counselor

admission counselor

program manager

instructor

faculty

Grand Canyon University

The turnover in the College of Education is unbelievable over the past year. Field representatives are managed in an environment that is volatile, harassing, and extremely stressful. The managers manage with fear, not with support, not with training, and certainly not with Christian values in mind. The job description may make it sound like that of a territory rep, but be prepared to do scheduling, marketing, events, relationships, leads, apps, reports, reports, reports, and phone calls, phone calls, phone calls. If you don't like the idea of being a telemarketer, beware. Yes, this is for a field rep position - you feel like a telemarketer.

Benefits, tuition, and insurance are great, but be prepared to work 12+ hour days and have no life and no peace of mind. Even with all of that effort, it's never good enough. They have lost top field reps because of current management. Field reps work their butts off for this company, but everyone has their breaking point...money isn't everything.

Do your research on GCU lawsuits, student reviews, financial aid issues, and certification in your state. It's not a pretty picture. Do you want to be a part of that? They are a sinking ship in the online education market. They were a pioneer in online education, along with UoP, but think about it. Who is going to enroll at GCU now when all over the nation , reputable, public universities are now offering the same degrees - online, at a much less expensive price.

They are owned by shareholders, and guess who feels the brunt of this pressure to ensure profit? Field reps. The university has not kept up with competition in the market. They are not priced competively, their certification programs are difficult to work with when compared with a local, state university, and their programs are nothing unique. So, why would someone choose GCU? It's a tough sell, and only getting tougher. That means, management is only getting tougher. Don't get on this sinking ship. You've been warned!

I worked as a University Development Representative for GCU.  The training was extensive and good.  On a day to day basis, I made sales calls, followed up on various applications, set appointments for various events, and about 3 days a week I would be on the road at events and representing GCU.  In my particular territory, I would often have to drive long distances (3 hours one way) to get to my events, as I worked almost exclusively on the Navajo Reservation.  Often my drives would be almost entirely without cell coverage and in very remote areas on The Reservation.  This is not the norm for most GCU UDR positions.  

My manager was excellent.  Our Director was intimidating (I'm not easily intimidated). 

I did not have much interaction with my coworkers, as I worked from home and managed my own territory.  However, there was a high retention rate amongst the Tribal Team staff.  I felt most of the people I worked with were friendly, but could have been more helpful to the newer people on the team.  They seemed mostly to care only about their own areas of responsibility and didn't take much time to help new people get up to speed or explain the bigger picture.  

The hardest part of my job was trying to sell an expensive education to an impoverished population.  Most GCU UDRs do not work with the various tribes - only the small Tribal team - and thus don't face the economic realities that I faced.  

The most enjoyable part of the job was working from home (when not traveling) and setting my own schedule.  

I recommend GCU as an employer for people who live in more populated areas.  In my case, I resigned partly due to some life circumstances and partly because I didn't feel the region and population I was assigned to were a good set up for success.

Grand Canyon was a great company to work for. It was a dream job for me. Typical day was to come in, get my tea, say Hi to each team member and greet each team member as they showed up for their shift. I would answer questions through chat and assist in escalations via tickets and calls. I would take calls where callers were irate and have them "smiling" by the time the call was over. I had a great relationships with other departments and would do things for them and in turn be able to have assistance on my escalations when needed. I was a morale booster and my co-workers looked to me for advice. I had the nickname as "Shan-Wow" or "Shantastic." They knew if something needed to be found out, I could usually find the answer in about 5 minutes or find someone who would know it. I learned the ins and outs of the company and how day-to-day functions worked. The hardest part of my job was staying calm in outages so my team knew I had things under control and was not stressed out. That took a little bit to learn. The most enjoyable part of my job were the people. I loved my team, I loved the people I talked to on the phone, in chat, via email, and those I would work with in other departments. I would take the time to go their desk and show them step by step how to do something rather than spend thirty seconds on the phone or chat. It made a hug difference and put a smile on many faces. Personal connections and patience make all the difference! Those are the perks. The company offered benefits, a gym, free lunches in our department and all those were nice, but the people make the difference!

I worked here for 3 years and enjoyed my job. Towards the end, I didn't enjoy it as much as when I first started, because some of the managers had favorites and would put them over everyone else. The coworkers were nice, I met a TON of people and everyone is generally friendly. Very rarely, will you come across a rude coworker. If you have difficulty talking to people on the phone, I would recommend this job because it will help you get over that fear. I don't know why it was such an issue for me when I was younger, but after working here, I've developed better communication skills.
Undergrad student workers can either be a Level 1 or 1.5. Everyone starts off as a Level 1 and if you excel at your job, you may be promoted after at least 3 months I believe. There is only a $1 difference in the pay raise. Level 1's make $8/hr, while Level 1.5's make $9.
One thing to note is, if you're not a patient person, I wouldn't recommend this job. There will be many types of calls, from many different types of people and you can sometimes be on a call or even a chat, for an hour or more. As the customer, the last thing you want is someone with an attitude when you need assistance. Especially if you're someone who is computer illiterate, and the representative is trying to get you off the phone as quickly as possible, or hand you over to the next rep.
One last thing to remember is, they're open 7 days/week 362 days a year. The ONLY days they're closed is Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Years Day. They also are open from 6am-midnight everyday, except on weekends, they're open from 7am-midnight.

While working for GCU I learned the entire process of student enrollments, from the recruitment process, to the financial aid, even the process of follow up to ensure completion of classes. 

On the business side of things, I learned how to create new business opportunities for GCU out of the state of Arizona. I worked in new territories that may have been low income to high income demographics and get the GCU brand in their area. 

The people I work with are all professional, and work hard in their field. 

