines. Laurel Ridge also serves the business community by offering workforce preparation programs for employees and employers. Laurel Ridge serves more than 9,000 unduplicated credit students and more than 11,000 individuals in professional development and business and industry courses annually.
Laurel Ridge Community College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award associate degrees. Laurel Ridge Community College also may offer credentials such as certificates and diplomas at approved degree levels. Questions about the accreditation of Laurel Ridge Community College may be directed in writing to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA 30033-4097, by calling (404) 679-4500, or by using information available on SACSCOC’s website (www.sacscoc.org).
Laurel Ridge Community College is an equal opportunity institution providing educational and employment opportunities, programs, services, and activities. Laurel Ridge shall promote and maintain equal employment and educational opportunities without regard to race, color, religion, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, ethnicity, marital status, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions including lactation, age (except when age is a bona fide occupational qualification), status as a veteran, national origin, or other non-merit factors. Laurel Ridge also prohibits sexual misconduct including sexual violence or harassment. Inquiries may be directed to the Associate Vice President, Human Resources, [email protected], 173 Skirmisher Lane, Middletown, VA 22645, 540-868-7226.
Laurel Ridge Community College was known as Lord Fairfax Community College until June 2022. For consistency purposes, the college will be referenced as Laurel Ridge going forward.