You’re wrapping up your first academic year as president. What has been the biggest surprise or adjustment in your new role?
Thankfully I worked closely with President Emeritus Daniele Struppa in my previous role, so I had a good sense of what being president was like and a great example to follow. With each passing day, I am reminded what a privilege it is to be in this role, serving this special community. The biggest adjustment has been that there are so many things that I get invited to that I want to do, but it is not possible to be in multiple places at once. I find myself wishing there were more hours in the day or that I did not need to sleep so that I can participate in more of the amazing things that this community does every day on our campuses.
In your inauguration, you outlined five presidential priorities to guide your vision and the university going forward. How did you arrive at those priorities, and what is the central principle that guides your work?
Part of the way we reached those five was thinking about who we are, what our mission is, and what makes Chapman different and special. We also have to think about where our opportunities are. Where can Chapman go? How can it continue to move on the exciting trajectory we are on toward becoming one of the truly elite institutions in the country? What is the overlap between who we are and where we are headed? Those five priorities felt like the key components that would help us deepen our mission, stay true to who we are, and continue to build on the excellence that’s been built here and achieve even more of the potential that is out there for us.
We’ve heard you discuss the concept of “Continue” and how important it is for Chapman to have strong continuity of leadership and aspirations. Why is that so meaningful to you personally?
Chapman is the kind of place that attracts a really special kind of person. Students who really want to study, learn, grow, and pursue their careers and passions. Faculty who embrace our special teacher-scholar model of personalized education. Staff and administrators who come here and stay here for a long time because we all believe in this mission and this special community. I found myself as a beneficiary of that as a junior faculty member, and now I find myself leading the institution. That says a lot about what that Chapman Family does in terms of support, in terms of growth, and in terms of really helping people achieve their dreams and be their best selves.
The continuity we talk about here is not just in leadership, but really all throughout the university. President Emeritus Jim Doti set the vision, and then Daniele worked closely with Jim, and then I worked closely with Daniele, but so much of why we’ve had such great success is this collective vision that we have always had at Chapman. There is a deep love and real commitment to the institution through all levels and facets of the university. It’s not just giving a nod to the past, it’s really embracing where we were, where we’ve come, and where we’re headed as part of a long-term trajectory. When we lean into who we are, what we’re all about, and what differentiates Chapman, we see that even in difficult times of transition for higher ed we’re going to continue to get stronger.
“When we lean into who we are, what we’re all about, and what differentiates Chapman, we see that even in difficult times of transition for higher ed we’re going to continue to get stronger.”
— Matt Parlow, Chapman University President
You often talk about how well positioned Chapman is financially, academically, and with respect to enrollment. In many ways, Chapman stands apart from its higher ed peers and competitors because of its collective strength and trajectory. How has Chapman built such a solid foundation, and how does the university continue its momentum?
We have always run very strong financially here. We build a budget model that prioritizes our students, our people, our academic mission. We make sure that when there are swings in the market or in higher ed, whether because of demographics or because of the economy or things like a global health pandemic, that we can continue to prioritize our community, our mission, and what we do and not have those downswings lead to the kinds of cuts and austerity that a lot of places have. That allows all of us to focus on the work, on our mission, and on achieving those ambitious goals we have. When you build from a position of strength — financial strength, academic strength, market position strength — you really can continue to climb and strengthen yourself even in times of recession or times of turmoil in higher education. That is different from a lot of campuses around the country, and that makes me proud.
This year, you initiated an engagement series titled “Maisy Mondays,” where you bring your dog to the Orange campus and interact with students and other community members at lunchtime. What is your favorite conversation from this series to date?
I love hearing students’ stories. We talk about their pets, and they tell me about the class they just got out of or the midterms they are juggling. They share about their journey or ask for advice about internships or jobs, and they talk to me about possibly going to law school. I enjoy the opportunity to get to know students, and they’re enjoying getting to know Maisy. One month, I sat with one student for a good portion of a Maisy Monday, and we talked about all different topics: movies, hometowns, time at Chapman, all these things. At the end, I said, “Great to meet you.” Then they told me their name, and I said, “I’m Matt Parlow, the president,” and they said, “President of what?” That is the point of Maisy Monday: to get to know students. It is reflective of this community that people just want to have meaningful interactions no matter who you are… ideally while hanging out with a playful dog.
You often talk about how special this place is. What do you wish more people knew about Chapman?
Chapman has so many impressive things that people know about, but we haven’t done all we can to really explain that Chapman Family feel, that personal approach to our educational ecosystem for our students. That really is special and different. We don’t just say that, but we deliver on it. Our faculty deliver on it. Our staff deliver on it. It’s really part of who we are. It’s why there are so many incredibly talented people here. We have faculty, staff, and administrators who could work anywhere, but they choose to work here. Our faculty want to be in the classroom, want to do hands-on research and creative activity with students, and want to be mentors. Our staff and administrators want to know our students and want to be helpful on their journey, and want to feel part of this community that is so interconnected. Once people come to campus and see and feel that, they get it. As we continue forward, how do we get people to understand that from afar and draw them here? That will be what gets people hooked on Chapman. This is a special community that cares for and supports each other, where you’re surprised when you walk across campus and don’t know somebody, and that’s the kind of environment Chapman has that isn’t like other campuses.
Being a university president in 2026 is incredibly difficult. What keeps you motivated and centered?
One thing I love about my office is that multiple times a day, in between classes or during tours, lots of people walk past my office outside. I hear the buzz of the campus, and I see it and feel it when students are walking past Memorial Hall. What keeps me motivated are our students. I really marvel not just at how amazing they are, but how happy and engaged they are on our campuses. And then I see the dedication of our colleagues, whether I’m visiting a class, going to an event, watching an amazing panel or presentation that a faculty member has put together, or just working during administrative meetings that I have. I am inspired by how dedicated our colleagues are and how much they believe in the mission and are helping drive us forward to greater levels of success. Whatever the difficulties are that sometimes come with being a college president, in the more challenging moments, it’s the people here who inspire me and make me double down and want to do even greater things here.
What are you most looking forward to in the year ahead?
We’ve been doing searches for positions that have interim leaders, and I’m really excited about the new leaders that we’ve been recruiting and the team that we’re building. There are a few more key positions that will be recruiting and bringing people on board soon. It excites me to look at this team and look to the future at how Chapman can advance, even in what will be a more challenging time for higher education. I’m wildly optimistic about the future and where we’re headed. I see the team with new leaders joining an already incredibly strong group of leaders on our campuses, all over our academic and administrative units, and I see how we’re going to seize that potential that’s out there for us.
Story by Matt Watson