Dealing with Dysfunction provides a real-life view of a college department gone awry. A complete lack of trust exists between faculty, department chairs past and present; and particularly within the faculty itself. Name calling, sabotage, and an unwillingness to even be in the same room with department colleaguesto discuss matters involving student and program concerns have become the norm. When pressed to participate in a meeting, one faculty member states: You can make me come there, but you cant make me say a word, and I wont.Acknowledging the professionalism of the vast majority of college professors that staff institutions of higher education,Dealing with Dysfunction looks at the options a chair and dean have available to them when dealing with a cadre of professors in a department that unable to work together.

Rick Castallo is a professor of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at California State University at Northridge. In addition to 25 years as a department chair, he has several years experience as a school teacher and administrator; he has been a consultant to hundreds of school boards, faculties, and administrative teams concerned with improving working relationships in their schools.

IntroductionChapter 1: OpportunityChapter 2: A Bottle of Wine and a Lot of RuminationChapter 3: The PlanChapter 4: Leadership in Universities: Oxymoron in ActionChapter 5: Leadership in DepartmentsChapter 6: Getting StartedChapter 7: Jennifer: Vulnerable Reluctant& Anthony: Senior ResistorChapter 8: Mary: Passive ResistorChapter 9: Antoine: Self-centeredChapter 10: Sandy: Committed Reluctant& Wanda: Junior Level CommittedChapter 11: Andrew: Committed Reluctant& Bruce: Passive-Aggressive ResistorChapter 12: Bill: Committed and AngryChapter 13: The Year EndsChapter 14: Five Years LaterChapter 15: Suggestions