Recent Updates
- Chapman admitted students from all 50 states, with 103 countries represented.
- Chapman increased financial assistance to underserved students, including through the recent creation or expansion of several awards, such as Chapman Cristo Rey Grants to graduates of a Cristo Rey Network school; Give Something Back Scholarships to students who are in foster care, have incarcerated parents or are dealing with homelessness; OC Heritage Scholarships to local students who are strong academically, leaders in their community and have a demonstrated need; Simon STEM Orange High School Scholarships to exceptional students from our neighborhood; and Thurgood Marshall Scholarships to first-generation students.
- Leatherby Libraries Dean Kevin Ross, Ph.D., and collaborators won the Innovation in Diversity and Inclusion Research award sponsored by Chapman’s Office of Research.The award/grant helped the library acquire the New Database: ProQuest Historical Newspapers: Black Newspapers.
- Leatherby Libraries won silver for the project, Sikh Initiatives at Chapman University, from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) District VII Circle of Excellence Awards.
- The Africana Studies subject librarian and others collected and curated anti-racist library resources and created library research guides (Libguide) dedicated to current social inquiries to highlight our dedication to acquiring diverse resources.
- Chapman is hiring its inaugural director of Latinx achievement. The person appointed will lead our efforts to advance the university to status as a Hispanic Serving Institution and position Chapman as a top choice university for Hispanic/Latinx students in California.
- The Office of the Provost and the deans of the colleges and schools have invested in an institutional membership with the National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity, a nationally recognized, independent organization that provides online career development and mentoring resources for faculty, postdocs and graduate students.
- Chapman is now a member of the National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity and the Association on Higher Education and Disability. In spring 2022 Chapman will join the Council for Opportunity in Education. As a member of these organizations, the university will be engaged in a national network of professionals advancing DEI work in higher education.
- Chapman will implement the NameCoach platform, a tool to assist in ensuring the names of our culturally dynamic community members are more accurately pronounced.
- The Cross-Cultural Center will be positioned in the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, allowing for seamless opportunities for engagement and support.
- Fowler School of Law’s upward momentum is reflected in the record strength and diversity of its incoming class. The law school’s commitment to fostering greater inclusion and equity in the legal profession is reflected in the makeup of the class, with a record 53% of incoming students identifying with underrepresented backgrounds and 28% of the class being first-generation college students.
- Steve Leader was appointed New Director of Veterans Affairs. Steve comes to Chapman with seven years of experience as a certifying official, first at Cal Baptist and most recently as the director of the Veterans Resource Center at Concordia University. A veteran of the Afghan conflict, Steve brings a proven work ethic to create advocacy for the military connected students attending Chapman. He arrived in August and has hit the ground running, bringing new ideas and approaches to the position.
- Fowler Engineering has focused significant effort in creating an inclusive and supportive environment for women engineers. Those efforts have delivered impressive results, with about 30% of majors and about 50% of faculty being women.
- Dodge College’s Documentary Program Pairs Student Filmmakers with Diverse Community Organizations
Over the past decade, Dodge College’s Community Voices program has produced more than 75 documentaries in collaboration with organizations such as the Anti-Defamation League, Multiple Sclerosis Society of Orange County, Padres Unidos, Providence Speech and Hearing, LGBTQ Center of OC and numerous others representing diverse and marginalized individuals. Several of these films have been screened during acclaimed film festivals and earned prestigious awards.
- Student Government Association Reviews Diversity Training for Student Organizations and Campus Leaders
Student Government Association (SGA) is conducting a broad overview of the training elements currently in place for student organization leaders, including fraternities and sororities and will issue a recommendation regarding diversity training for student organizations.
- More than 6,000 Students Participate in Annual Holocaust Art and Writing Contest
This year, more than 200 middle and high schools from 32 states and 12 countries participated in the Rodgers Center for Holocaust Education’s annual Holocaust Art and Writing Contest.
- Fowler School of Law’s Most Diverse Class in its History
This year, Fowler School of Law welcomed not only the strongest class in its history, but also its most diverse, with 50% diversity representation and its highest percentage of first generation college students, at 35%. “Fostering greater inclusion and equity in the legal profession is a top priority for the law school,” said Dean Matt Parlow.
- Simon Family Foundation Funds Crean College Scholarships for Underserved Students Facing Adversity
Through a gift from Simon Family Foundations, Crean College of Health and Behavioral Sciences provides 10 full-tuition scholarships each year to underserved students facing adversity, so that they can complete their master’s in medical science degree and become physicians assistants.
- Diversity Training Now Required for New Undergraduate Students
In August 2020, the first-ever We Are Chapman requirement for new undergraduates during orientation was added, with the possibility that this diversity training would extend to incoming graduate students as well. The effort was spearheaded by Cross-Cultural Center Assistant Leads Natalia Ventura and Preetha Raj.
- The university launched the search for the newly-created role of vice president of diversity, equity and inclusion.
- More than $1.5 million has been set aside for faculty diversity efforts.
- This academic year, five new Black faculty joined the university.
- The new Black Staff and Faculty Forum was established.
- A new Africana Studies minor launched, and Ethnic Studies has been approved.
- Dodge College has hired 16 new part-time professors of color, including 11 Black professors (nine of whom are women), and significantly increased the number of full-time Black professors from one to three.
