San Juan College Wins Platinum Recognition, Reinforces Family Support Policies

San Juan College was awarded a platinum level certificate and an education support designation by Family Friendly New Mexico on October 24, a recognition the college said reflects a sustained commitment to family supportive policies. The college has held recognition from the statewide initiative since 2017 and this marks the third consecutive year it has achieved the program’s highest level.

Family Friendly New Mexico evaluates organizations on policies that help employees balance work and family responsibilities, and the designation highlights practices that the college lists as paid leave, health support, flexible schedules, pay equity and a stated commitment to diversity inclusion and community investment. The college framed the award as strengthening employee wellbeing and improving recruitment and retention across its workforce.

Giovanna Rossi founder and director of Family Friendly New Mexico said the state’s growth offers an opportunity to lead by creating workplaces that attract and keep top talent. “We are proud to recognize San Juan College as a distinguished leader in this effort,” Rossi said.

At the college the Family Study Room and its sensory board inside the San Juan College Tutoring Center provide a concrete example of how services are shaped to include students and employees with young children while they seek campus services. The college emphasized that such spaces are part of a broader approach to supporting employees and families in the institution’s role as a major local employer.

Kerri Carpenter vice president of human resources and legal activities framed the recognition as part of the college’s ethos. “Supporting our employees as whole people not just just as professionals is part of who we are,” Carpenter said. “We’re deeply honored by this recognition and will continue to create policies that make a lasting impact on our team and their families.”

For San Juan County residents the designation has practical implications. A college with robust family friendly policies can better retain faculty and staff reducing turnover costs and maintaining continuity for students. It can also affect the local labor market by making the county more competitive when recruiting professionals in education and allied services. For families who rely on college employment or student services the policies can mean more predictable schedules and access to supports that stabilize household income and caregiving arrangements.

The recognition also raises questions for local policymakers and voters about how public and quasi public institutions document outcomes and costs. County leaders and voters may seek clear data on how these policies influence hiring trends staff retention and student success metrics. As the college and others tout family supportive practices there will be heightened interest in measurable results that justify continued investment in those policies and associated facilities.

San Juan College’s sustained recognition places the institution among statewide leaders on family friendly workplace practices while placing local attention on the tangible benefits and fiscal trade offs that accompany those commitments.