Dear Faculty Relations: I’m an experienced chair, but I’ve never understood when and how to report concerning behavior from faculty, staff, students, or non-affiliates. Should I be doing this? And if so, how do I do it? —Teach Me

Dear Teach Me: Thank you for sharing your concerns with me! It is important to always share concerns about violent behavior, threats, harm, or other concerning behaviors promptly to ensure the safety and well-being of our community. Maybe you’ve noticed that a staff member just hasn’t seemed themselves, you’re hearing that a student is disrupting a colleague’s class, or you’re worried about a faculty member’s outburst in the hallway. 

First, it’s not your job or responsibility to diagnose problematic behavior or to figure out how to respond. This is the job of the Behavioral Intervention Team (BIT). BIT identifies, assesses, and addresses these behaviors from anyone on campus, keeping our campus safe and secure.  

CU �鶹ӰԺ is lucky to have a team of people who represent the whole university. Our people have knowledge of policies and experience in their roles so they can address these behaviors quickly and effectively. This team works together on a wide range of issues, including matters related to federal mandates, campus safety, and policies that impact faculty, staff, students, and even guests. With this team in place, we can quickly direct concerns to the right office for resolution. The cross-representation ensures clear communication and coordination, addressing individual concerns while providing support to those affected. 

So, should you share your concern—even if it seems minor? The short answer is yes, please always share your concerns. You may observe a shift in a staff member's demeanor, while someone else on campus might have overheard them make a threat. We want to create a culture where sharing concerns is encouraged and where sharing makes our community stronger and more resilient. 

How do I share a concern? CU �鶹ӰԺ has several processes for sharing concerns and requesting support, including reporting options through CUPD, the CU �鶹ӰԺ Don't Ignore It website, and anonymously through . Additionally, our team is always happy to consult and talk through the concern to ensure it’s getting to the right place. 

Written by Montelleo Hobley Jr., Director of Threat Assessment and Members of the Behavioral Intervention Team.

CU �鶹ӰԺ BIT Team  

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Dear Faculty Relations: I have two colleagues who are locked in perpetual conflict. It can be frustrating when it comes to committee assignments, or just having to be mindful of whether they’re going to run into each other. They’re never going to be friends, but is there anything I can do to improve this situation? —Confused Chair

Dear Confused Chair: As academic leaders, it’s not only our responsibility to improve situations like this, but also to make sure that conflicts do not affect the culture of our units. 

I am going to assume the conflict is just a run-of-the-mill personality clash. If the behavior rises beyond this, you should consult the Professional Rights and Responsibilities (PRR). According to the PRR, every faculty member must “treat all members of the campus community with mutual respect.” If either of the people in your department is not living up to this standard, then consider talking with Faculty Relations.  

Otherwise, I would sit down with both colleagues and explain to them how their animosity is affecting the unit. For example, my department includes fewer than twenty faculty members, and if this situation occurred between senior colleagues, it would be very difficult to keep them off committees together. 

To begin, simply acknowledging the conflict can have positive effects. In many situations, leaders know these conflicts exist, but do not bring them up because they believe they are unfixable.

Next, try not to fix, minimize, or invalidate their conflict, but rather make them understand that they need to be able to set their differences aside for the good of the unit. I might start by saying, “We need to figure out how to move forward so that whatever is going on between the two of you doesn’t negatively affect the rest of us.” 

Too often we try to fix conflict, but sometimes just openly acknowledging it and making clear it is affecting others can work. This way we can make sure faculty conflict doesn’t begin affecting the whole of the unit, which can lead to worse problems. 

As leaders, we’re not trained mediators (even if it feels that way sometimes). But we are entrusted with making our unit’s culture the best it can be. My advice? Quit trying to fix personal issues and try speaking directly to your colleagues. 

Written by Pat Ferrucci, Chair and Associate Professor in the Department of Journalism, and Faculty Director for Academic Policy and Faculty Support, Office of Faculty Affairs.

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Dear Faculty Relations: One of my colleagues brought a complaint to me, and after several weeks, I resolved it through the PRR. Now that it’s over, how do I follow up with the colleague who brought the complaint? —Wary Leader 

Dear Wary Leader: First, congratulations on resolving this complaint. When you participate in the PRR process, you play a vital role in shared governance. 

Notice to your colleague who brought the complaint is an important and final part of the process. Do this verbally rather than through email. Communication is much more than the words we use. Your tone, facial expressions, and pacing of speech can help convey the seriousness with which you handled the situation.

