1. ) Learning Needs: I valued the reminder on best practices when meeting with a teacher or supervisor. Sharma (2020) encourages the one seeking help to focus on his learning and what he can do to maximize the learning experience. The responsibility and accountability should be placed mostly on the student. It’s easy to become defensive or to blame others when struggling. Therefore, I also appreciated the table of examples on how to best approach these types of situations (p.72). See screenshot below.

2.) Reading your Professor’s Door: This section actually horrified me, namely because I don’t think I’ve been very mindful of this unspoken “door language” (Sharma, p.73). It’s quite possible that I have been violating these guidelines for most of my academic career. Although, as a teacher myself, I really should have known better; I can recall many experiences when I would have given anything to secure periods of uninterrupted office/classroom work time in order to catch up on seemingly unending grading or research. And even with a door only cracked open - or even closed - students or colleagues would enter, sometimes without warning. Again, knowledge of this faculty practice is a helpful reminder for me, both as a student who needs to be mindful of these boundaries and as a teacher who shouldn’t feel badly about asking students to respect them as well.

3.) Collegiality Assessment Matrix: Baporikar (2015) mentions a “Collegiality Assessment Matrix” (p.61), which piqued my interest in measuring observable behaviors around collegiality. I was not able to find this instrument; however, I was able to uncover a similar Teacher Collegiality Scale (shorturl.at/AG156, Shah, 2011). I find this scale useful for leaders to develop a more objective understanding of their department or institution. Additionally, Olson (2009), asserts that soliciting feedback from stakeholders about their experiences increases communication, trust, and decision-making which, in turn, bolsters shared governance.

4.) Ralph S. Brown Award for Shared Governance: In AAUP’s Shared Governance document, I noticed that AAUP offers an award for administers who are exemplary in the area of shared governance. Perhaps some of you visited that link as well; but, if not, here it is. I always appreciate opportunities to recognize good in the world and think this is a noteworthy way to celebrate shared governance. The criteria are listed below. Perhaps we know someone who should be nominated? :)

5.) Collegiality and commonalities: Easterling (2011), notes that collegiality necessitates interactions between colleagues. This may seem obvious. But the point is an elegant reminder that faculty and leaders must be intentional to encourage common spaces, activities, and collaboration within their work in order to build shared experiences. This, of course, is only a starting point, as these interactions can be collegial, “hollowed” (p.8), only civil, or even uncivil in nature. Yet, interactions are what provide opportunities to take steps toward collegiality such as setting strategic goals, establishing common goals/vision, hiring right, encouraging faculty contributions, building on individual strengths and minimizing weaknesses, encouraging cooperative work, and working closely with alumni, friends, and advisory boards (Baporikar, 2015).