The Art of Diplomacy
Diplomat—”someone who can tell you to go to hell in such a way that you begin to look forward to the trip.” Well, dean colleague, how good of a diplomat
Thomas McDaniel
May 19, 2025
Diplomat—”someone who can tell you to go to hell in such a way that you begin to look forward to the trip.” Well, dean colleague, how good of a diplomat
Conversations about DEI in education are more heated now than before as people discuss varying viewpoints on the matter of creating inclusive environments on campus amid concerns about academic freedom
With the expansion of online programs in higher education, department faculty who work remotely can feel disconnected from their institution and from each other. While online learning brings flexibility to
Change can be exciting, but workplace evolutions can also require leaders to address sensitive issues and controversial topics. While many educational leaders may focus on avoiding or preventing challenging dialogues,
This article first appeared in The Best of the 2022 Leadership in Higher Education Conference (Magna Publications, 2023).
Today’s professionals use the term “burnout” to describe how a person
A former department head of mine closed many of their emails with “Thanks for all you do.” It was nice the first time I read it. The second and
In academia as in every other aspect of life, effective communication is a key skill. And we must never minimize the importance of having this skill. Communication can either make
Department heads communicate in a wide variety of ways. Even as offices have adopted tools such as instant messaging, email is still a mainstay—love it or hate it. Email can
In March 2020, Coastal Carolina University joined hundreds of colleges and universities by moving to online instruction in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. That move, along with shutting down
In response to the public health concerns of spring 2020, colleges and universities established remote teaching in rapid fashion and reestablished best practices–based, active education using discussion boards and other
