‘It’s certainly been a rollercoaster’: Shishei Tsang accepts new job offer, leaves Chapman

Chapman staff and students reflect on the impact of Shishei Tsang, who worked two years as program coordinator in the department of Student Engagement, in the wake of her accepting a job offer from another university. Courtesy of Shishei Tsang

Tim Topper’s office feels empty. After two years of laughing, crying and sharing the 36 square feet of space with his friend and former colleague Shishei Tsang every day, the Cross-Cultural Center (CCC) office is now eerily quiet. 

Topper, who first started working as a program coordinator for Chapman Student Engagement in 2016, one year before the CCC was built, began sharing his title with Tsang in 2019 to collaboratively oversee the various facets of the department — like the CCC and Civic Engagement Initiatives. 

“My favorite memories (of Tsang are) kind of just a daily memory (of knowing) you have a colleague that’s in it with you,” Topper told The Panther. “It was always something that was kind of reassuring.”

Tsang was hired just before the pandemic hit, forcing her to navigate the challenges of engaging a student body working remotely. Her first year at the university also coincided with the 2020 presidential election, adding an emphasis to her role in Civic Engagement Initiatives to facilitate voter registration efforts on campus, provide students with reliable information on voting and encourage students to vote.  

However, Tsang’s last day at Chapman was Sept. 17, and she moved up the West Coast to Portland, Oregon shortly after to take on a similar role at another private, liberal arts institution. As program director for Students for Education, Equity and Direct Service (SEEDS) at Reed College, Tsang said she will be able to provide more focus and direction to her efforts in the realm of diversity, equity and inclusion than she could in her role at Chapman.

“Before, I (oversaw) both the CCC and Civic Engagement Initiatives, but now I’m more focused in one specific area,” Tsang said. “With (my new) position, I can be more direct … on how I want to create sustainable change for students and the community. This is a position that takes a very social justice (oriented) approach to connecting students with the Portland community.”

Topper, who is now the sole program coordinator for the CCC, is fully feeling the loss of Tsang’s influence on the university in the wake of her absence.

“She was phenomenal,” Topper said. “Being able to advocate for students kind of was her bread and butter, and (she was) really influential on campus — even for a short amount of time. It was absolutely amazing getting to work (with her) and getting to know her.”

Patrick Hooverson, a junior computer science major and a lead assistant in the Cross-Cultural Center, met Tsang at his first-year Emerging Leaders Retreat and immediately recognized her passion for her job. 

“I could see the passion in her eyes (and) in the ways she presented herself,” Hooverson said. “I never looked at her as somebody doing a job; I looked at her as somebody doing something they wanted to do.”

In his time at the CCC, Hooverson was only able to work closely with Tsang in her final month at Chapman. He told The Panther that he is disappointed he did not get to spend more time with her, as she was someone he felt safe approaching on campus. 

Topper added that Tsang leaving Chapman has larger ramifications than just the vacancy of her role —  students of color have lost a valuable resource on campus to identify with and approach comfortably. 

“Seeing another person of color leaving the institution (results in) one less person (students) feel comfortable being able to go to,” Topper said. 

For Tsang, leaving the students she worked with and her team at Student Engagement is one of the most difficult parts of moving on from Chapman. 

“It is very hard to leave the students, because we’ve built a lot of things together, and they are looking up to me and Topper for support and advocacy,” Tsang said. “I hope I have prepared them … (Students) are in good hands and they’re going to continue to do good.”

Tsang’s responsibilities are currently being divided among Topper, Justin Koppelman — the director of Student Engagement — and Jaclyn Dreschler — the assistant director of Student Engagement. Tsang’s resignation comes as another blow to Student Engagement alongside that of Mike Keyser, the head of Fitness and Recreation. Nevertheless, the cross-departmental nature of Tsang’s role has allowed for an easier transition than in Keyser’s case, since her workload could be split among coworkers familiar with her responsibilities and projects, according to Koppelman.

The question of Tsang’s replacement is currently uncertain, and according to Koppelman, she will not be immediately replaced. Chris Hutchinson, assistant dean of students, is currently working alongside Human Resources and Dean of Students Jerry Price on a formal plan to fill Tsang’s role. 

Koppelman said there are conversations taking place among Chris Hutchinson — the assistant vice president and associate dean of students, Price and staff in Human Resources about changing the scope of Civic Engagement Initiatives. He anticipates it may no longer be included in the role Tsang’s replacement would take on. 

“I definitely think we want to fill every open position,” Koppelman said. “It’s not finalized yet, so I can’t totally speak to … the restructuring (of the position), but I do think it’s likely that the Civic Engagement Initiatives piece won’t be in that position moving forward.” 

Tsang is eager for her future but hopes Student Engagement keeps building on the work she started at Chapman in the space of diversity, equity and inclusion. 

“I hope that my work (at Chapman) lasts, so it’s not like once I left the things just went away — I hope my change is sustainable,” Tsang said. “It’s certainly been a rollercoaster, but it’s been a great first job.”