Learning that there is a finding but not knowing your specific action can sometimes feel unsatisfactory to a person who brings a concern. For this reason, make sure to convey how seriously you took their concern, let them know that their concern was warranted, and give them confidence that you took appropriate action. �į �į

You might word your response like this:

• I’d like to update you on your concerns about unprofessional behavior. First, thank you for bringing this to my attention. It may not have been easy, and I appreciate your courage.
• The inquiry is now complete, I found that Professor X violated the PRR (slow down to emphasize these words). I cannot provide specific sanction information, as this is a confidential personnel matter. �į

Occasionally, this isn’t enough to give a colleague who brought the concern a sense of satisfaction. For example, they might push to know how your action will make a difference. If needed, you can let them know that their concerns and your findings have been documented following the PRR process. Knowing that there is a record can be reassuring. An additional option is to refer them to Faculty Relations, where we can answer questions about the process. Although Faculty Relations must also honor the confidential nature of personnel matters, there is a lot of other general information, such as insight about best practices, that may be encouraging for your colleague to hear. 

When you conclude the PRR process and follow up in good faith with those who bring concerns to your attention, everyone benefits, and we create a more positive and productive culture for all.  

Written by Suzanne Soled, Assistant Vice Provost for Faculty Development and Support and Director of Faculty Relations, and Burke Hilsabeck, Assistant Director of Faculty Relations, Office of Faculty Affairs

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Dear Faculty Relations: I’m fielding student complaints about a faculty member’s tone in the classroom. I’ve known this colleague for years and I really value them, but sometimes there’s a disconnect between their good intentions and the impact of their words. Can you share ways to address this?  —Frazzled Chair

Dear Frazzled Chair: Addressing student complaints about a colleague’s tone can indeed be challenging, especially when there's a discrepancy between what you’ve come to understand as your colleague’s good intentions and the way they sometimes come across to others. It's important to approach such situations with a mindset that fosters understanding and growth for all parties involved. If we want to repair relationships, we need to separate intent from impact.

We suggest you begin by acknowledging the students’ feelings. Validating their experience can prevent someone from feeling ignored or marginalized. Resist the instinct to defend your colleague. Instead, you might say, "Thank you for sharing this with me. I hear how much this bothered you, and I want to understand more about what happened.” Do your best to understand their experience and tell them that you will address it with the faculty member.

Next, as the supervising administrator responsible for addressing these complaints, engage in a conversation with your colleague about the students’ experience. This isn't about making accusations but rather sharing observations that might help them to understand the difference between what they meant and how their words or tone landed. For example, you might frame this conversation by saying, "I recognize that you didn't intend to cause any distress, and the way the words came across had a significant impact on this student." The use of the word “and” here is intentional and important. It helps keep the focus on the impact and validates your colleague’s good intentions. 

Our goal is to foster a culture of authentic curiosity in ourselves and others by inquiring about others’ experiences without judgment. Instead of focusing on intentions, we should focus on repair and learning. This creates opportunities to demonstrate how conflicts can be managed constructively and leads to stronger connections between our students and our colleagues.

Written by Julie Volckens, Senior Director of Assessment and Prevention and Teresa Wroe, Assistant Vice Chancellor of Prevention & Deputy Title IX Coordinator, Office of Institutional Equity and Compliance

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Dear Faculty Relations: Our unit is trying to turn the corner with a formerly abrasive colleague. They know they've caused harm, and I really want us all to move forward. Can you suggest some practices that move beyond punishment and help us to repair our relationships? —Hopeful Chair  

Dear Hopeful Chair: I applaud you for wanting to think beyond punishment and focus on the relationships in your unit. Most of us aren’t used to thinking that way. And luckily, there are tested practices that do just this. Restorative Justice (RJ) offers an opportunity for those who have caused harm, those who have been harmed, and all other members of a department to reaffirm, repair, and rebuild their relationships. These practices can also help to improve your department’s climate.  

What is RJ? RJ is a philosophical approach that embraces the reparation of harm, healing of trauma, reconciliation of interpersonal conflict, reduction of social inequality, and reintegration of people. A central component of RJ is a collaborative decision-making process that includes:

• Accepting and acknowledging responsibility for harmful behavior.
• Repairing the harm caused to individuals and the community. 
• Working to rebuild trust by showing understanding of the harm, addressing personal issues, and building social connections.

Even better, RJ is a proven and effective method for repairing harm without punitive measures. Rather than imposing a punishment, the RJ Circle process seeks mutual understanding by providing the opportunity for everyone who agrees to participate to share their perspectives and listen to their colleagues. Instead, the RJ process is voluntary, and the Circle process draws from indigenous knowledge. RJ acknowledges that:

• We are all in need of help and helping others helps oneself.  
• Repairing harm requires the collective wisdom of everyone in the Circle.
• All Circle participants are equals.
• It is valuable for all participants to share their individual life experiences and wisdom to generate a new way of understanding the current situation that caused harm and to collectively agree on solutions.

If you’re curious to learn more, please get in touch. Faculty Relations facilitates RJ circles on campus and has a wealth of resources for learning more about RJ. 

