As a private university, Chapman University is tax-exempt because of its purpose as an educational organization. As such, the university is required to file a Form 990 each year, a document that provides the public with financial information about a nonprofit organization.

Chapman’s most recent filing is from the 2019-2020 fiscal year, and it includes a breakdown of which individuals had the most reportable compensation from the university. Here are the top 10 highest earners of the university:

1. $1,788,341 — Daniele Struppa, administration

Chapman’s president takes home the biggest paycheck. Daniele Struppa makes over double the amount of the person ranked second on the list.

When compared to the rest of the nation, Struppa is ranked 22 on the list of the 265 top-paid private university presidents in the U.S. He’s also ranked ninth in the nation for most bonus pay and third for most in benefits.

Struppa is Chapman’s 13th president and has held the position since Sept. 1, 2016. He originally came to campus in 2006 as provost of the school before transitioning into his current role as president.

2. $850,099 — Harold Hewitt, administration

Harold Hewitt has served as executive vice president and chief operating officer for Chapman since 2007. 

3. $763,505 — Jim Doti, faculty

Jim Doti was appointed president of Chapman in 1991 and served for 25 years. In 2016, he left the role of president to Struppa and joined the faculty list. 

He currently teaches one section of econometrics, and he is currently on the schedule to teach one section of the same class for the spring semester. Doti is the highest paid faculty member at Chapman.

4. $681,816 — Sheryl Bourgeois, administration

Sheryl Bourgeois held the role of executive vice president of university advancement for 24 years. In 2021, Matthew J. Parlow was hired as the executive vice president and chief advancement officer to replace her. 

5. $597,286 — Vernon Smith, faculty

Vernon Smith is the George L. Argyros endowed chair in finance and economics. He is co-teaching one section of spontaneous order and the law, but he is not currently listed to teach any class for the spring semester. Smith is 95 years old, and he was the recipient of the Nobel Prize in economic science in 2002.

6. $549,912 — Glenn Pfeiffer, administration

Glenn Pfeiffer held the role of provost for five years and retired in June 2021. Norma Bourchard was hired as the executive vice president, provost and chief academic officer in 2021 to replace Pfeiffer after a months-long search for a replacement.

7. $488,504 — Yakir Aharonov, faculty

Yakir Aharonov is the director of the Institute for Quantum Studies and professor of theoretical physics. He is not on the schedule to teach any classes in the fall 2022 or spring 2023 semesters.

8. $467,064 — Amir Raz, faculty

Amir Raz is the founding director for the Institute for Interdisciplinary Brain and Behavioral Sciences and also teaches as a professor. He is not on the schedule to teach any classes in the fall 2022 or spring 2023 semesters.

9. $463,650 — L. Andrew Lyon, administration

L. Andrew Lyon is the founding dean for the Fowler School of Engineering and took up the role in 2019. Before then, he served as the dean of Schmid College of Science and Technology from 2014 to 2018. He also teaches courses in Schmid. This fall, he is teaching computer science/engineering colloquium. He is scheduled to teach the same course next semester.

10. $432,137 — Thomas C. Piechota, faculty

Thomas Piechota is a professor and assistant director of the Grand Challenges Initiative, which is headed by Fowler and Schmid. He was also previously the vice president for research at Chapman. This fall, he is teaching three courses: remote sensing of the environment, foundations of design and fabrication and grand challenges in science and engineering. For the spring, he is scheduled to teach one section of environmental hydrology.

What about the average faculty member?

In California, college professors make about $73,483 per year. For adjuncts, their pay can be less than $3,500 per course. 

In a 2022 report conducted by the American Federation of Teachers, one third of surveyed adjunct professors make less than $25,000 per year. Another third made less than $50,000.

Low pay for adjunct faculty is a national debate, with many of these professors relying on government assistance to pay their bills and student loans.

Last year, after a former adjunct professor filed a complaint against Chapman University in July 2020 regarding a wage dispute, over 5,000 Chapman employees received their formulated share of approximately $664,166 in settlement money.

The complaint alleged that Chapman failed to pay adjuncts for the non-teaching activities performed outside of their scheduled classroom hours and Chapman violated rest break laws and meal break laws.

Eligible individuals worked for Chapman as adjunct professors or part-time lecturers between July 10, 2016 and Dec. 31, 2019. Approximately 1,374 adjunct faculty members were entitled to 75% of the settlement money, which came out to just under $500,000.

Editor’s note: This story was updated to reflect that Thomas Piechota was previously the vice president for research at Chapman.