Rising reputation of students, faculty lauded in State of the Academy address

From a new science campus to a premier internship program, Chapman University is taking bold steps in the development of both its facilities and programs so that today’s students can be the best employees of tomorrow, Chancellor Daniele Struppa said in his annual State of the Academy address on Friday, Oct. 10.

“I think this is a very exciting time in the life and history of Chapman University,” Struppa said, adding that employers are showing a growing level of trust in Chapman graduates.

The chancellor’s address was the official opening to the Chapman Family Homecoming Celebration. Speaking in Memorial Hall to an audience of students, faculty, staff and visiting parents, Struppa cited numerous achievements in student selectivity and retention, community service, faculty research and publication rates, new construction and campus sustainability.

The continuing trend in student selectivity was chief among those accomplishments, Struppa said, noting that in the top tier of Western comprehensive colleges and universities Chapman University ranks second in student selectivity. A high-achieving student body helps shape the learning experience, he said.

“This selectivity is important not just because we like to pride ourselves in terms of attracting the best students, but because kids learn in class not just from professors but also from the discussions that go on at the end of class and in class are just as important,” Struppa said.

Struppa also touted the research and publishing success of faculty. Not only are faculty publishing more research in scholarly journals each year, those papers are increasingly highly-cited by other researchers, an important factor in the university’s national ranking.

“Not only are our faculty writing more, but people read and cite what they do … It means that not only are we more active and productive, but the community at large is paying attention to what we write.”

Other growth areas the chancellor reviewed included:

• The debut of new buildings, including the Harry and Diane Rinker Health Science Campus in Irvine and the Digital Media Arts Center on west campus.
• Development of several health science graduate programs, as well as new graduate programs in history and film.
• A premiere internship program that will pair students with paid internships.

In addition to the academics, Struppa paid tribute to the many outreach and philanthropic projects that students, faculty and alumni serve in as part of the Chapman experience.

“One of the things that astonishes me is the tremendous humanity our kids bring to campus,” he said. “These are not just very good students. In fact, they actually care tremendously.”