professor

assistant director

director

adjunct instructor

administrative assistant

Xavier University

𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗦 (2)
-Many staff members are genuinely kind, supportive, and community‑oriented. e.g., Several colleagues even offered housing assistance when I needed it for my hybrid schedule.
-Opportunities to contribute meaningfully to academic quality and student success. e.g., Ability to lead major initiatives, including Lean Six Sigma process improvements, MBA course revision task forces, and mission‑aligned course quality frameworks.

𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗦 (5)
𝟭. 𝗢𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 & 𝗕𝘂𝗱𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗠𝗶𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁
-Around 50 employees were laid off in October 2025, something staff had anticipated for over a year due to declining enrollment and budget mismanagement (their perspective as I was told).
-Small signals (e.g., suddenly charging staff for parking) reflected deeper financial strain.
-Retention issues are significant: the previous manager left before me and I found out why, since I left my role has remained unfilled, another team member left, and another is actively trying to leave.

𝟮. 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗳𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀
-Expected to improve team performance but repeatedly blocked from addressing basic accountability issues.
-When team members arrived late, left early, requested sudden vacation during major initiatives, or refused to come in due to political news, I was told by the -Associate Provost to “stand down.”
-Attempts to address issues constructively resulted in reprimands from HR and leadership.
-Pressured to enforce strict in‑office hours (including encouraging staff to work through lunch), yet leadership excused chronic attendance problems on my team.
-Ultimately held responsible for outcomes without being given the authority to manage the conditions required to achieve them.

𝟯. 𝗥𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗱 𝗛𝘆𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗱 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗣𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗗𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸
-Knowledge workers originally had two remote days; since reduced to one without clear justification.
-On many required in‑office days, I was the only person physically present, doing work that could easily have been done remotely.
-Leadership negotiated a hybrid schedule with me during hiring, then later accused me of being “deceptive” for trying to maintain the schedule we had agreed upon, despite legitimate life circumstances.

𝟰. 𝗖𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗔𝘃𝗼𝗶𝗱𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺‑𝗦𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴
-Across departments, comfort, optics, and faculty feelings were prioritized over clear direction or operational effectiveness.
-Assigned to lead institution‑wide initiatives but expected to do so without asserting authority or making necessary decisions.
-This reactive culture made strategic work slow, confusing, and unnecessarily difficult.

𝟱. 𝗟𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
-Raises are extremely rare; one of my team members had been requesting a raise for years without success.
-Many long‑term employees remain in the same role and pay band for a decade or more.
-Compensation does not reflect workload, responsibility, or performance.

𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻: 𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲, 𝗱𝗼 𝘀𝗼 𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗼𝘂𝘁. 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗹𝗼𝘆𝗮𝗹𝘁𝘆 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗻𝗼 𝗿𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝘂𝗽 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗯𝘂𝗿𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝘂𝘁.

My direct manager was great and supportive and flexible, but the higher you get in the organization the more brutally disconnected leadership is from the actual way things are being run by staff. There's not much downline communication or respect. People in staff roles were miserable and unappreciated, despite working their butts off. It also felt like leadership was suspicious of staff, and would assume the worst when leadership's unspoken expectations were unmet. There was a lot of "us vs. them" for such a smaller academic setting. I frequently heard people gossiping about other people who I'd thought they were on good terms with. Very confusing to navigate. Xavier is a good opportunity if you are about to be really high up in the org or just graduated and need a full-time job, but I wouldn't stay very long because it's pretty toxic.

The pay is pretty terrible and unless you have significant power in your position, you will also be overworked and underappreciated. Most staff positions also only pay you for 37.5 hours, rather than a full 40. I worked through my "30 minute break" way more than I got it, despite being expected to stay the full 8 hours anyway. The distrust from leadership also ironically limits your capacity to do your job well or think creatively (at least, it did for me).

