On Collegiality

The problem of collegiality in academia is like a crazy aunt in the family: ever present, whispered about in hallways, but rarely acknowledged directly. My goal in this article has been to initiate the demise of this pattern of unhappy toleration. The toleration stems, in large part, from an apparently widespread fear that attempts to control colleagues\u27 uncollegial conduct will result in an unacceptable diminution of academic freedom. Although these concerns are legitimate, I have sought to prove that, if appropriate care is taken, academic freedom may flourish at the same time that a norm of basic collegiality is enforced. Failure to maintain collegiality is potentially costly to the morale and productivity of an institution. The first line of defense in the battle for collegiality is manned by the faculty themselves; they must personally commit to collegial behavior, and they should use peer pressure to assure that their colleagues do the same