faculty

professor

public safety officer

center manager

grounds maintenance worker

Montgomery College

The overall mission of MC is strong, and the college’s commitment to diversity is one of its greatest strengths. There are many talented and dedicated professionals across the institution, and the professional development opportunities have been genuinely valuable. I also appreciate the work of the ACES Program, which provides meaningful support to underrepresented MCPS students.

My experience within ACES has been mixed. While the program’s purpose is important, I have encountered challenges related to leadership style, communication, and organizational structure. In my experience, expectations have sometimes been unclear, decision‑making has felt inconsistent, and staff have often taken on responsibilities without sufficient guidance or strategic direction.

These factors have contributed to low morale and high turnover within the program. Many employees, myself included, have felt unsure about how to raise workplace concerns or whether those concerns would be addressed effectively. This has made it difficult at times to fully engage in the conflict‑resolution processes available through the college.

Despite these challenges, the students remain the highlight of the work. Supporting them is deeply rewarding, and their growth is what keeps many staff members committed. However, the organizational climate has occasionally made it difficult to fully enjoy the role.

Anyone considering a position with ACES should think twice and know that, while the mission is meaningful and the student impact is significant, the internal environment may present major challenges depending on one’s expectations for leadership, structure, and workplace culture.

The quality of professor's experience, depends on the department.  Some departments are great, others are okay, and others are challenging.  I reached the highest faculty rank in my discipline, but am very constrained. Fighting within and outside the department make it difficult to get my classes some semesters and my schedule keeps changing. Pay is okay, but not fair. Your pay really depends on the budget in the year you were hired, rather than actual qualifications.  If you are a heterosexual male, you might experience more challenges than me, as many in this category are sometimes treated poorly in the many meetings dominated by others. Be aware that you are going into a place where heterosexual men are devalued.  Sometimes hiring decisions are based on things not written down on paper, and there is nothing you can do about it.  Hiring committees for faculty make recommendations, but the dean for the departments makes the final decision. So,  hiring committees are actually doing work (service to the department) that the dean has asked them to do and not actually making impactful recommendations.  The committee is to give the appearance of fairness, but not ensure that it actually happens. I do think deans are trying to hire the best person, but this is based on what is in that dean's head not what is written down on the job announcement.  There are a lot of things to get involved with at the College, but it is not a place where "free thinking" is encouraged. At meetings, dissenters are penalized later. So, be aware that you are free to have the same view point that represents the MC way, not to actually have your own opinion.  

What is the best part of working at the company?
Academic latitude to engage in thinking and learning processes free from interference. Teachers also enjoy a safe environment with few incidents of disrespect from students. MC is a well organized administration for faculty and staff that goes beyond the classroom into the community, and vice versa. There is a culture of inclusion and diversity where from my experience as a minority I have not faced major discrimination. 
On the downside, collaboration among faculty is scares at MC: teachers are answerable only to their line managers- if you handle those people supervising you, you’ll have no need or compulsion to seeking after others. Upward mobility is slooowww at MC for faculty of color, when I see others grow quickly. Job opportunities are rare, and highly competitive. 

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
After instructing a course, the report must be submitted to non instructional managers who have little insight into what goes on in the classroom. This process can be automated using technology, but which they would not do. 

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Laissez affaire  as long as you have been proven to do the job. 

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Go in do my job interacting with students but no other except security who may be needed to get you into the classroom.

*Typically, a day at work would consist of overseeing the operations of the center: tutoring activities, computer usage, mini-library operation, and meetings (planned and unplanned), procurement oversight, address students' and employees' concerns, etc.

*The position helped to enhance my supervisory skills and validate my previous knowledge about the politics inherent to any human organization.

*There is new management at the college, and time is needed to ascertain the extent to which transparency, accountability, and meritocracy are upheld.

*I was fortunate to work with some of the most dedicated people I know. Of course, as at any organization, some were more dedicated and productive than others. Nothing unique to this institution. Overall, I had a good experience working with faculty and staff members across the college.

*The hardest part of the job was by far the management of people. While many of the people I supervised and managed were professional, I spent much of my time addressing the challenges posed by a small group of unproductive, unprofessional colleagues. The most enjoyable part of my job was working with students on a one-on-one basis, helping them acquire the skills they needed in order to succeed in school and, hopefully, beyond.

Montgomery College is a fine place to work, offering competitive pay and a good work-life balance. The environment can be beneficial for those who prefer a less demanding work pace due to a lack of accountability in some areas.

