Inside Higher Ed Columns

Our Inside Higher Ed columns focus on academic leadership challenges and tools for strengthening shared governance. To learn about new columns as they are published, follow us on LinkedIn.

Below is the list of our published entries:

On Authenticity and Leadership in Academe

Being true to ourselves is a barometer of well-being, but what if aspects of our true selves are counterproductive for us or our institution? Jacob A. Brown, C. K. Gunsalus, Nicholas C. Burbules and Thomas Byrne offer some answers.

Transforming Challenged Academic Units

When a unit becomes dysfunctional, leaders may recognize the problem but not know where to begin to resolve it, writes Jacob J. Ryder, C. K. Gunsalus, Elizabeth A. Luckman and Nicholas C. Burbules, who offer specific approaches that can help.

What Leadership Programs Should Offer

Jacob J. Ryder, C. K. Gunsalus, Elizabeth A. Luckman and Nicholas C. Burbules describe the combination of practical tools and principled grounding that is key to creating successful experiences.

A College Leader's Guide to Risk-Taking

What’s a risk? Who decides? And at what cost? C. K. Gunsalus, Robert A. Easter, Nicholas C. Burbules and BrandE Faupell advise on dealing with all types of risk, including that of inaction.

What the Debate Over Civility is Really About

As academic leaders struggle to balance demands for civility with those for free speech, Nicholas C. Burbules, C. K. Gunsalus, Brian C. Martinson, and BrandE Faupell highlight three underexplored aspects.

How to Raise Your Leadership EQ

Jacob J. Ryder, Nicolas C. Burbules, BrandE Faupell and C. K. Gunsalus offer advice to academics for enhancing the vital quality of emotional intelligence in their work groups.

Defining a Culture of Excellence in Research

The principal investigator and other leaders play a key role in encouraging group dynamics that make people feel respected and included — or not, Elizabeth A. Luckman, C. K. Gunsalus, Nicholas C. Burbules and Robert A. Easter write.

How Healthy Is Your Academic Department?

Nicholas C. Burbules, C. K. Gunsalus, Robert A. Easter and BrandE Faupell have created a tool to help you diagnose problems in your academic unit and identify ways to improve it.

Creating and Sustaining a Culture of Excellence

How can academic leaders foster a culture of excellence in their departments and other units? Robert A. Easter, C. K. Gunsalus, Sebastian Wraight, Nicholas C. Burbules and Jeremy D. Meuser suggest some specific actions to take.

Challenged Academic Units

C. K. Gunsalus, Nicholas C. Burbules, Robert A. Easter and Jeremy D. Meuser recommend five steps for managing conflicts and disputes.

Reforming Challenged Departments: The Faculty Role

Dysfunctional departments have identifiable patterns, and faculty members share some responsibility for dealing with them, argue Nicholas C. Burbules, C. K. Gunsalus, and Robert A. Easter.

Taking Over a Troubled Unit?

Robert A. Easter, C. K. Gunsalus and Nicholas C. Burbules offer advice to increase the likelihood you’ll leave things better than you found them — as well as remain healthy and balanced yourself.

Understanding and Navigating Cognitive Biases

They are often at work in troubled academic units and in how people react — or fail to react — to the problems, write Sebastian Wraight, C. K. Gunsalus, and Nicholas Burbules.

Understanding and Navigating Cognitive Biases: Part 2

Sebastian Wraight, Nicholas C. Burbules, C. K. Gunsalus, and Robert A. Easter explore how to reduce the problems cognitive biases can produce in your academic department.

Fostering Trust in Academic Departments

It is crucial in a vibrant academic unit, and you can cultivate it in some specific ways, advise Elizabeth A. Luckman, C. K. Gunsalus, Nicholas C. Burbules, and Robert A. Easter.

How to Change an Unhealthy Department Culture

It can make the difference between a high-performing collegial unit and one riven by factions, rivalries or unproductive friction, argue Elizabeth A. Luckman, Robert A. Easter, C. K. Gunsalus and Nicholas C. Burbules.

The Self-Aware Leader

Effective leadership is rooted in understanding the leader you currently are as well as the leader you need to become for your unit to thrive, write Elizabeth A. Luckman, Nicholas C. Burbules, C. K. Gunsalus and Robert A. Easter.

Why Listening Matters for Leaders

It can help you build a healthy and productive unit in a least three significant ways, write Sebastian Wraight, Nicholas C. Burbules, Elizabeth A. Luckman and C. K. Gunsalus.

Incivility, Bullying and Academic Dysfunction

How can departments foster an environment that encourages productive discourse, even in the face of vigorous disagreement? Nicholas C. Burbules, Ashley Albrecht Weaver, Elizabeth A. Luckman and C. K. Gunsalus provide some recommendations.

The Tension of We vs. I

As a leader, when should you put the focus on yourself and when should you put it on others? Virginia K. B. Lehmann, Jarvis Smallfield and several other scholars share some advice.

Dealing with the Now

Much of what occurs in the next weeks and months will turn on how academic leaders make choices and adapt no longer effective behaviors, write Nicholas Burbules and C.K. Gunsalus.

Leading Students During Departmental Conflicts

As the mentor, guide and role model, you have the responsibility to maintain inclusive environments and steer the debate in a productive direction, advise Ronald J. Threadgill, Nicholas C. Burbules and C. K. Gunsalus.