Defining collegiality within the academic setting

Faculty development and performance are important issues within colleges of nursing. Collegiality is a performance requirement for promotion and tenure, but the behaviors synonymous with collegiality are frequently unwritten within the academic community as well as being poorly defined in the literature. The ambiguity that this situation produces is often experienced by faculty seeking tenure and promotion. Faculty at a midwestern university used the Delphi technique to determine behaviors synonymous with collegiality. Results of the Delphi rounds yielded specific behavioral indicators for the four broad statements that describe collegiality in the governance document of the university. Those statements include willingness to serve on committees and perform work necessary to departmental operations, willingness to provide guidance and help colleagues in their professional duties, respect for the ideas of others, and conduct of one's professional life without prejudice toward others. Findings revealed that while the area of collegiality is ambiguous, indicators of collegial behavior can be identified. Limitations and benefits of using the Delphi technique are discussed.