Toxic drama and politics - Anonymous employee UCSC Silicon Valley Extension Employee Review

The culture here is so toxic that the pros don't even begin to make up for it. It really boils down to management. Upper management discourages department team bonding because it is "exclusive to other departments" (their words, not mine). After Dean Lynda Rogers retired, her authority was passed into the hands of a select few who are sorely under-qualified for their jobs. Since those people came into power, there have been clear signs of nepotism as several other under-qualified people were promoted to higher positions within and even outside of their departments. As a result, a large portion of upper management is filled with people who have little leadership experience, and it really shows. This doesn't even begin to cover the insanely petty drama that occurs day to day in the office. I will not perpetuate the gossip, but I believe it is worth mentioning that many of the senior employees frequently got really nasty about the most pointless things.