CD of Video Online Seminar • Originally Broadcast December 6, 2007 • $259

Although most colleges and universities do not specify collegiality as a distinct criterion for tenure or promotion, many have teaching or service requirements that demand that candidates "work well with colleagues," "demonstrate good academic citizenship," or "contribute to a collegial atmosphere." Through these requirements, collegiality has increasingly become an indirect criterion in faculty evaluations.

Faculty members who have been denied tenure, not renewed, or terminated from a tenured position because of a lack of collegiality have frequently gone to court. They have sued their college or university, claiming that such negative actions violated their rights. As a result, courts have carefully scrutinized collegiality as a criterion in faculty evaluations—and they have consistently upheld its use. As an extension, does the use of collegiality as a criterion for tenure serve as a means for concealing discriminatory treatment of women and minorities?

Strong reasons exist for considering collegiality in faculty evaluations. To begin with, colleges and universities have legitimate and long-recognized expectations that professors will cooperate with their colleagues in the best interests of the institution. Faculty members do not operate in isolation from their departmental colleagues or from those in related disciplines. They must make decisions as a group regarding the curriculum, the scheduling and teaching of classes, the advising of students, and the allocation of resources and space. These responsibilities require cooperation and collegial interaction. None of them can be carried out successfully if each faculty member acts solely in his or her own personal interest.

This session will focus on the department chair’s role in fostering a desired collegial environment in their department. Proven strategies that can be used to hire and tenure competent—and collegial—faculty will be explored. During the seminar, participants will test their current knowledge about collegiality and engage in problem-solving activities.

Knowledge benefits for you:
• Understand what collegiality really is and means
• Have the chance to test your current knowledge about collegiality and participate in problem-solving activities
• Review current research and understand its implications in real-life situations
• Be able to develop policy guidelines to foster collegiality in your own department
• Learn how to encourage productive, not destructive, dissent among faculty members
• Learn how to assess collegial behavior in the interviewing process
• Make better hiring and tenure decisions
• Understand what U.S. courts have said about collegiality in tenure, promotion, and termination decisions

Who can benefit from viewing this seminar:
• Academic deans
• Associate deans
• Department chairs
• Vice presidents of academic affairs
• Provosts
• Tenured faculty on department evaluation committees
• Non-tenured faculty members
• University legal counsel
• Equal opportunities staff

Listen to a preview

Meet the presenter:



Dr. Robert Cipriano