CSU Chico Reviews

Political nightmare. Unfair and Unjustified wage differences. Lack of vertical growth for employees. Upper management is in the positions they are in because of who they know, not what they know.

This is the thing about the work culture at Chico State: the toxic culture runs deep. In certain departments, with certain people, if you're smart and competent, you will be pushed down. My sense is that certain supervisors view smart, competent subordinates as threatening, and will use controlling, bullying tactics to ensure that you know your place. And if you think that going to HR is an available recourse, just as with private companies, HR exists to protect the institution - in this case, the university. When I experienced a clear case of bullying, I filed an informal complaint that led to my meeting with the second highest administrator at the university. Far from feeling that I was heard, the administrator seemed impotent and lacking in courage. I never found out how my case was resolved, but I'd bet a pretty penny it was nothing more than a slap on the wrist. The whole experience left a bitter taste in my mouth. Ever since then, I've decided to take my talents elsewhere. Other cons: - Salary for support staff is staggeringly low. You start at something like 34k annually - and that's for Administrative Support Coordinator I level. For Administrative Support Assistants, the pay scale is even lower. - The silo mentality is alive and kicking at Chico State. Don't be surprised when other departments don't want to share resources or information with yours. (In fact, this goes so deep that colleges are expected to fund themselves, even though all colleges are part of one university. Classes will get cut, instructors will lose their jobs - all because the university won't adopt a revenue-sharing funding model. But I digress.) - Promotions in place (aka reclassification) or raises based on performance are virtually unheard of - unless you somehow have special dispensation. I know a number of support staffers who are killing it at their job - and have been for years - and see virtually nothing in the way of raises. (I'm excluding the paltry General Salary Increases that are mandated by the contract between staff and the university). - There is a deep resistance to progress at this place. I've seen time and time again departments not using industry best practices, or reasonably current software. - Speaking of software, prepare to acquaint yourself with some of the most user-unfriendly interfaces you will ever have to pleasure to use. Between PeopleSoft and Astra, I don't know what's worse...(Oracle, which powers PeopleSoft is incredibly powerful, I won't deny this, but again, it scores a maybe a 1/10 for user-friendliness.). Oh, and the Microsoft Suite. Outlook anyone? Word? Excel I'd keep, but those other programs can disappear from the planet and we'd all be better for it. - There is little administrative continuity here. People are always saying, "Institutional memory is like gold around here!" Yeah, that's not a good thing. That statement is representative of a failing system. The longest-serving dean has only been here for four years. The current president: under two years. The last president stepped down after an embarrassing vote of no confidence by the Academic Senate. Administrators turn over like flapjacks, and roles are constantly filled with interim appointments. In the last ten years, including interim appointments, there have been SEVEN provosts. - There is a culture of disdain for faculty. You see it in the staff; you see it in the administration. (Unsurprisingly you also see it in the students). Funny, given that without faculty, neither the staff nor the administration would have jobs. People at Chico State regard the students as customers, and try to please the students at all costs. When and where I went to school, we regarded our faculty as beacons of knowledge, treated faculty with respect and reverence. We took their side in disputes with the administration. We knew that our education and personal betterment rested on the service of a faculty that was treated properly by the university. Not the case here. - People are afraid of their shadow. Good people are pushed out, egomaniacs and narcissists rule the day, and most everyone just deals with it. If you can, I'd say look elsewhere.