However, there are some significant challenges within the organizational culture. Changes within the institution tend to move very slowly, and leadership is often resistant to feedback. There is a prevalent "shoot the messenger" mentality, making it unsafe for employees to speak up about issues or propose changes. Additionally, informal communication often takes the form of gossip, which can be used to gain influence and undermine others. It's important to be cautious of toxic, insincere individuals who may seek to advance their agendas at the expense of others.

There is a deeply ingrained culture that can be difficult to change, making it hard for new ideas and initiatives to take root. To fit in, it’s important to maintain a positive demeanor and focus on building good relationships rather than solely concentrating on productivity.

Overall, Montgomery College can be a good fit if you value job stability and a decent work-life balance over career advancement and organizational change.

Something Special happened at my workplace two years ago. It was a Monday, I will never forget that day. I was alone at the front desk, all my co-workers were late I had to take care of 10 students at the same time. three students were waiting to see a tutor, others would like to use the computers and most of them were expecting me to answer some of their questions. I was so confused, I took a deep breath and tried to handle the situation step by step. At the end, all my student's client were happy. This situation helped me how to deal with many students at the same time. I learned how to manage my stress. Since Montgomery College is an environment full of diverse culture, I am daily in contact with many people from the diverse country, that help to learn how to manage with people from another country.  to be honest, my work at the WRLC at Montgomery College is not hard at all. It mostly enjoyable than hardest because you interact every day with different people which are very important in terms of improving your sociability and customer service skills

The typical work day was very relaxed, there were days where there were a lot of students and other days where there was not a lot of students. I learned that teamwork is important, if I did not understand something I had someone to cooperate with me. 
I had the experience be the first face, when in the front desk. While I was working I was able to guide the new employees.
Management was very flexible and open for any needs that I had and made the environment very familiar and relaxed. 
The workplace culture was very team oriented and personal, I was able to build relationships with the people that were there and create bonds. The hardest part of the job was when I was not refreshed on the material that the specific student needed help on. 
In contrast, the most e enjoyable was the satisfaction of hearing that you were able to help some one and have the rewarding feeling that someone was successful with your help and also the fact that bonds and friends were created that lasted.

As a Student Assistant opened office at 7:30 am by initiating desk top computers in the Computer Lab and preparing for the scheduled
audio/video presentations to be presented by the Assistant Director/ Academic Advisor. Periodically had one-on-one meetings with 
students regarding academic and personal issues related to their
studies. Was very inspired by the students who were in many cases
the first in their families to attend college. Increased my ability to 
effectively communicate and directly focus on a multitude of issues
daily. The learning environment was conducive to exploring alternative 
approaches to audio/verbal learning. Was overwhelmed by the 
limited amount of time I had to spend with the neediest students.
Enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere and nature of the staff in the lab
and acquired a yearning to one day become an instructor myself.

Working at Montgomery College has been okay.  It pays my bills. I love what I am paid but hate that I am not able to receive pay increases due to their new pay structure.  When they did this about 30% of people working there got their pay frozen until they choose another job.  That lowered some morale for some of us.  The upper leadership is about to change, thankfully.  most people advance internally if they are willing to temporarily fill position voids but it isn't guaranteed even if you did a job well and for a great length of time. Overall, a good place to work if you need a job.  If you need a career, it may be good to jumpstart you.

Montgomery College supports its' employees.  Salaries were higher than most other public  institutions.  Advancement was available to all who excelled at their jobs.  I worked with a dedicated group of people. Everyone did their jobs well.  Everyone worked to support everyone else.  We all depended upon each other for certain kinds of information.  The two managers I had were excellent.  They would each always listen to what I had to say, even when we did not agree.  The most difficult part of the job was getting others in the various functional areas to understand what an integrated data base (BANNER) was, and how information provided by one area could affect other functional areas.  People around the college appreciated what we did, and said so.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Faculty 24 salaries reported	$79,777 per year
Professor 6 salaries reported	$111,333 per year
Public safety officer 11 salaries reported	$20.01 per hour
Center manager 13 salaries reported	$91,702 per year
Grounds maintenance worker 7 salaries reported	$21.70 per hour

Working at Montgomery College: Company Overview and Reviews

Montgomery College

Montgomery College Ratings

Popular jobs at Montgomery College

Salary Satisfaction

Job Seeker Tools

Employer Tools

Browse

Stay Connected