TU recognized nationally as a 'Most Promising Place to Work' in student affairs

By Kyle Hobstetter on March 26, 2018

Towson University faculty and staff have worked hard to provide a diverse and inclusive campus. Now that hard work is being recognized nationally. 

TU’s Division of Student Affairs was named one of the Most Promising Places to Work in Student Affairs by Diverse: Issues in Higher Education magazine through a partnership with the American College Personnel Association (ACPA).

Towson University is one of only 13 schools in the nation to receive this honor and is the only school in Maryland to be recognized.

“I am delighted and honored that our Division is being recognized for our work related to inclusion, equity and social justice,” said Deb Moriarty, vice president of student affairs. “Our work to create a welcoming and inclusive community for all students is a priority and is critical in fostering student success.”   

Now in its fifth year, Most Promising Places to Work in Student Affairs is a national recognition that celebrates student affairs workplaces that are vibrant, diverse, supportive and committed to staff work-life balance, professional development and inclusive excellence.

With a focus on workplace diversity, staffing practices and work environment, the research for this award used a web-based survey approach to examine categories such as family friendliness, salary/benefits and professional development opportunities, among other factors.

TU received a rating of “A” in 10 of 12 “diversity policies.” Diversity has become a hallmark of higher education, especially in student affairs divisions — with the universities who have received the honor having many diversity policies in place that guide workplace behaviors and support staff.

“The division is continuously involved with examining our programs and practices,” Moriarty said. “And providing opportunities, through our divisional staff development programs, to address current critical issues ensures that staff are confident in their roles in addressing this priority.”

Along with working through divisional staff development programs, the Division of Student Affairs will continue to work with the university’s student leaders to help its commitment to inclusiveness, equity and social justice.

“This is fundamental to our work as a division,” Moriarty said. “We will work closely with student leaders across campus to identify the needs of student communities and to engage students in helping us work towards creating a university that addresses the needs of the whole campus.”

Other universities that received the award were Ohio State University, Virginia Tech and Miami University. The only schools that have received the award all five years are West Georgia University and the University of Vermont. 

Diverse: Issues In Higher Education magazine has served as a source of news, information and commentary on the full range of issues concerning diversity in American higher education for over 30 years.

This story is one of several related to President Kim Schatzel's priorities for Towson University: Creating a More Diverse and Inclusive Campus