Volume 2, Issue 7

Within pluralistic and diverse communities, civility represents a time-honored strategy that allows individuals and groups with little else in common to live together and get along. Opportunities for civic engagement and contribution are often predicated on shared understandings of civil discourse and behavior. Inability to get along can have dire consequences for any community. Establishing a civil climate is a shared responsibility of community members yet some individuals, by virtue of their influence and authority within the community, serve to establish and model behavioral norms and expectations. Civility in the academy, its presence and value, has been questioned and debated in recent years. (See End Note #1) University presidents and other campus leaders recognize civility as a constituent component of effective leadership. Beyond recognition of its importance to effective leadership, there is a need to examine the root sources of incivility, threats to civility, and approaches to establishing and strengthening civil culture in university communities.