St. Olaf one of nation's friendliest to junior faculty

The idea that treating new hires well might result in gains for an institution seems not to have taken universal hold in what should be our country's most enlightened sector.

But according to a study written up in the Chronicle of Higher Education, one Minnesota college -- St. Olaf -- seems to get it.

It was listed, under the Baccalaureate Institutions category, as among the 32 colleges and universities most friendly to junior faculty.

What the study considered:

• tenure practices;

• the clarity of institutional expectations for tenure;

• the nature of faculty work overall, in research, and in teaching;

• work-and-home balance and support;

• climate, culture, and collegiality; and

• global satisfaction.

The University of Minnesota didn't make the list, but its neighbor to the south -- the University of Iowa -- was the only institution to get exceptional ratings in five out of eight areas.

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