Western Washington University reviews

The good reviews are historic and do not reflect the current culture at Western. This is by far the most toxic organization I have worked at in my career. The administration from the President to the VPs to the AVPs has mismanaged Western so completely that we're processing layoffs due to failures of management that will impact our most vulnerable staff. Western has "golden handcuffs" where demonstrably terrible management is able to abuse their workforce due to a lack of alternative employment options. Western is also an institution rife with racism and misogyny throughout its ranks, imbedded in its systems, and perpetrates real injustice through its power structures. Avoid working here if at all possible.

Upper level administration is, almost across the board, unwilling or unable to acknowledge or change the serious systemic cultural issues that are prevalent across the university. Sexism, racism, and ageism abound unchecked and are often perpetuated by administrators themselves. Employees are not viewed as people but as cogs in a wheel. You will have to fight hard and advocate for yourself at every turn unless you are lucky enough to have a supervisor willing to help you. On-boarding and training are also non-existent so you have to be willing to learn everything yourself with no assistance. Pay is also very low, most jobs are not at a living wage for the area. The toxic work environment and overall disinterest in changing anything at all results in a workforce that is either apathetic or actively angry/frustrated.