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Columbia University

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Unless you are a librarian do NOT work for Columbia Libraries! - Web Developer Columbia University Employee Review

2.0
Aug 13, 2008
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

The tuition benefits are the best part of working at Columbia. Especially as they cover your kids (school, Columbia, and even other undergrad colleges) your spouse can earn an undergrad degree too. Master's Program are good if you don't have one already but there are only a few part-time degrees available and they are not always ones that you are interested in and are somewhat mixed in as far as actually value of education and teaching. Vacation is very good with 23 days as the standard starting amount. The health Benefits are good with a wide range of choices and optional vision and dental Plans

Cons

Incompetency of leadership especially in the upper echelons of libraries. The 'Peter Principle' is in full effect here. The are also a lot of lifers here, unmotivated and incompetent people can eek out a long and fruitless existence with the bureaucracy. This is problematic if you work or even need to deal with them. Managers are too often picked for their subservience over their leadership abilities, vision, management skills or general competency. Salaries tend to be very poor and those involved in the budgets are very cheap and do not understand ideas of value of bottom line especially when it comes to investment in technology.

Explore other reviews about Columbia University

5.0
May 21, 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

The labs and team were great

Cons

Occasionally hard to get support from admin

1.0
Jun 12, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

The people in the trenches The students The passionate faculty

Cons

Leadership, their inefficiencies and poor decisions Very dysfunctional environment HR does whatever leadership tells them to do, including covering issues by "friends of the boss", This favoritism approach also includes approvals for who gets to work from out of state even when the position can be easily filled by local workers and the creation of new jobs for those that are chosen. Very poor financial decisions. Big big pay on top, Low pay on bottom. Very little room for growth unless someone likes you and you are the right color.

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