Academic Incivility Among Health Sciences Faculty

Abstract

Academic health centers are under pressure to graduate more health professionals and, therefore, must retain talented faculty members who can educate students in respective disciplines. Faculty-to-faculty incivility is especially relevant to academic medical centers because faculty in the health professions must not only meet university tenure and promotion requirements but also, in many cases, maintain their professional licenses. This article describes faculty-to-faculty incivility, how it manifests itself, the consequences of uncivil behaviors, and strategies to combat incivility among faculty. Grounded in a theoretical framework of empowerment, the article concludes with suggested strategies for addressing faculty-to-faculty incivility and implications for practice.