research assistant

graduate researcher

teaching assistant

research associate

director

Case Western Reserve University

I was very enthused to began working at CWRU when I was offered the position, but it was a bait and switch deal--I was told I had one title and then was told by several co-workers that I was in a lower position. My manager would be forced to admit that this was indeed the case. It was an extremely demeaning situation.

I am completely baffled as to how CWRU has garnered the reputation that it has as I found this organization to be poorly run..they had extremely ineffective processes that were outdated and inefficiently executed. The university was poorly funded, and as a result, "restructured" some departments which amounted to numerous people being laid off. Many of these people had children in medical school who were receiving a tuition-free education, and were completely distraught over being laid off for obvious reasons. I suspect the free tuition for dependents was the only reason they worked there anyway.

Additionally, many of the students did not appear to be "brilliant"as I would have surmised given the university's reputation. In fact, I was advised on several occasions that some staff members had to complete applicants' admission's applications because they could not follow directions and were accustomed to being coddled. Mind you, these applicants' first language tended to be English. I was also told that the policies of our government were keeping foreign students out of the university...yes, the environment tended to be unprofessional as some folks insisted on discussing politics/religion, etc, and would become slightly agitated when others declined those specific conversations. 

The pay and benefits were low, but I didn't mind initially because I was so  excited about what I thought would be a wonderful opportunity to serve members of our community.  However, after a short while, I decided it was time to part ways as day after day, I found myself counting down to 5pm. I was considering entering a graduate program at CWRU, but after this experience, decided against that also.

What is the best part of working at the company?
The best part of working at CWRU was forming friendships.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
I have worked in 3 departments at CWRU- the Dept of Theatre, the President's Office, and the School of Medicine. The staff were professional, friendly and helpful. In 3 years I never had any complaints. The most stressful part of working at CWRU was the inappropriate staff behavior at the Mt Sinai Skills & Simulation center), and the subsequent retaliation for speaking up about their inappropriate behaviors. The staff in this department are abusive toward one another, and the work environment is awful, and if you try to report the abuse to HR, the HR department will stand behind their friends (the worst offenders, who make up unsupported claims and use them to attack staff who don't tolerate their inappropriate behaviors).

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Varies by Dept- Dept of Theater and President's Office had great environment and culture; the School of Medicine was mostly decent, but the awful staff behavior at the Mt Sinai Skills & Simulation center), and the subsequent retaliation for speaking up about their inappropriate behaviors, made that an extremely toxic environment and nasty, back-stabbing culture.

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Slow. Most departments have a very laid-back, relaxed pace as far as work is concerned.

I worked in a student-facing/student programs office for two years.  We had a fairly strong budget for student programs, and the overwhelming majority of staff in my division were great colleagues, partners, and advocates.  I was not full-time, but the benefits for fulltime employees (PTO, winter break closure, two-days WFH per week, health insurance, and tuition remission seem standard-to-good).  It was a joy to work with students each day, which is presumably what fuels most people in these roles.

On the cons: it was sometimes challenging to accomplish our goals, considering university politics and bureaucracy, especially given the larger national political climate and state legislation placing limits on the types of programming and course materials that can be offered.  There was occasionally drama or disproval from those in leadership (leadership above our office).  However (and unfortunately), these are not things unique to CWRU, so I would not say they are reasons not to work here; I think it is particularly challenging in general to work in higher education at-large at the moment.  One more specific con, which, again, is not unique to CWRU is that it is challenging to remove incompetent leaders, which is something my office had to deal with for a period, but I will say that employees complaining did eventually have an effect where administrators higher up than our leader began to take notice.  




Teaching clinical portions of BSN/MN courses gives great experience for new instructors and education majors in nursing. The preceptors and faculty really pull for you to not only succeed, but to get the experience you need, exposure to different situations and to connect personally to create the learning environment. They encourage all to publish at least once during a career in peer reviewed journals. 

The benefits include a stipend as well as course credit reimbursement that is dependant on one's course load and commitment: for one class, the coverage of credits is 4.5 hours, and with a stipend of 1500 dollars per semester. For two clinical courses, one can expect nine credit hours covered and stipend of 3000. This assists in experience and financial obligations as well as continued attendance. 

Though the university is a private one with great emphasis on learning and instruction, it is also laid back and very comfortable for students and instructors alike. The food is excellent in the cafeterias and local establishments, and there is volunteering expected of all who attend and teach there.

The pay for the job title I have is good, but the problem is the title isn't a great representation of what the job entitles. So in reality, the pay isn't the greastest for what I actually do.

The work I'm involved is important to the security of the university, but we are not treated as such. In my department, it can be a very demanding, stressful environment with not a whole lot of reward and little help in improving the environment. Raises have been very small for everyone at the university, with the highest possible raise allowed being 2% in 2014 and 1% in 2015.

Other benefits such as medical, dental, legal, free education, etc are probably the best part of the time here at Case.

