High Workplace SatisfactionPositive
72% of employees at Highland Community College say it is a great place to work compared to 57% of employees at a typical U.S.-based company.
Highland Community College Company Culture
Higher EducationAI-generatedA rural, community-anchored educational institution focused on vocational training and collaborative, cross-functional administration.
IntegrityCompassionRespectRise UpBe BoldService-First
63/100
Clear culture profile with defined traits
Measures how clearly defined the profile is, not whether the culture is good or bad. Methodology
Researched 2 hr ago
Leadership
VB
Vincent Bowhay
President
Highland Community College is a higher education company with 50-1,000 employees headquartered in Highland, Kansas. Better together through resilience and shared purpose.
Highland Community College Culture Dimensions
Innovation
40
Process-drivenBoundary-pushing
Highland Community College takes a balanced approach to innovation with a score of 40/100.
Hierarchy
60
Flat & fluidStructured & clear
Highland Community College takes a balanced approach to hierarchy with a score of 60/100.
Collaboration
80
IndependentTeam-oriented
Highland Community College leans toward team-oriented with a score of 80/100.
Work-Life Balance
60
Always-on hustleStrong boundaries
Highland Community College takes a balanced approach to work-life balance with a score of 60/100.
Mission
85
Profit-firstPurpose-driven
Highland Community College leans toward purpose-driven with a score of 85/100.
Growth
30
Stable & steadyHypergrowth
Highland Community College leans toward stable & steady with a score of 30/100.
What It's Like to Work Here
You will find a resilient, community-anchored institution where deep rural roots meet a modern push for participatory transformation. Highland Community College has historically operated with a scrappy, survivalist mentality, navigating financial pressures by adapting its curriculum from classical studies to practical vocational education. Today, leadership under President Vince Bowhay is pushing a One HCC mindset, explicitly asking staff to break down silos, drive Student Success and ROI, and embrace a collective approach to campus operations. Verified workplace data shows a strong internal culture, with 72% of employees reporting it is a great place to work. You are expected to Rise Up and take an active role in decision-making, demonstrating a positive, caring and respectful attitude in all relationships. The environment heavily features dual-hatted roles, especially in athletics, yet there is a strong focus on investing in people and structured HR support. While official mandates call for boldness and transformation, the institutional reality is grounded in stability, guided by seasoned administrators who value pragmatic solutions over flashy initiatives. Interestingly, the college explicitly lists maintaining a sense of humor in its operating principles, suggesting a culture that relies on camaraderie and a service-first philosophy to weather the challenges of rural higher education.
Highland Community College Culture Highlights
- Dual-hatted roles are the norm, especially within the diverse athletic department.
- Institutional survival historically required pragmatic, financially driven shifts in academic focus.
- Official principles explicitly mandate maintaining a sense of humor during daily operations.
- The One HCC initiative pushes hard against departmental silos to foster unified teamwork.
- Verified workplace data shows 72% of employees consider it a great place to work, emphasizing strong internal belonging.
Highland Community College Leadership
VB
Vincent Bowhay
President
Oversees the rural campus with a focus on institutional stability and seasoned administration.
DK
Devin Kastrup
Coordinator for Athletic Development
Exemplifies the dual-hatted nature of staff by blending athletic coaching with institutional development.
See your fit score
Take the culture quiz to discover how well you'd fit at Highland Community College.
Take the quizHow to work the culture
Do
- Actively participate in the Rise Up initiative by contributing to collective decision-making.
- Maintain open, honest communication as championed by the Open Up institutional belief.
- Keep your sense of humor intact when navigating daily bureaucratic or financial hurdles.
- Focus relentlessly on Student Success and ROI through a service-oriented mindset.
Don't
- Isolate your department or rely on silos, which violates the One HCC mentality.
- Cling to outdated classical structures when practical, vocational needs are prioritized.
- Expect endless resources; be prepared to do more with less in a rural setting.
- Neglect interpersonal relationships; failing to show a positive, caring and respectful attitude goes against the core culture.
04
Fit & playbook
Who does well here, who doesn't, and how to actually navigate Highland Community College once you're in.
Thrives
You'll do well if
- You wear multiple hats gracefully and enjoy blending administrative duties with student-facing roles.
- You appreciate a rural, community-anchored environment that values resilience and pragmatic problem-solving.
- You bring a sense of humor and camaraderie to challenging institutional transformations.
- You possess a service-first philosophy and are energized by a culture heavily focused on investing in people.
Struggles
You might struggle if
- You expect highly specialized roles with rigid boundaries and massive administrative support teams.
- You prefer fast-paced, high-budget corporate environments over slow, steady community college stability.
- You resist participatory decision-making and prefer strictly top-down, siloed management structures.
- You prioritize abstract academic metrics over practical Student Success and ROI.
Find out if you'd thrive at Highland Community College
Discover your culture fit and get personalized insights about how you'd experience working here.
Discover your culture fitWhat People Say About Highland Community College's Culture
Synthesized from public sources · open to employees who claim their company
From the research
5 themesLeadership & ServicePositive
President Vince Bowhay is widely seen as a leader powered by service, curiosity, and a relentless belief in student outcomes.
HR & Administrative SupportPositive
Employees appreciate that the HR team provides timely, accurate, and courteous support in benefits and onboarding.
Interpersonal ExpectationsPositive
Staff are expected and encouraged to demonstrate a positive, caring and respectful attitude across all relationships with students and colleagues.
Focus on Professional GrowthPositive
The institutional strategic plan emphasizes investing in people and professional growth to ensure employees feel valued.
Community
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