Academic Culture: Facing the dark side, nurturing the light

Universities and institutes are central in the creation and dissemination of knowledge that can benefit society and the world. Being part of this enterprise can be exciting and energizing. It can also be demoralizing and demeaning. How is that possible and does it need to be so? In this presentation, we will lay out the values and qualities of academic culture. We will explore the “dark side” expression of this culture (e.g., bullying, mobbing, incivility) with an eye to identifying the why and the when. We will then discuss the “light side” (when we are at our best) and ways institutions and their members can nurture these strengths and mitigate the challenges.
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Loraleigh Keashly is Professor of Communication and Distinguished Service Professor at Wayne State University in Detroit. For over 30 years, her research has focused on the quality of workplace relationships, with particular emphasis on addressing uncivil, hostile, and bullying behaviors. More recently, she has turned her attention to problematic conduct in academic environments, collaborating with universities to promote healthier, more respectful institutional cultures.
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This conference is being held as part of Health Days, from September 29 to October 10 on the EPFL+UNIL campuses.