u/LastLemon777

This 1 star review I came across on Glassdoor summarizes the situation at Chapman perfectly…

“Pros:
Slower pace of work compared to non-higher education industries. Campus is fairly clean, built in the middle of Orange, many can appreciate the feel of working within an old town city.

Cons:
No remote work. Not allowed to work remotely when at a conference. Strict with that policy, and unforgiving. UCs and Cal States and other peer institutions offer hybrid and remote work.

Lots of turnover at all levels. Happening all over campus: New leadership comes in and restructures their department, resulting in the firing and layoffs of existing employees, only to bring in employees from their previous company.

Many new leaders are from Colorado University. There are Executive Vice Presidents, Deputy Vice Presidents, Senior Vice Presidents, Vice Presidents, and Associate Vice Presidents all for the Colorado University folks and their friends. That structure doesn't exist at the lower levels. Their pay is well above 300-400k, yet the university has been in a budget crisis and restriction for years. Rumor, looking to be true, there's an initiative to cut costs by laying off employees through return to office mandates, and constant reorgs/restructures.

Suspicious activity - used a hiring agency to bring in candidates for the COO position, none was hired. The interim COO left right before the interviews started. Says a lot there.

Lack of transparency under the new President and regime. Return to office was announced by the COO who was leaving the university the next week lol. No updates on leadership hirings, changes, or plans. News and updates are found through the gossip and rumor grapevine.

Firings and layoffs - the university will use this as their first option against an employee. Leadership doesn't like you just because? Fired. Doing okay/average work? Fired. Not a yes sir/ma'am? Fired. The marketing and communications department has fired 28 of its 30 original employees in 2 years since the new leadership from Colorado has started.

Pay - below market rate. Annual merit increases are only 1-3% unless you're in leadership or a favorite of a senior leader. No cost-of-living increases. Your VP or Senior VP determines your merit increase, not your direct supervisor.

Promotions - very rare to happen. Friends of leaders will be hired before they promote internally.

Benefits - okay medical insurance. Vision insurance is bad. The cost to employees on insurance is rising every year now. Merit increases barely cover the increases.

Parking - you'll have to walk 10-15 minutes to your office if you don't park before the students start class. Leave for lunch and your parking spot is gone for the rest of the day. If you're driving between 7:30A and 5:30P, it will take you 2-3 times the normal amount of time to drive through to where you need to go. Students cross the streets and don't care to stop for cars. Insufficient electric vehicle charging - university refuses to build more chargers. They demand everyone to come back to the office, yet don't offer support for people who have to travel 1.5-2+ hours one-way to the office. Culture - has gone from an education-driven industry to a corporate environment. Employees are unhappy across campus. Large groups are unhappy. Many are scared that they'll be laid off or fired. Many are unhappy with how things are being run right now.

Diversity and Inclusion - Not really diverse. Conservative, far-right-minded leadership.

Office - there are so many people back in the office that even with the A/C running, it's still warm. The office assistants are ordering fans off Amazon.

TL;DR: The 4.2 rating is propped up by reviews from students who work at Chapman through federal work study (anything with research, student, graduate in their title are probably student employees). If you were to filter this to actual full-time employees, this rating would drop significantly. If you want to work in higher education, go to a Cal State or UC school. Higher pay, better benefits, remote and hybrid work schedules, unions, etc. Culture is bad. Morale is just as bad if not worse.

Advice to Management:
Management won't read this, and if they do, they'll retaliate somehow. They're corporate lawyers turning Chapman into a corporate company. If you're going to keep using the phrase "we're family" maybe treat it as such and not as the typical punchline and meme for every other workplace.”

Heres the link(you need an account to view): https://www.glassdoor.com/Reviews/Employee-Review-Chapman-University-E23974-RVW105107820.htm

Thank you to whoever wrote this!!!

I started a subreddit for Chapman University staff to connect and share! 🐾

r/chapmanstaff

Coming here as a safe place to vent without worrying about getting fired...

