Guide to Best Practices for Departmental Climate

We are pleased to share the Guide to Best Practices in Departmental Climate to inform faculty, department chairs, and administrators who seek a better understanding of the importance of academic workplace climate and its potential impact on productivity, job satisfaction, and faculty retention. This guide is by no means prescriptive; it is meant to serve as a springboard for self-reflection and discussion. Individual units and departments have unique strengths and challenges and will have different approaches to improving their climate.

Please address all comments and suggestions via this form or email Vice Provost for Faculty Advancement Dennis A. Mitchell at [email protected].

An online resource, Tools for Developing a Climate Self-Assessment, provides a sample question bank and quick start instructions for customization.

In March 2020, in response to the abrupt shift to remote work, our office produced Best Practices for Inclusive Remote Work in the Academy as addendum to this Guide.