Written by Jennifer Fluri, Faculty Director for Leadership and Restorative Practices, Office of Faculty Affairs and Professor and Chair of Geography, College of Arts and Sciences.

Resources: Karp, David R. (2019) The Little Book of Restorative Justice for Colleges and Universities. Good Books. 

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Dear Faculty Relations: I'm an academic leader committed to fostering a sense of belonging for all faculty in our department. How should I focus my efforts? —Believes in Belonging

Dear Believes in Belonging: We’re fortunate that CU �鶹ӰԺ professor Dr. Stefanie K. Johnson is an expert in this subject. In her keynote for Excellence in Leadership Program Fellows and alums this past year, she highlighted contributing factors to an individual’s sense of workplace belonging that might focus your efforts.

My Voice Is Heard 
Feeling heard is the most essential contributing factor. Ask yourself, how can I work to ensure that every faculty member feels heard? Might anyone feel excluded from critical meetings, social events, or personal connection with colleagues? 

I’m Treated Fairly 
When someone perceives that their identity is impacting their access to opportunity, it’s hard for them to feel that they belong. Ask yourself, how can I equitably support opportunity for everyone?

I’m Essential  
Individuals thrive when they feel that they’re essential to the success of their team. Ask yourself, how can I communicate to people that their unique expertise, talents, and contributions are critical to the team's success?

Dr. Johnson emphasized that individuals want to feel that they belong as they are. This means feeling that they don’t need to show up differently to be heard and valued. She stresses five actions that anyone can take, represented by the acronym AEIOU.  

Amplify: Ensure that your colleagues' voices are heard and that their ideas are recognized.

Edify: Increase your knowledge to teach your colleagues and to support their growth and development.

Identify: Work to build personal relationships with team members.  

Optify: Take every opportunity to shine a light on others’ accomplishments!

Unify: Engage everyone in the team in working toward the inclusion and belonging of all.

Fostering belonging is a critical component of leadership. Ask your colleague leaders what strategies and ideas they can share with you, and delve deeper with Dr. Johnson’s book (Harper Business, 2020). 

Written by Merinda McLure, Faculty Director for Academic Leadership Development, Office of Faculty Affairs, drawing on a keynote presented by Dr. Stefanie K. Johnson. and copies of Inclusify can be accessed through the University Libraries.  

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Dear Faculty Relations: I’m new to my leadership role and it truly is a brave new world. Before I rush headlong into my job, can you tell me how the university understands my responsibilities as an academic leader? —T����辱�岹�پ��dzܲ�&�Բ�����;

Dear Trepidatious: You sound overwhelmed! And not without reason. Faculty life and administrative life are like different decks on the same ship. Passengers in their cabins and crew at the helm may mix somewhere on board, but they exist in otherwise different worlds. 

According to the Professional Rights and Responsibilities of Faculty Members and Roles and Professional Responsibilities of Academic Leaders, or PRR, academic leaders are “senior faculty members who take on extra administrative responsibilities.” What exactly are these “extra administrative responsibilities”? 

The PRR distinguishes between leadership and administrative duties. Leadership describes your responsibility for the future and vision of your unit; administration has to do with operational, day-to-day tasks. Plotting a course and steering the ship, if you will. 

Leadership is the big picture stuff, like ensuring a positive climate for the folks in your unit; representing your unit in larger college and university bodies; managing personnel processes for both faculty and staff; and developing others.

Administration is the nuts and bolts (the rigging and cleaning?). This is just as important as the leadership matters above. You may be responsible for course schedules, for instance, but also budget, personnel files, compliance, recommendation of leave, and resolution of allegations of unprofessional conduct.

We have two pro tips. First, read the PRR. Part III of the PRR lays out what the university expects of you. Second, increase your knowledge and skills to become an effective leader through the Academic Leaders Institute. Start with the New Leaders Orientation in August and continue your professional development by attending other workshops throughout the year and participating in the annual ALI mini-conference. These are places where you can learn about your responsibilities as well as connect with other leaders.

Please contact us with any questions. We wish you smooth sailing!

Written by Burke Hilsabeck, Assistant Director of Faculty Relations, Office of Faculty Affairs, July 2024

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Dear Faculty Relations: It’s two years into my leadership role, and I’m short on time and long on conflict. Do you have any top-shelf advice to share? —In Need of a Boost

Dear In Need: Leadership can be taxing. And what’s harder, most of us aren’t trained to lead. There isn’t much about ordinary faculty life that prepares you for the time crunch and interpersonal conflict that you describe.

But the good news is that campus is full of people experienced in leadership and from whom we can take a few tips. Each year, for instance, the Faculty Leadership Institute holds a series of discussions with leaders across campus. One of the fun things about FLI is the chance to absorb these folks’ collective wisdom.

