Principles for a Positive Department Climate

Principles for a Positive Department Climate

(from Columbia University)

Jean Waltman and Carol Hollenshead developed Creating a Positive Department Climate: Principles for Best Practices as part of the NSF ADVANCE program at the University of Michigan. They provide a useful framework for considering department climate and three principles that support a positive climate for all faculty:

  • Transparency – Making all kinds of information available and easy to find.
  • Uniformity – Leveling the field and dealing equitably with all faculty
  • Assistance – Attending to the needs of faculty; offering mentoring and other types of help.

​​These three principles, provided by Waltman and Hollenshead (2005), are organizational strategies that a department chair or leader should employ when dealing with all members of the department. To these we add Respect, which is shown at the interpersonal level, from one person to another, and also at the organizational level in the way that information, resources, work and rewards are distributed.

  • Respect – Acknowledging and valuing contributions to the department; welcoming and including all department members in the community.

The four principles of a positive climate: transparency, uniformity, assistance and respect, are simple and straightforward, yet often taken for granted by those in positions of power and privilege. Neglecting these principles contributes to the phenomenon frequently found by climate surveys, where the majority group experiences a significantly different kind of departmental climate than minority group members. Research studies and materials such as Breaking into the Guildmasters’ Club: What We Know About Women Science and Engineering Department Chairs at AAU Universities and Enhancing Department Climate: A Guide for Department Chairs have shown that department chairs often have different perceptions of the climate than faculty members (Niemeier & Gonzales, 2004; University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2015). Since department chair and faculty members’ perception of climate may differ, it is important that the chair finds a way to assess the department climate, possibly through individual meetings with all faculty members, discussion during a faculty meeting, or engaging the department in a department climate survey (available through the A&S Office for Faculty Development & Diversity).

In the following sections, each of the four principles of a positive department climate is described further with resources and practices from other institutions highlighted. An annotated bibliography of resources follows the discussion.

Transparency

Transparency relates to communication and information. Requests for more transparency may be related to unspoken beliefs and practices that may not be fully articulated among all members of the department or were developed in the past and have not been discussed and vetted with the current department members. Examples of unspoken guidelines might include how different kinds of productivity are valued for advancement or salary increases. Lack of transparency could also relate to existing policies that have not been circulated to all members of the department and are not easy to find.

Communication

Sometimes policies and practices have been communicated, but not often enough, to everyone or at the right moment. It is good practice to provide information about important policies and practices in multiple forms, including communication during department meetings, in written form, posting on the department website and also in individual meetings. Leaders often believe that if they have said something once, it is taken care of, and everyone now understands the information. However, in practice this is not enough, as people tend to take in information when it directly relates to an issue they are currently experiencing, so they may not “hear” it if it was not important to them at that time it was communicated. Also, if communication occurs during a stressful time or when the listener is upset, they may not hear or understand the message fully. Especially when communicating about job expectations, it is important to be clear and direct, and follow-up later to ensure understanding. In practice, communication about the same issue needs to occur multiple times, using different media, over the course of time to ensure the message is received by everyone. It is almost impossible to communicate important information too many times.

Bylaws

Departmental bylaws provide a vehicle to capture and communicate the important policies and practices related to decision making within the department. If departmental bylaws are incomplete or out-of-date, engaging the department in updating the bylaws can create an opportunity to discuss and agree upon how things ought to be done….

Uniformity

The principle of Uniformity can also be thought of as equity and fairness. If department members feel that they are treated unfairly and that some people are given special treatment or favoritism, this undermines department morale. Distribution of resources, such as salary, research assistance, teaching assistance, office and laboratory space, etc. should be done using guidelines understood by everyone in the department. Uniformity and fairness in assigning departmental service is also important. The department chair should exercise care in assigning workload so that it is evenly distributed in terms of the time tasks require and also in terms of service that is recognized as important compared to service that is necessary, but not so influential.

A tool for ensuring uniformity and fairness in the distribution of departmental work was developed by the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Here is an adapted version:

Faculty Members Commitments Tracker

The grid below is adapted from the University of Wisconsin and can be customized with faculty member names and specific assignments. When assigning faculty members to various roles, committees and commitments, use this chart to ensure opportunities are well distributed and that each person has some impactful role within the department and not an excess of extremely time consuming tasks. Mark an “X” in each box that a faculty member is assigned.

Not all organizational and departmental committees and activities require the same level of commitment from faculty. The department chair may create a system to evaluate the amount of time dedicated to each activity to ensure faculty members are recognized for their total contributions, instead of evaluated solely on the number of commitments.

Click here to download a blank template of the Faculty Member Commitments Tracker

Assistance

Assistance typically means additional resources, either financial or human to help a faculty member complete a significant body of work, reach a career milestone, or address a work/life issue. Insufficient assistance can also occur due to inequitable allocation of resources. While the principle of uniformity is important, it is also important to understand that different people may need different kinds of assistance depending upon circumstances. Sometimes solving assistance problems for an individual may mean reallocating existing departmental resources or identifying existing available resources within A&S or the University. In other cases it may mean creating a proposal, quantifying the amount of resources necessary and pitching a new idea to senior administrators at the appropriate level in the organization.

Mentoring

Mentoring is a form of assistance for faculty members that can apply to junior, mid-career or even more senior faculty, depending upon the situation. Within the academy, mentoring is the primary means of on-the-job learning and is necessary for helping junior faculty members understand how to advance professionally. Mentoring can also be helpful for individual needs like how to manage work and family responsibilities, or how to move past a difficult unproductive period in the career. The Provost’s Office has developed a Guide to Best Practices in Faculty Mentoring: A Roadmap for Departments, Schools, Mentors and Mentees that provides guidance and suggestions to assist in developing and implementing a mentoring program tailored to the needs of your faculty. A&S also has a template for departmental mentoring plans posted on the FAS website.

