LIHU‘E — The University of Hawai‘i System is one of the United States’ top 100 workplaces for women, according to a Forbes magazine list released this week. The university system, comprised of 10 campuses across Hawai‘i, ranked number 90 overall and number 17 in the U.S. education industry.
“This recognition reflects our commitment to an inclusive work environment for all of our employees, and to recognizing excellence in leadership,” said UH President David Lassner. “UH is bucking every national trend, with seven women among the 13 officers of the university and seven of our 10 accredited campuses led by women.”
Included in the university system’s female leadership is Kaua‘i Community College Interim Chancellor Margaret Sanchez, who assumed office in early January after former chancellor Joseph Daisy retired in December 2022. Sanchez was previously vice chancellor for student affairs at Kaua‘i Community College for five years, and before joining the college’s leadership team served as dean of matriculation and assessment at City College of San Francisco.
“Margaret is committed to the success of our students, faculty and staff,” said UH Vice President for Community Colleges Erika Lacro to UH News last year, when Sanchez’s appointment was first announced. “Under her leadership, Margaret will guide Kaua‘i CC to continue addressing the needs of their community.”
The university system ranked ahead of institutions such as the University of Michigan (91), Duke University (105) and New York University (121). Two universities — the University of Oklahoma and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, respectively — placed first and second on the list.
Every year, Forbes magazine partners with market research firm Statista to create an updated list highlighting companies that best serve the needs of women in the U.S. workforce. The list is guided primarily by surveys of more than 60,000 workers at companies with at least 1,000 employees.
Approximately 40,000 women were asked to rate their company in areas such as working environment, salary and employee diversity, as well as whether they would recommend their company to a friend or family member. Their answers were then compared to those of 20,000 men to assess any significant differences in workplace perception, according to Forbes.
Forbes and Statista assess these surveys alongside companies’ percentages of women in executive management and board positions, integrating the two categories into a final score. Companies that score in the top 400 are included in the list.
The University of Hawai‘i System was also featured on Forbes’ 2022 America’s Best Employers By State list in August. The system ranked ninth total in Hawai‘i and received first place in the state’s education sector.
•••
Jackson Healy, reporter, can be reached at 808-647-4966 or jhealy@thegardenisland.com.
