Incoming president Matt Parlow deepens Chapman’s ‘entrepreneurial spirit’

Photo Courtesy of Chapman University

Matt Parlow, set to become Chapman University’s 14th president, is pioneering a data-driven approach to maintain the university's reputation and enrollment, along with a personalized approach to campus morale. 

Chapman faces low class enrollment, budget deficits and heated free speech debates on campus, yet Parlow is entering his presidency with “cautious optimism.”

“We want to be thoughtful about where we grow and how we grow,” said Parlow during his presidential interview.

The class of 2025 marks a “demographic cliff” in enrollment as the number of incoming students fell short of university expectations. Consequently, Chapman is $30 million shy of its 2025-2026 fiscal goal.

However, Parlow acknowledges this is a challenge all universities have faced, and it was not detrimental to Chapman as all employees and admin kept their positions at the university.

“We are still in a very strong financial position,” Parlow told The Panther. “Our assets are significant and our endowment has been growing dramatically. We’re at over $850 million, which is a really good endowment.”

As Parlow steps into the presidential role, he brings fundraising experience that could prove vital as federal funding from the Department of Education remains uncertain under the Trump administration.

“There’s a lot of activity in D.C.,” said Parlow. “We’re obviously keeping an eye on when things are going to impact the university or could impact the university. We are working to make sure that we prepare if there are changes that do stick.”

To ensure that Chapman University hits its enrollment targets in 2026 and beyond, the admissions office is working alongside the marketing strategy department to tell the story of Chapman to as many prospective students as possible.

“We have a fabulous vice president for marketing, Marie Williams,” said Parlow. “(She) was formerly the VP at two other universities and is really seasoned and really strategic.”

To Parlow, word of mouth remains the best strategy for recruitment. 

“If you talk to major league managers, they will tell you data tells you so much,” Parlow told The Panther. “But if the data tells you one thing and you know something in that moment, the data will not help then. Data goes out the window.” 

Additionally, Parlow is already working with the Student Government Association (SGA) to gain insight into the current student experience. He also welcomes students to email or approach him on campus with issues on their minds.

“Day in and day out, I can tell you senior leadership and all throughout the university, we’re always trying to think about how we’re making the students’ lives better,” he said. “We may not always get it right 100% of the time, but it will always be with an intent to get it right 100% of the time.”

Parlow expects discussion on campus from students and faculty, and he strongly believes in the value of conversation between those with opposing viewpoints.

“People who disagree can't seem to have civil conversations,” he said. “We cannot debate issues and not wind up getting mad at each other. That’s not healthy in our democracy, and that’s certainly not healthy on campus.”

Vikki Katz, a communication studies professor at Chapman, will aid in expanding healthy conversations and civil debate as the inaugural holder of the Fletcher Jones chair of free speech.

“(Katz) really cares about civil discourse, and she has a whole research program that I think she is going to roll out and do some really impactful stuff with,” said Parlow.

Until September, Parlow will remain executive vice president, chief advancement officer and Parker S. Kennedy chair in law, and will mainly focus on university fundraising. Nevertheless, he has begun familiarizing himself with his presidential responsibilities for when he takes over from Struppa in September. 

“As we are planning for next year, (Struppa) is bringing me into all these conversations so that I’m part of the discussions,” said Parlow. “It’s still all his calls, but I’m a part of the discussion. I’m seeing what will happen next year at this time, which really helps me get a good foundation for where we are.”