Worst paying postsecondary institution in Michigan - maybe the entire country. The administrative assistants are below the poverty line! They recently discovered this at a financial seminar held by Baker folks themselves!!!! The deans and directors are barely paid what a McDonald’s manager makes, while the management makes 250,000 - 600,000 with faux degrees from an online diploma mill and no prior academic experience.
These people invented the term “micromanage.” Constantly firing people for no reason - talented people. Upper-management only wants “yes” men/women who bow to them, and do not question them about anything. Don’t even make a suggestion. If they think you are smarter than them - you are out. Those who realize this early leave voluntarily - very high turn-over rate. Bonuses are used as threats all year long. Insurance is inadequate with a lot of out of pocket costs. It feels like I don’t even have insurance.
They take advantage of people on many levels. Salaried people are expected to work 60+ hours, constantly working until 10:00 PM to work mandatory orientations and expected to be right back in the am at 7:30 for the next orientation. Don’t even think about missing an orientation or you will be on the list for the next round of eliminated positions.
Complete removal of upper management needs to happen quickly. Even part-time instructors are not happy as they feel mandatory in-services are a complete waste of time - no benefit at all. They are underpaid and overworked - never compensated for the extra work they must do or get replaced.
Management is too far removed from situations to be of any help. They are ALWAYS spending hundreds of thousands on useless remodels, but still laying people off and combining 4-5 positions, expecting one person to do the work that was done by 4-5 employees with no compensation.
They definitely have the praise up, blame down attitude at Baker. Mgmt will routinely call people to their office and literally yell at them like children, scolding them and treating them no better than treatment prisoners receive. Completely disrespected and humiliated on a regular basis - ask anyone who works there - deans, associate deans, directors - it doesn't matter - if you are not a relative, you are marked. Nepotism is rampant at all Baker campuses. You don't have to have a degree to be in upper management if you are related to someone who is!!
The management tosses around buzz words and the "flavor of the month," but really they have no clue at all. I’ve worked at three campuses and it is the same at every campus. They think they are better than everyone and they disrespect all employees - especially at the Flint campus. Faculty and staff are asked their opinions rarely but if at all it is just to placate them. Employees are not treated as the professionals - not even the deans. The deans cannot make any decisions without the approval of the mgmt. This goes for EVERYTHING from how to respond to a student to ordering sticky notes, to what you say on your voice mail which, by the way, your mandatory voice mail has a 12 point rubric and your supervisor will randomly call it each week and “grade” you on it and send it to the president who will then send you a nasty email if you didn’t get 100%.
No such thing as exit interviews, so they never fix the problems. You cannot even make a complaint or suggestion and forget about HR - go to HR and they are immediately on the phone telling your supervisor every word you said. So much for HR confidentiality. Many dedicated, good, talented people leave because Baker didn't hear what they had to say or work with them to keep them.
Good luck using your vacation time. There are too many mandatory dates with PD, orientations, meetings, etc. that you cannot possibly use it and you cannot roll it over.
Students definitely run the school. What the student says, we MUST do, and definitely “bend over backwards” for the students who are only there for the financial aid check and will even voice that to faculty. Management will not listen to staff - they will take students word for anything and fear the students will go to the president. They manage by instilling fear in all employees. If students complain it can cost you your job. Students are treated like gold while employees are treated like dirt.
Probably the worst part is being treated so rudely and disrespectfully by the "bosses," who bully the rest of the employees. Everyone is in fear of being humiliated, or losing their jobs. To make matters worse, staff is steadily being cut but remodeling continues. Avoid this employer or be prepared to be worked liked a dog, paid minimum wage and disrespected by those running the campus. If you have a real degree, not from a diploma mill like those in charge at Baker, do not waste your time working for them. The college is on a downward spiral - has been since 2012 and it is going down very quickly now - so called leaders are incapable of managing people or their problems. They all have a plan to retire soon, pad their pockets, and run from the mess they have created.
