Throughout my academic journey, I’ve found that departments driven by acceptance, curiosity, and trust were more positive and productive than those characterized by competition, blame, and criticism. More than policies, structures, or even talent, culture shaped whether people felt safe to speak up, ask questions, and take intellectual risks. This intuition was recently confirmed by Google’s Re:Work project (n.d.), which found that the single most important ingredient for team effectiveness is psychological safety.
Reciprocity over Hierarchy: Designing and Implementing a Student-Led Reverse Mentoring Program
Many academic leaders, including administrators and faculty members, participate in traditional mentoring programs that prioritize hierarchy. But these programs typically don’t foster engagement and connection between students and faculty or
Marquita Lyons-Smith and Keva Suitte
October 19, 2026