Yes, Case Western has great reputation for being an outstanding university and it is. The education that is provided here is excellent and I wouldn't tell anyone any different. But based on my experiences, if you're not a student, faculty, in a higher position or in a position with an "important" role (ex. researcher), then you're not seen as not important and can be treated as such. Not everyone above you treats you that way (including my manager), but it seems to be the rule vs the exception.

I'm looking at this position as a stepping stone in my career and I don't plan on staying at Case long term, but I am thankful for the experience it gave me.

The manager I had always micromanaged. If we submitted something to her and it needed corrections she would fix it herself and come back to us and say you did this wrong, but I fixed it for you. We never knew how to correct the issues so we could avoid making them in future. Also, she had no problem calling you out in front of everyone for your mistakes. She wasn't discreet about it either. She would push you for details if you requested to leave early for a doctor's appointment or whatever the reason is, and then approve it but would have an attitude about it. As salary we would stay late to finish things, but it wasn't OK to come in a little later the next day or leave early to even out the time. So it was like we were donating this time and not receiving anything in return. Also, there were times I would go home after work and continue working from home. I felt like I was putting extra effort into my work and wasn't being recognized or appreciated in any way. As hourly, over-time was very rarely allowed. Only during the month of July when we were closing the Fiscal Year. So the rest of the year you couldn't stay late to finish your work. She also showed favoritism toward other employees. 

Needless to say, my manager is the sole reason I am looking to leave  this position.

Ask people with experience working in the department or faculty member you are considering working for. Culture is generally laid back and progressive. Many opportunities to go to lectures and learn. Internal staffing infrastructure has been suffering for decades, so some jobs are very overworked. HR is outdated and slow to respond to modern times. Won't hire fully remote candidates, and requires degrees for jobs that don't need them. Pay scales are very broad people you will get the lowest end.  If you can, get a free degree out of it so you can earn more elsewhere.

They have not been living up to their slogan. New president seems to be leading the way to change, though. 

Lots of really, really cool, intelligent people work here. You are bound to meet interesting friends.  Campus is great for walks and close to two major hospitals for your health care. Big bus and train station right there. I feel safe there, but you need to be aware. 

Generally standard benefits, but more time off than many places. Sick and vacation are two different banks. Usually a lot of days off over holidays.  

I started working at CWRU 16 years ago to take advantage of their tuition waiver for employees so I could finish my degree. Best choice I could have made. Received two fellowships from CWRU while I was staff/student and took advantage of staff personal growth leave of absence to spend a summer studying internationally. Also was great place for me to develop my career. . If you're looking for a way to finish your degree--I highly recommend that you do what I did and find a position at CWRU. You may not be paid that well to begin with, but I believe the exchange was the education. There is opportunity to advance if you're willing to move around campus.

Keep in mind--like you'll find anywhere--not all managers/direct supervisors are equally gifted. I worked for some fantastic people, but also some not so great. However, CWRU offers solid support and resources for staff to help resolve issues and a wonderful department with staff to help related to EEOC concerns. Staff are encouraged to take advantage of these resources rather than become disgruntled.

At 9:00 am, I walked into the lab, began to harvest mouse macrophages, which were the  samples for qPCR assay to measure 4 M1 and 3 M2 genes' mRNA level in two genotype mice (3 for each gene) as planned the day before. Based on the lessons I learnt before, this time I sped up the Trizol extraction process and directly used all the RNA samples to do reverse transcription. This dramatically reduced the mRNA degradation and insured the RNA amplification in qPCR reactions. Meanwhile, I searched online, reviewed two papers, picked up more M1 and M1 genes, designed and ordered qPCR primers for those genes.  At lunch at the cafeteria, I happened to meet the neighbor lab’s boss, I chat enjoyably with him at lunch table. Afterwards, I set up a qPCR plate for entire 96 wells.  During qPCR running, I went to the animal center with a summer student, showing him how to handle mice, how to do ear pouch and collect tissues for genotyping, and how to immunize them, and so on.  Then I got my qPCR results around 4 pm, analyzed and graphed the data, discussed the results with my boss.  At last I planned things needed to do the next day. That was what I usually had for my work day.

wonderful job, you should get it
Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) is a top-tier institution known for its rigorous academics, particularly in engineering, business, medicine, and law. The faculty is highly knowledgeable, and students benefit from small class sizes and strong research opportunities. Located in Cleveland’s University Circle, the campus is surrounded by cultural and professional resources, though winters can be harsh. Student life is active, with numerous clubs, organizations, and career-focused events, though the social scene leans more toward academic and professional development than party culture. Career services are excellent, with strong industry connections leading to competitive internships and job placements, especially in STEM and healthcare fields. Diversity is well-supported, though there is room for further inclusivity efforts. Tuition is high, but the university offers various financial aid and scholarship opportunities. Overall, CWRU provides a strong return on investment for students seeking a challenging academic environment with solid career prospects.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Research assistant 6 salaries reported	$41,305 per year
Graduate researcher 8 salaries reported	$37,875 per year
Teaching assistant 8 salaries reported	$13.75 per hour
Research associate 3 salaries reported	$61,667 per year
Director 5 salaries reported	$86,600 per year

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