According to a report from Harvard University, the University of Connecticut is among 32 institutions in the nation – and one of 15 in its peer group – that are most welcoming to junior faculty. The report was issued by the Collaborative on Academic Careers in Higher Education, a 160-member group tied to Harvard’s Graduate School of Education.

According to the Chronicle of Higher Education, the Harvard survey was conducted among 15,000 junior faculty members at 127 institutions nationwide. Respondents were asked about their institution’s tenure practices, how clear the expectations are when it comes to being awarded tenure, and how well the faculty members are able to balance work and home life.

The 32 selected as being most friendly were divided into three peer groups: doctoral and research institutions, which includes UConn; master’s institutions; and baccalaureate schools.

The other 14 schools selected in UConn’s peer group are:

Auburn University
Brown University
Dartmouth College
Duke University
Lehigh University
North Carolina State University
North Dakota State University
University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa
University of Chicago
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
University of Iowa
University of Kansas
University of Notre Dame
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

The data collected through the survey will be shared with every institution that participated, as a way of creating “best practices” to help ensure the comfort and satisfaction of new tenure-track faculty.

The collaborative is planning future surveys for both tenured and non-tenured faculty.