LA PLATA, Md. (June 26, 2008)—For the fifth year, the College of Southern Maryland was recognized by the Alliance for Workplace Excellence as an outstanding organization in providing an excellent workplace environment and for its dedication and commitment to employee work-life initiatives.
Recognizing 62 top employers at its ‘Workplace Excellence’ Annual Recognition Awards ceremony on June 19, the Alliance acknowledged CSM as an employee-friendly organization, honoring it with the 2008 Workplace Excellence seal. The 2008 winning companies represent more than 1.3 million employees from small, medium and large, private, nonprofit and public sector businesses.
“CSM has long been recognized for its commitment and service to the Southern Maryland community,” said CSM President Dr. Brad Gottfried. “We are honored to receive this Workplace Excellence Award for the fifth year as it validates the college’s long-term efforts to provide innovative, employee-friendly programs with an emphasis on work-life balance, such as the summer flex time program and programs that emphasize health and wellness.”
According to the Alliance for Workplace Excellence, these outstanding winning employers are committed to providing balanced leadership through inclusive and flexible corporate culture and management practices; family and employee friendly policies and programs; strong health and wellness practices; strong health and wellness programs; growth and learning opportunities; and a commitment to corporate, social, and civic responsibility. Recipients are selected after a comprehensive evaluation process that is run by an Independent Review Panel of professors, PhD professionals, and PhD students of business, industrial and organizational psychology and Human Resources.
“These award-wining employers realize that creating a sustained culture of workplace excellence and supporting workforce health and wellness makes good business sense,” said Fiona Gathright, Acting Executive Director of the Alliance for Workplace Excellence. “Each of these selected winners strives to raise the bar for workplace excellence and demonstrates to the business community that workplace excellence is not just a ‘nice thing to do’ but it is a strategic business imperative for financial success.”
Over the years the college has steadily increased its health and wellness programs for the public as well as for its employees, said Denise Bailey Clark, CSM’s executive director for human resources. CSM offers competitive benefits including telecommuting and flexible work schedules. CSM also offers employees a number of development opportunities including leadership training, computer software training, tuition waiver for CSM courses, and partial tuition reimbursement for job-related coursework at other institutions.
CSM, founded in 1958, is the fifth largest community college in Maryland. From a first graduation class of four in 1960, the college has celebrated more than 16,100 graduates.
The college has also been recognized with the Silver Level Quality Excellence Award through the Maryland Performance Excellence Award program, and as the 2007 Employer of the Year by the Maryland Department of Aging and the Maryland Chamber of Commerce Partner in Business.