A typical day could include completing expense reports from a prior trip, making  and receiving phone calls to potential contractors. I worked diligently at bringing in students from outside of Arizona into the GCU life.  The best way of advertisement is word of mouth. 

The hardest part of my job is not being recognized for the innovative ideas that lead to major wins for the school as a whole. I participated in new roles that have never been done before, without guidance, without a general map or plan of action, and was still able to break ground in the provided areas out of state.  I achieved success even without a clear and defined pathway of expectations. Even today the expectations are unclear and misrepresented.

The leadership at GCU is very entrepreneurial. They're always looking for ways to make education more profitable and efficient. The student ad agency within the university was a great idea initiated by the College of Fine Arts and Production, but ultimately was brought under the management of the internal marketing services department. This was a fundamental mistake. Students were expected to operate with a level of professional proficiency they weren't trained or prepared for. Had the student agency stayed within academics, instructors would have been able to help guide and direct student work. The internal marketing services department wanted the student agency to operate like they did, but they didn't run the in-house department like an agency. This was another mistake. Students should have been been managed under a true ad agency model so they could learn real-world processes and workflows. I was tasked with doing new business acquisition, setting up a pricing model and responding to RFPs while also sourcing, managing and mentoring 14 student workers...both very different (and full-time) disciplines and doing it at a very low rate of pay. Ultimately, the university comprises a group of nice people who are sometimes tasked to achieve impossible goals because there is a lack of understanding on the part of leadership and employee fear of reprisal from top management.

I spent the past few years employed at GCU.  I had great co-workers, great students, and the faculty is amazing.   Management....  There is a disconnect.  If you didn't work at University of Phoenix, give up any hope of moving in to management unless you get really chummy with someone.  The university is making quite a few changes right now though, and I bet in a few weeks this review is obsolete.  Prior to being a Student Services Advisor I was also a Finance Counselor for a few years.  The "SSA" position is a hybrid of finance and academics.  It was a fast transition, and not well-planned.  Finance counseling involved collections, document collection, clearance review for every individual course and getting yelled at daily with "Where's my money?".  SSA was similar, except take those responsibilities and add registration, career advising, degree counseling, and student-faculty mediation.  To be honest, it is too much for anyone person to do with over 200 students per advisor.   There is going to be quite a bit of turnover and I've a feeling, I may be in that group.

The benefits are great.  Great paid time off, excellent holiday schedule, contests for paid days off, good health insurance, and you can't beat free tuition.

But it is near impossible to make that all worth it when you are spending 10-13 hours of each day including 4-6 hours on Saturday working your tail off and still not being able to stay caught up!

Working as a Site Manager in the ABSN program at GCU turned out very different from what was described. Although the position is presented as site management, in reality it’s primarily an admissions role. A large part of the job involves making cold calls to prospective students—who rarely answer their phones—while being monitored without your knowledge.
The environment is heavily micromanaged, which makes day-to-day work frustrating and stressful. Expectations are set more around recruitment numbers than actual site management responsibilities. Unfortunately, the compensation does not fairly match the workload or pressure.
Many other site managers feel the same way I do, though some just “drink the GCU Kool-Aid” to get by. The site directors who oversee the managers don’t provide meaningful support; they act more like robots focused only on their own advancement, often coming across as if they know better than everyone else.
If you’re considering this role, know that it is essentially an admissions job under a different title. Unless you’re prepared for constant micromanagement, repetitive phone calls, and limited leadership support, you may quickly become unhappy in the position.

At the period I worked for GCU Public Safety I witnessed more infractions on employee rights than any other place I have worked for. Managerial and Supervision staff treat their employees like garbage (yelling at them publicly or over the radio, getting in their face, making racist comments) while command staff turns a blind eye and continues to support them. Any complaint or comments made towards these actions are met with retaliatory action upon the complainant or commentator. 

The command staff looks down on the Campus Safety Guards, who do all the work and are the true first responders, because they are not GCUPD or came from a PD department, especially if you are over a 34 waist size. They turn a blind eye to the treatment of the guard staff and fully support the managers and supervisors committing these infractions, even when reported to human resources. 

The employees and students are the redeeming aspect to this department as they are some of the best people I have work with but unfortunately it is not enough to mitigate the anguish from the rest of the staff. The biggest pro's for GCU in general is the benefits, so if your looking for free schooling and decent health benefits I would try another department besides Public Safety and save yourself the pain and torment.


The job is okay for several reasons. First, it provides a stable income, which is crucial for meeting daily expenses and financial goals. Having a steady paycheck allows for better financial planning and security.

Second, the work environment is relatively pleasant. The colleagues are friendly and supportive, creating a positive atmosphere that makes the daily grind more bearable. Working with a team that communicates well and collaborates effectively can significantly enhance job satisfaction.

Third, the job offers a reasonable work-life balance. The hours are manageable, and there's enough flexibility to accommodate personal commitments and leisure activities. This balance is essential for maintaining mental and physical health, as it allows time for relaxation and pursuing hobbies.

Fourth, the job provides opportunities for professional development. There are chances to learn new skills, attend training sessions, and potentially advance within the company. This continuous learning and growth are motivating factors that keep the job interesting and engaging.

Lastly, the job's responsibilities are manageable and align well with my skills and interests. While it may not be my dream job, it is fulfilling enough to keep me motivated and content. Overall, the combination of stability, a positive work environment, work-life balance, professional growth opportunities, and alignment with personal skills makes this job okay.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Counselor 6 salaries reported	$70,833 per year
Admission counselor 3 salaries reported	$47,667 per year
Program manager 3 salaries reported	$55,000 per year
Instructor 4 salaries reported	$68,000 per year
Faculty 3 salaries reported	$80,000 per year

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