In his recent State of the University address, Chapman President Daniele Struppa praised the campus community for the way they supported one another in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. Fewer than 400 cases of COVID-19 have been diagnosed among the combined student body, faculty and staff population, a less than 1% positivity rate.

“The reason for this success frankly is because all of you have taken it seriously,” said Struppa, thanking the virtual audience for their commitment and cooperation in following the CU Staying Healthy guidelines.

Overall, Struppa presented an optimistic summary of the university’s financial and strategic successes. Despite a reduction in revenue because of reduced housing fees due to the Governor’s mandated on-campus residency guidelines, the university still made gains in both net assets and endowments, thanks to careful prioritization by campus administration. The university was even able to continue funding important research, including a number of projects begun in response to the pandemic.

“The university is doing very well,” he said. “We are facing tremendous challenges, but we are coming out of those challenges stronger.”

He added,“My proudest accomplishment is really the fact that we went through this pandemic and we didn’t have to fire anybody. We didn’t add to the growing number of people who are out of a job. We didn’t add to the pain that this country is experiencing.”

To watch the full State of the University address, visit chapman.edu./sotu.