Here is some of the most helpful advice from this year’s conversations:

• Communicate, communicate, communicate. The best leaders are excellent communicators. They don’t just communicate their decisions; they always communicate context and rationale.
• Wield influence, not power. Outside of a few roles at the very top, administrators don’t have a great deal of real power. What they do have is influence. Leading by example is far more important than any gesture of executive authority.
• Email is for haiku. Save your research article or budding novella for Microsoft Word. Email just isn’t the genre for length. Aim to say what you need to say in three sentences or less.
• Learn to delegate. It might be easier if you could, but you can’t do it all yourself. Trust your colleagues to share in the work of your unit.
• It’s better to be accurate than fast. Call this the tortoise and the hare paradox of leadership. You’ll find yourself working under deadline and feeling stress, but it’s better to get things right than to be the first to finish.

And finally, have fun. Leadership is about values, but your colleagues don’t only benefit from your ability to separate right from wrong. Try making fun a core value and have faith that you’ll keep learning on the job.

Written by Anu Sharma, Professor, Speech Language and Sciences and Faculty Fellow, Faculty Leadership Institute based on discussions with senior leadership across campus including:

• Nathalie Moyen, Chair of the Finance Division in the Leeds School of Business
• Oliver Gerland, Chair of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences
• Marcia Yonemoto, Chair of History
• Elizabeth Dutro, Associate Dean of Faculty, School of Education
• Bud Coleman, Associate Dean, College of Arts and Sciences
• Leslie Reynolds, Senior Associate Dean of Libraries
• Tammy Sumner, Director, Institute of Cognitive Sciences
• Mark Gross, Director of ATLAS
• Lori M. Hunter, Director of the Institute of Behavioral Science
• Fernando Rosario-Ortiz, Interim Dean, School of Education
• Daryl Maeda, Dean and Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education
• Michele Moses, Vice Provost and Associate Vice Chancellor for Faculty Affairs
• Katherine Eggert, Vice Chancellor and Senior Vice Provost for Academic Planning and Assessment

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Dear Faculty Relations: I serve in a leadership role in my unit and I’m curious to explore more senior roles. Do current campus leaders have any insights to share from their own paths? —Curious to Serve

Dear Curious to Serve: Do you know about the Excellence in Leadership Program (ELP)? Each year, ELP engages our faculty and staff Fellows in seminars with peers from across the CU System. Our fellows also participate in a series of conversations with senior leaders here in �鶹ӰԺ. These seminars and conversations are rich with the sorts of insights you mention. 

In my experience, while senior leaders take different paths to their roles, they do have a few things in common. When presented with opportunities for learning and growth, they follow their curiosity, embrace change, and accept risk and ambiguity. (A tall order to be sure!) Most of these leaders also speak about the importance of relationships with mentors and colleagues as essential to their growth and well-being. 

I have especially enjoyed hearing leadership speak about the values and competencies they view as integral. Here are a few of the qualities that they value: 

• fairness
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• curiosity
• empathy
• generosity
• humility
• positivity, even in the face of challenge

And here are some of the abilities they identify as important: 

• learning from mistakes
• ​separating criticism from reasoned critique
• listening well
• seeking and finding joy 

As you walk your own path, you might pick a couple of these values and abilities on which to focus. You might also ask the leaders closest to you about their own journeys. Remember, leadership doesn’t look the same in every person and place. Take the time to find and walk your own path. And reach out if you’re interested in learning more about the ELP! 

Written by Merinda McLure, Faculty Fellow for Excellence in Leadership Program (ELP), Office of Faculty Affairs; Professor, Health and Human Sciences Librarian, April 2024

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Dear Faculty Relations: My department is about to hire an excellent new tenure-track assistant professor from another university where she has already served as a faculty member for 3 years. She is asking whether her work at her current institution can count toward tenure here. How should I advise her? —Chair Wanting to Give Good Advice

Dear Wanting: This is a great question! The �鶹ӰԺ campus follows the occasionally granting new Assistant Professors 1-3 “years of credit” towards tenure at the time of hire, if they have experience as an Assistant Professor at another university. In advising your potential new hire, ensure she understands that new faculty should only opt for years of credit towards tenure if they have substantial work from those years that fulfills the departmental criteria for excellence in scholarly and creative work. It’s imperative to note that taking years of credit is a binding decision that cannot be rescinded at a later time, and results in a shortened probationary period and tenure clock. If she lacks significant accomplishments during those years, it would be more prudent/advantageous for her to come to CU �鶹ӰԺ with the full 7-year probationary period.

If they have met the , any faculty member can go up early for tenure. So, even if she decides not to take official years of credit towards tenure, your new faculty member could still earn tenure sooner than the full 7-year tenure clock. It would be advisable for the faculty member to consult with you and other mentors as she is making the decision of when to stand for tenure.

Remember that you can always consult with the Office of Faculty Affairs for advice on questions like these. Good luck recruiting her!

Written by Michele S. Moses, Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs, March 2024

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