Civility & Collegiality
Within higher education, civility and collegiality are essential components in creating inclusive, engaging, and supportive academic spaces.
ci•vil•i•ty | noun
demonstrating and maintaining respectful behavior toward one another even when we disagree (Organizing Engagement)
While conflated with politeness, civility refers to practicing behaviors to support intentionality, humanization, and respect. Individuals who prioritize civility seek to build a climate where all voices are heard and valued, contributing to a healthier campus culture. Experts caution distinguishing civility from politeness to avoid unintentionally silencing certain voices and viewpoints.
col•le•gi•al•i•ty | adverb
marked by power or authority vested equally in each colleague; marked by camaraderie among colleagues (Merriam-Webster)
Collegiality emphasizes collaboration and the willingness to work together for the common good. Collegial relationships strengthen the community and provide a foundation for inclusive excellence while fostering an environment where everyone can thrive. Experts emphasize that collegiality can be used to control dissent through expectations of ‘fitting in’ or conforming to established norms.
Light the Way with Civility
On Monday, November 11, 2024, the College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences hosted a presentation by Katie Cahill, PhD, focused on fostering a more collegial and respectful community. The following themes emerged from the dialogue:
- Civility as a Foundation: Civility is essential for open, democratic dialogue. By fostering civil interactions, we create a space where constructive disagreement, inquiry, and intellectual humility drives group improvement and innovation.
- Trust and Collaboration Over Competition: Collegial relationships grow from trust. Built through credibility, reliability, and authenticity over self-interest, trust enables genuine collaboration. This focus on mutual support enriches academic and professional relationships.
- Leading with Courage and Clear Intentions: Effective collaboration means leading with both courage and civility. By approaching discussions with clear goals, active listening, and respect for diverse perspectives, we set the tone for a collegial environment where the priority is learning, growth, and inclusive dialogue.
Voices on Civility & Collegiality
The resources below feature voices speaking about civility and collegiality both through theory and through practice.
Featured Resources from Katie Cahill, PhD
- The Art of Conscious Conversations – a book by Chuck Wisner that offers a practical guide to improve readers’ communication into deliberate, constructive exchanges
- The Coddling of the American Mind – a book by Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt that examines how the culture of “safetyism” on college campuses can negatively affect students (UT Library Access)
- How Civility Works – a book by Keith J. Bybee that explores “crisis” in civility from both historical and contemporary perspectives (UT Library Access)
- The Soul of Civility – a book by Alexandra Hudson that discusses how true civility, distinct from politeness, bridges political divides and fosters public discourse (UT Library Access)
General Educational Resources
- Against Civility: The Hidden Racism in Our Obsession with Civility – a book by Alex Zamalin that discusses how civility has been used to silence dissent and viewpoints
- Beyond Civility: The Competing Obligations of Citizenship – a book by William Keith and Robert Danisch delve into the history and theory of civil discourse
- Democratic Civility and the Dangers of Niceness – a journal article by Ian Ward that describes contemporary debates on civility
- The Enigma of Collegiality: Collegiality Frames and Institutional Logics in US Higher Education – a journal article by Ryoko Yamamoto that presents six frames of collegiality
Articles & Reports
- Collaborate or Compete? – an article by Kelvin Yihang Zhang and Ben K. Goh on promoting collaboration rather than competition in higher education
- The Concept of Civility in Modern Political Philosophy – a research brief by Robert Boatright that presents several philosophical foundations for civility
- Faculty and Staff Often Don’t Trust One Another. How Do We Fix That? – an advice article by Jenae Cohn with actionable steps to foster collaboration across positions
- How to Protect and Promote Campus Civility – an opinion article by David Wippman and Glenn Altschuler that outlines strategies to address incivility on campus
- Transforming Conflict on College Campuses – a report by Constructive Dialogue Institute & the Aspen Institute of Citizenship and American Identity outline campus conflict areas and strategies to navigate this conflict
Videos & Webinars
- 3 Ways to Practice Civility – a TED Talk by Steven Petrow that explores the original meaning of civility and offers three practical ways to be more civil
- Collegiality – Together Everyone Achieves More – a video panel discussion describing collegiality and it’s important to shaping organizational culture
- Cultivating Collegial Support and Connections – a video session from Heather Walker the focuses on the value of collegial support in behavioral health interventions, highlighting practical strategies
- HR Trends for 2025: Civility is in Crisis – a video from SHRM that predicts workplace trends for 2025 as part of the organization’s annual HR review for 2024
Multimedia Resources
- The Art of Collegiality and Why It Matters – a resource guide from Times Higher Education that explores collaboration and support among colleagues
- Civil Discourse: Guide – a resource guide from The Westport Library that provides information on civility in public discourse such as setting ground rules and finding common ground
- Ensuring Collegiality and Civility: A Classroom Management Quick Guide – a quick guide from the University of Denver’s Office of Teaching and Learning that offers practical strategies to foster civility and collegiality
- Remain Civil: From Political Opposites to Friends—How the Civility Project Was Born – a section of a PBS guide that focuses on civility within democracy through a video, teaching tips, and discussion questions
Podcasts
- How Can We Disagree Better? – a podcast episode from You Might Be Right that explores practical ways to disagree better in everyday life
- How To Be Civil Even If You Disagree (with Alexandra Hudson) – a podcast episode from How to Be a Better Human featuring Alexandra Hudson on valuing people you disagree with as humans
- Towards More Civil Discourse – a podcast from Stanford School @ Duke interviews two faculty members that developed a course focused on civil discourse and democracy
- When We Disagree – a podcast by Michael Lee focused on human stories about arguments, conflicts, and disagreements, where each episode features a specific disagreement topic
Original RLM Created November 2024 by Miranda N. Rutan, Doctoral Candidate, CEHHS A&E, UT Knoxville
Adapted April 2025 by Miranda N. Rutan, Doctoral Candidate, CEHHS A&E, UT Knoxville