Earlier this week I had a full faculty day on campus—a day of teaching and tending to administrative requirements that reminded me both of how glad I am that I
In today’s higher education landscape, institution-community relationships are no longer peripheral expressions of goodwill. They are central to academic relevance, student success, and institutional credibility. Accrediting bodies and evaluators assess
For nearly five decades I have watched the professoriate grow, shift, and reinvent itself. In that time, dire predictions have often failed to materialize. But what we are facing today—rapidly
Faculty have long been at the cutting edge of free speech issues. In fact, at most institutions, faculty play a defining role in determining “who may teach, what may be
Many student-facing leaders on college campuses work diligently to cultivate environments where students can thrive and be their authentic selves. But often, many higher education professionals do not get an
Academics sometimes joke about “going to the dark side” as they transition into university administration. Leadership service does involve drawbacks. The more time one devotes to administrative tasks, the less
Disagreements emerging from the competing priorities of faculty members and administrators are unavoidable. Conflict, however, can emerge from drama being used as a strategic tactic to achieve a desired outcome.
The past few years have been particularly turbulent for higher education—including post-pandemic return-to-work initiatives, diminished public trust in higher education, the spread of campus protests, and the introduction of generative
Academic leadership is often framed as an exercise in “managing down”: guiding faculty, resolving disputes, or supporting students. Yet the real test of effective leadership may lie in the opposite
Faculty are essential to achieving the mission and goals of higher education. Their contributions often extend beyond research, teaching, and service to areas such as mentoring, and the mentors deserve
