Windows of Opportunity: Building and Sustaining Departmental Culture in an Era of Superthreats
Location
Preston 2
Session Format
Presentation
Abstract
The value and practice of cultivating a departmental culture that supports student and faculty success is critical to its effectiveness and sustainability in institutions of higher education. In this qualitative study, we use the purposeful application of a pedagogy of intentionality as our theoretical lens. Methodologically, we utilized a collaborative autoethnographic approach to explore experiences of departmental culture among educational leadership faculty at a public university in the southeastern part of the US. We were particularly interested in gathering qualitative data to increase our understanding of how a shift in departmental values and priorities impacted how faculty felt and assessed their individual experiences during their time within the department. The findings indicate that (a) culture in the educational leadership department was highly malleable and based on opportunity, particularly when developed with intentionality and attention to community, characterized by collegial interdependence and relationships; (b) sustaining departmental culture requires continued intentionality across all educational planning activities, including hiring processes; and, (d) while intentional departmental culture has been sustained over an extended period, at present, externally imposed actions, including policies, were identified as perceived threats that brought into question the ability of the department culture to sustain itself in this newly-formed cultural context
Keywords
Building a Collaborative Departmental Culture; Faculty Well-being; Higher Education
Professional Bio
Dr. Sheryl J. Croft is an Associate Professor of Educational Leadership in Bagwell College of Education of Kennesaw State University, Program Chair of the Doctorate Educational Leadership, and Director of Teaching in the Urban South (TITUS), a multi-state affiliation of scholars dedicated to ensuring educational opportunities for marginalized students throughout the Southeast. Her research focus in practice and scholarship explores the ramifications of national and state educational reform within school settings, authentic collaborations between K-12 and higher education, teaching and learning tools, and the ways in which school leaders using historical paradigms can provide educational opportunities for all students.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Croft, Sheryl J. and Elue, Chinasa, "Windows of Opportunity: Building and Sustaining Departmental Culture in an Era of Superthreats" (2024). Georgia Educational Research Association Conference. 39.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/gera/2024/2024/39
Windows of Opportunity: Building and Sustaining Departmental Culture in an Era of Superthreats
Preston 2
The value and practice of cultivating a departmental culture that supports student and faculty success is critical to its effectiveness and sustainability in institutions of higher education. In this qualitative study, we use the purposeful application of a pedagogy of intentionality as our theoretical lens. Methodologically, we utilized a collaborative autoethnographic approach to explore experiences of departmental culture among educational leadership faculty at a public university in the southeastern part of the US. We were particularly interested in gathering qualitative data to increase our understanding of how a shift in departmental values and priorities impacted how faculty felt and assessed their individual experiences during their time within the department. The findings indicate that (a) culture in the educational leadership department was highly malleable and based on opportunity, particularly when developed with intentionality and attention to community, characterized by collegial interdependence and relationships; (b) sustaining departmental culture requires continued intentionality across all educational planning activities, including hiring processes; and, (d) while intentional departmental culture has been sustained over an extended period, at present, externally imposed actions, including policies, were identified as perceived threats that brought into question the ability of the department culture to sustain itself in this newly-formed cultural context
