Almost every academic leader will have to successfully work through an experience that leads to considering separation of some member from the Academic Affairs team. The reasons for separation may be rooted in performance, lack of teamwork, actions and decisions inconsistent with the mission, lack of student-centeredness, changes in institutional direction, or better protection of the productivity of other members of the Academic Affairs team, among other considerations.
Character (Still) Counts: Moral Injury and the Case for Character Education
Many academic leaders remember the Character Counts! initiative from the 1990s and early 2000s. It was visible in schools and youth programs nationwide, emphasizing as core values the Six Pillars
Teresa Maggard Stephens
June 15, 2026