After 3+ years in a full time position, it was reduced to part time. I was told by the administration that they were unable to find funding - even after this situation was brought to light more than a year prior. Obviously I pursued other career opportunities and was fortunate to land a better gig. Interesting that I now see my position posted about 4 months later as full-time and a higher level... I guess they found the funds after all?...

It was a nice place to work but leadership is severely lacking. Those in charge do not care about petty things such as finding adequate funding for an essential position; rather they waste years on developing “innovative” methods (smoke and mirrors) in an attempt to bring in more students, and not utilize resources and people already there.

It would have helped if my position was properly funded from the start by those who created it and not cobbled together from various funds and areas which would eventually expire.

If you end up interviewing or working here, make sure they can verify your position is properly funded.

One of the key philosophies of the university is Cura Personalis, or care for the whole person.  This is mainly to be aimed at students meaning that they are cared for body, mind and soul, but it's also applied to the professional staff.  It is a friendly and comfortable environment to work in with many people working there for decades.  

The management is slightly in a personality transition and I can't quite say where it's going.  There seems to be a conflict between promoting the revenue generating areas of Athletics and the Business College (both fairly competitive areas) and the more egalitarian Jesuit philosophies.  

It is a very collaborative and team oriented culture and the marketing area actively works with various client offices to give the best quality service.

Working with Xavier University's Office of Residence Life gave me the opportunity to directly impact my campus and the students it is built up of. Balancing a practically 24 hour job with school and social life was hard but forced me to build up time management and organizational skills. Some semesters where harder than others. When I finally had a boss that was up front and blunt, I was able to open up to them about things going on in my life that were affecting my job performance and after an extremely difficult semester and a close call, was able to build back up a lot of trust because they proved to me they cared about me as a person, not just as an employee.

My team developed opportunities engaging students through learning outside the classroom.  They experience, based on those experiences they develop as a person and are able to communicate their development and build their resume.  The ability of students to understand their individual growth is the development we try to achieve with every student.  Experience, learn, and develop means growth for our students.  This can be transferable to multipal professions which develops personel to reach their maximum potential.

Because of the diversity of the positions I held there was never a typical day.  There were many challenges that I faced head on and forged ahead successfully.
The most enjoyable part of this career was helping students with any and all issues they faced.  It gave me such joy to see the happiness on their faces when I was able to resolve their concerns.  
I learned that the job is never about me, it is always about whatever could be done to merge faculty, parents, students and other departments resulting in positive outcomes.

While this does vary based on department, University staff are overall underpaid and underappreciated. There is minimal ability for advancement for staff; compared to faculty, staff are continually overlooked in terms of both meeting their needs and recognition for contribution to the University and its mission. The new motto from higher administrators seems to be "do more with less," as staff members leave in droves and are not replaced.

Culture depends largely on the department you work in and on your supervisor. The most enjoyable part of the job is working with students.

If it weren't for Xavier I would not be who and where I am today. Xavier is a prestigious university that holds students accountable for maintaining a standard of excellence. Xavier has a balance of an academic and social environment. Xavier is located in one of the most cultural places in the United States of America which is New Orleans. Xavier provides many resources for students who are having a difficult time in the classroom. Xavier also had the longest standing President at a university which Norman C Francis. Now that he is retired, he left Xavier in good hands that President Verrett will take Xavier to the next level as if Norman C Francis was still there.

What is the best part of working at the company?
The community of bright, innovated  people to collaborate within this work environment.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
My own need to be fully prepared in my teaching for my students.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Collaborative and friendly in the nature of the people & overall environment.  Very diverse and inclusive.

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Every single day is different based on  the day & schedule.  It is though self paced.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Professor 7 salaries reported	$90,286 per year
Assistant director 4 salaries reported	$53,125 per year
Director 3 salaries reported	$81,667 per year
Adjunct instructor 6 salaries reported	$2,025 per week
Administrative assistant 5 salaries reported	$18.00 per hour

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