Resources Available for Parents

Many resources are available at Columbia University for parents, however these resources are not necessarily well known. Department chairs can help by providing information about the Office of Work/Life and resources available to all faculty members.

New Parents’ Guide For Benefits Eligible Officers and Non-Union Support Staff

View additional resources at the Columbia University Office of Work/Life

Respect

Respect for department members is shown through thoughtful application of the other three principles: transparency, uniformity and assistance. It is also shown on an interpersonal level through the words and behaviors one person exhibits towards another. Lack of respect for one’s research, teaching, service, and participation (e.g., verbalized communication in meetings) is a frequent complaint of women and ethnic or racial minority faculty members. The PPC Equity Reports identify numerous issues related to respect within the department climate and among colleagues. Respect or disrespect can be identified in interpersonal communications, both verbal and nonverbal, and actions, such as who is assigned different tasks or given different resources. Rectifying the equitable allocation of tasks and resources can be addressed by policy or practice, however mandating improvements in interpersonal behavior cannot be so easily prescribed. Some departments, schools or even universities have taken on the task of developing statements that describe how the community intends and expects to interact with one another. Some examples are the Principles of Community at UC campuses or departmental statements such as the Goals for Physics Department Climate, developed at Duke University in 2003. Brown University developed a Diversity and Inclusion Toolkit which addresses enhancing respect as one of its guidelines:

Brown University Diversity and Inclusion Toolkit

Guideline #3: Enhance Respect

https://www.brown.edu/about/administration/institutional-diversity/resources-initiatives/resources-students-faculty-staff-and-alumni/diversity-and-inclusion-toolkit#3

Enhancing respect in your work areas is one way of supporting colleagues within your department or division and helping them feel valued. Respect can be demonstrated through our choices, delegation, behaviors, verbal and non-verbal communication. There are several practices you can implement to increase awareness and sense of respect in your work area.

Do's:

  • Make your expectations clear to your colleagues regarding verbal and non-verbal communication (e.g., avoid eye rolling at meetings, talking over each other when you disagree with a viewpoint, etc.)
  • Schedule at least one staff/faculty meeting a year specifically focused on discussing the work environment or to assess the climate, discuss feelings of respect, and solicit feedback from colleagues about ways to improve the environment/climate.
  • Identify best practices for all to model.
  • Provide consistent feedback to colleagues who need further mentoring and support on improving their behavior.
  • Reward/Reinforce respectful behavior when you see it.
  • Manage conflicts and disagreements with respect in a timely and confidential manner.

Dont's:

  • Assume that all colleagues in your department or division have the same definition of respect as each other or as you.
  • Avoid conversations about disrespectful behavior in the hope of stopping the behavior all by itself.
  • Rely on someone else, if you are an area manager/department chair/center director, to provide vision and tools for respect in your department. This is part of your responsibility as a person in a leadership role.

What are some specific behaviors that can convey respect?

  • Although each situation is unique and not everyone may agree, some behaviors that we have found to convey respect at Brown University are:
  • Communication that is open and transparent.
  • Decision making that is transparent, communicated, and inclusive.
  • Information being shared in a timely and consistent manner.
  • Disagreeing without losing one's temper or otherwise conveying disrespect.
  • Greeting students, faculty, staff, and vendors by acknowledging them verbally and non-verbally.
  • Respecting people's time by arriving at meetings and ending meetings promptly.
  • Being open to criticism and feedback.
  • Providing critical feedback in a manner, which is caring and respectful to the specific individuals.
  • Taking responsibility for the impact of one's actions.

What are some suggestions for coaching and providing feedback about disrespectful behavior?

  • Choose an appropriate time and private place to offer the feedback. It is best not to let too much time pass, and also to be calm and not reacting to your own emotions.
  • Ask the person how they saw their behavior impacting the situation or the other person involved?
  • Listen to their own self-evaluation and provide feedback that encourages self-reflection.
  • Examine the long-term impact this behavior has on the team or faculty on the job tasks, and on their relationships with other colleagues, faculty, staff or students.
  • Engage the person displaying the disrespectful behavior. Have the person identify a solution for improvement.

Defining Boundaries for Respectful Communication

One method for addressing conflicts and establishing communication guidelines for individuals in the department is to follow a process to establish communication protocols. Larry Hoover outlined one way to do this and also provided examples of Communication Protocols developed using the process. You may wish to adapt this process for your department needs. Remember that going through the process of discussing how department members wish to communicate with one another is more important than merely implementing a set of rules. See this link for a full description:

Developing Departmental Communication Protocols

Recognition

Respect is also about recognizing the work and contributions of all members of the department. One way to do this is by celebrating each other’s important achievements with recognition in faculty meetings. Department chairs should also make it a practice to regularly thanking people for their contributions to the department. This can be done in individual meetings, and also in department meetings so that other department members recognize the service contributions of their colleagues.

Harassment/ Discrimination

Unfortunately, the opposite of respectful behavior can occur within departments. Harassment, discrimination, gender-based misconduct, and bullying have lasting adverse effects on individuals and communities and must never be tolerated. These types of behaviors impact the departmental and institutional climates. The department chair, as well as all members of the department should be equipped with the resources to support the well-being of department faculty, staff and students if harassing or discriminatory actions should occur. In the event that a department chair is notified of harassing or discriminatory behaviors based on membership in a Protected Class, the chair should immediately report this to the Office of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action (EOAA). The EOAA office will work with the department chair to take necessary steps and also to help department members in the aftermath of the situation.

Additional Resources

Columbia University’s Tools and Resources for Enhancing Department Climate