Ever since Parlow became the new president, the culture at Chapman has changed. People are super discouraged. Leadership is forcing everyone to return to office on Aug 3 regardless of how far you live (>50 miles) and medical issues (apparently they make it nearly impossible for you to get approved even with a medical condition). People are getting fired who have worked at Chapman for decades. It's being run like a big business. They expect the employees to be loyal to them while they are not loyal to us. 

And then they wrote this in the weekly email that goes out to staff and students...
"Chapman staff and administrators will return to campus five days a week beginning Monday, Aug. 3. The transition reflects the university’s mission to provide a personalized education and the Chapman Family culture that makes it possible."

I really don't like when workplaces use the word "family." I don't think work is supposed to be a family. Also, what "family" treats people with such disrespect? It's really upsetting

I don't know how this will affect students but I'm guessing it will have ripple effects

Chapman University recently announced a return-to-campus policy that will require most staff to be on campus five days a week.

I understand that many positions require an on-campus presence. Student-facing roles obviously need to be available to students. But requiring five days a week for every employee, including many who are not student-facing, feels unnecessary and out of touch with the realities of modern work.

I would argue that staff who have flexibility and work-life balance are better equipped to support students. Hybrid schedules don't mean people care less about their jobs. They allow employees to attend a doctor's appointment without taking an entire day off, care for a sick child while still staying connected, or handle life's responsibilities without sacrificing productivity.

The most frustrating part of this policy is that it overrides existing systems that were already working well. Department leaders previously had the flexibility to do what made sense for their teams. Now, that decision-making power has been taken away from those who actually handle the work.

What's even more confusing is that the university doesn't appear to have enough office space for everyone being required back. Departments are scrambling to find workspace and create makeshift offices to accommodate staff.

This decision feels less about improving student outcomes and more about exerting control over employees.

I care deeply about students and the university's mission. That's exactly why this is disappointing. Supporting employees and supporting students are not competing priorities. When staff are trusted, respected, and given flexibility, everyone benefits - including students.

I'm curious how other university staff members feel about this mandate. Will they actually improve collaboration and student support, or will they mainly reduce employee morale?

Read more about the policy: https://www.chapman.edu/faculty-staff/human-resources/employee-relations-and-services/services/return-campus.aspx

Hi everyone!

I created this community as an independent space for Chapman University staff members to connect with one another, share experiences, ask questions, exchange resources, celebrate successes, and support each other through the realities of working in higher education.

Working at a university can sometimes feel siloed. Many of us never get the chance to meet colleagues outside our own departments, even though we're all contributing to the same mission. My hope is that this community can help bridge those gaps and create a space where staff can connect, learn from one another, and have honest conversations about our work.

Whether you'd like to:

• Ask for advice or recommendations
• Share professional development opportunities
• Discuss workplace policies and processes
• Celebrate accomplishments and milestones
• Share challenges you're facing at work
• Seek support from colleagues who may have had similar experiences
• Vent about a frustrating day
• Connect with colleagues across campus
• Learn from others' experiences

...you're welcome here.

This community is intended to be a place where staff can discuss both the rewarding and challenging aspects of working at Chapman. Honest conversations are encouraged, including respectful discussions about workplace culture, policies, communication, workload, and other issues that impact staff. The goal is not to tear people down, but to support one another and foster meaningful dialogue.

A few community guidelines:

• Be respectful and engage in good faith.
• No harassment, bullying, or personal attacks.
• Do not share confidential university information.
• Do not share student information or anything protected by FERPA.
• Focus criticism on ideas, policies, and experiences - not individual employees.
• Remember that people from all areas of the university may be participating.

Important: This subreddit is unofficial and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Chapman University. The views expressed here belong to individual community members.

Welcome, and thanks for being here. Here's to building a supportive space where Chapman staff can connect, share, and be heard.