Building collaboration between faculty and staff: Opinion

Faculty members are becoming more aware of the work that staff members do, writes Jenae Cohn, but many faculty still do not trust staff to take on decision-making. The article discusses the roles that staff play on campus and describes three ways to encourage collaboration between staff and faculty. The author suggests offering incentives for faculty-staff partnerships through grants, fellowships, or special groups. Cohn also suggests rethinking hierarchical traditions and creating shared experiences. “[I]f you’re going to hire highly skilled people — who have a clear and sophisticated understanding of institutional cultures and expectations — why not take advantage of our expertise?” asks Cohn. The Chronicle of Higher Ed (International)