Abstract
Learning to work with others is a trait taught from the time children are in their early schooling. However, the concept of competition begins to form at the same time. This idea of competition continues to be a fire that burns brightly in some students, and the flames are often fanned by external forces: teachers, parents, students, counselors, college admissions programs, etc. Moving from public education to the collegiate classroom has not diminished the air of competition that is often present. Working within the academy has many of these same concepts embedded into its structure. New faculty members are expected to be prepared to be academics on day one. This includes in their teaching, scholarship, and service. This demand of constant production in all three areas can cause feelings of competition among faculty members. Within this chapter are demonstrated ways of applying the 5 Cs of collegiality to the university workplace as well as to doctoral induction programs, giving faculty the opportunity to assist them in the development of a mindset of collaboration over competition.
TopIntroduction
When going into a restaurant that serves lobster, often there is an uncovered tank full of lobsters. Why do the lobsters stay in the tank and not escape? Why are the people who own the restaurant so careless about leaving the tank uncovered? Well, when one lobster tries to make their escape and starts being successful, the other lobsters will pull that lobster back down into the tank (Botterill, 2017). When this concept is applied to the workplace through metaphor, it is referred to as the Lobster Syndrome. This idea of the Lobster Syndrome has found a place in academic and university settings. Within higher education, faculty are often noted only by their publications and grant activities (Huenneke, Stearns, Martinez,& Laurila, 2017). Additional burdens are put on faculty to serve on multiple committees, increase their teaching load, and continue outreach to increase university enrollment (Mudrak et al., 2018; Bentley et al., 2013). Faculty may also be financially rewarded for these endeavors, beyond the traditional paycheck. For new faculty, their clock has started as they seek promotion and tenure. Faculty are encouraged to be autonomous, and may even receive more reward, points, or credit for working alone or with other faculty members. This creates a feeling of competition among faculty members rather than collaboration, leading to a toxic climate for faculty (Teichler et al., 2013). Unfortunately, the Lobster Syndrome blooms in this atmosphere of competition.
Within graduate programs, where many times, graduate students are being prepared to teach in higher education, it is imperative that they are taught how to work collaboratively with their future colleagues and not competitively. Doing so will assist in diluting this toxic atmosphere present in many institutions around the world. One way to begin using this practice is by implementing the use of the 5Cs of Collegiality. When this is used, faculty members can start building this spirit of cooperation and collaboration within budding academics that will hopefully carry them through their academic careers.
The chapter will further develop, define, and share with readers how to employ the 5Cs of Collegiality:
- ●
Care
- ●
Compassion
- ●
Common Goals
- ●
Checkups
- ●
Crucial Conversations™
Additionally, a case study will be presented to showcase the specific “C” that is being highlighted along with possible solutions.
TopBackground
It was Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart who shared, that he may not know how to defne pornography, but he recognized it when he saw it. This idea may provide the same opportunities for faculty, in that they can often recognize when collegiality is not present, but struggle to recognize or define it when there is a positive example.
The spirit of competition over collegiality within the academy can be noted for decades. Initially, this started in the scholarship arena with the concept of “publish or perish” but though scholarship, grew quickly to include the incentivisation and even demands of writing and receiving of grants. Funding became more difficult to come by thus leading faculty to compete more intensely for those grant dollars (Trower & Gallagher, 2008). It became a race for faculty to find the right place to publish, the right grants to write, and make it to some arbitrary number set by the university.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Critical Urgency: The theoretical examination of events that critically examines the immediate and extreme issues and their repercussions in the aftermath. Often this creates a reactionary response, especially when there has been a lack of proactive measures.
Care: A verb that denotes to have concern or thought about another person. It can be an action, as in “to care” for another, or it can be a concept or idea “to care about” another person.
Collegial Huddling: A group of faculty who come together to rely on and support each other when a working environment is hostile and unwelcoming.
Compassion: Having compassion for others is to recognize their pain and to take action to help ease that pain. It is a perceptible or evident action to improve things for another person who is hurting.
Common Goals: The identified objectives for the group or the organization.
Checkup: The actual act of personally asking faculty how they are doing, what they need, and letting them know that they are seen and heard.
Social Justice: The theoretical concept that social and diverse issues such as race, ethnicity, gender, sex, and socio-economic status, will not impact the needs, wants, and desires of society being met.
Professionalism: A collegial way of doing one’s job so that the success enhances the faculty member and those within the institution.
Critical Conversations: A crucial conversation is one where stakes are high for one or more participants, strong emotions are present, and opposing opinions exist.