While higher education can be incredibly bureaucratic, Temple takes the cake. It was the most rigid, stifling environment I have ever worked in. Very top heavy, with a top-down management style akin to a poorly run corporate business instead of an educational institution; maybe this is part of why they are in financial straits. I also encountered my fair share of micromanagement and very poor leadership skills from managers at all levels. It was truly astonishing the lack of accountability, leadership, and communication from those that were supposed to be managing others. The pay is not competitive for a large, public university; it's more on par with a small liberal arts college. For example most salaries for Assistant Directors with years of experience were being advertised at 50k-60k. Criminal. And forget about promotions! Unless you have connections, or you're a kiss up to management, you're not going anywhere. Further, I think I can speak for most when I say that the emails that went out bragging about our acquiring a new building downtown is incredibly tone deaf when you're also sending emails warning of staff and programming cuts due to the budget. I understand that there are different budgeting lines, but it's tone deaf especially in this economy.
