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THE UNIVERSITY CULTURE

D R . JOSEPH SIMPLICIO
Port St. Lucie, Fl

In this article the author discusses the role university culture can
play on a campus and how it can impact policy and practice.
The article explores how a university's history, values, and
vision form its culture and how this culture in turn affects its sta-
bility and continuity.
The article discusses how newcomers within the university are
indoctrinated and then incorporated within the system through
the use of the campus culture.
The article also takes an in-depth look at those powerful indi-
viduals who control the university culture and offers insights on
how to effectively deal with them.
Finally, the article offers strategies for tapping into the core val-
ues of the university culture in order to develop a personal
powerbase on campus.

Each university has a unique and cher- These core cultural values are kept ahve
ished culture. This culture is bom fiom the by those long tenured individuals who have
institution's history and is steeped in tra- dedicated years of service to academia and
dition. This tradition in tum reinforces their university. These are the people who
that history and works to incorporate new- have weathered both the good and bad
comers into the culture by instilling defined times. They have watched as the institu-
cultural values. A university's culture, tra- tion grew and changed. They are the
dition, and values are not only important, keepers of the tradition, the tellers of uni-
they are vital to the wellbeing of the insfi- versity tales, and the bedrock of the
tufion because they provide stability and school's foundation.
continuity. Throughout the years they have leamed
In order to remain viable though the to work together for the benefit of the cam-
campus Culture must also evolve and adapt pus and its students. The interactions that
to meet change. A university is like a liv- occur amongst and between these indi-
ing organism. At times it grows adding viduals is the glue that holds the university
new programs, constructing new buildings, together. These interactions create a
and hiring needed personnel. At other unique and well defined chemistry. They
times it is forced to modify its focus by set the boundaries for complex relation-
shedding obsolete policies, eliminating ships.
outdated curricula, and adjusting short term In order to be successful individuals
goals. Over üme a university matures, and must leam to understand and work with
so does its culture. It is important though their colleagues. Administrators must leam
that the school maintain the core tradi- to work closely with other administrators
tional values that define it as an institution. in order to develop and implement poli-
cies. They must also leam to effectively

336
The University Culture... / 337

interact with faculty and staff to ensure are the ones who know the "right people"
that the mission of the institution is ful- and also know how to get to them. They
filled and that student needs are properly also know "where the bodies are buried"
met. Faculty in turn must forge a clear and how to use this to their advantage.
path of cooperation with their colleagues They rarely capitulate to authority and they
and other university personnel. Added to have the ability to insulate themselves from
this mix are the constant interactions any real harm.
between staff, paraprofessionals, and of These individuals can be powerful allies
course students. With so many complex or formidable foes. Garnishing favors from
interactions occurring every day on such such powerful people can prove quite ben-
a grand scale it is easy to understand how eficial in achieving one's professional and
the delicate balance of all these interac- personal goals.
tions can be quickly upset. The key to effectively dealing with these
The culture of a university with its individuals is to understand their power-
established traditions and values work to base. They are seen as the "old guard" and
maintain this delicate balance. It provides their power rests in their small but tight
a set of informal behavioral guidelines. It knit unified numbers and in the influential
sets the parameters and monitors for com- positions they hold within the university as
pliance. a result of their time spent at the universi-
In each university there are guardians ty. Others often defer to them because of
of the culture who work to maintain it and their senior status. They are rarely ques-
its delicate balance. They are the keepers tioned when it comes to the history and
of the traditions and protectors of the his- tradition of the university, especially the
tory and culture of the institution. These oral history of the school. Their recollec-
individuals include veteran faculty mem- tions of past experiences is accepted almost
bers, entrenched staff members, and others carte blanche. This deference and accep-
with longevity and seniority. They stand tance gives them direct input and sway in
watch over the status quo, they begmdg- the decision making process.
ingly allow only the most necessary of In addition, they often hold key posi-
changes, and they usher in newcomers and tions on the most influential committees.
indoctrinate them into the fold. They dominate the Faculty Senate or the
In order to be successful within a uni- Staff Administrative Council and are
versity one must leam to effectively work involved on some level in all crucial deci-
with these individuals. Their standing sions that affect the campus and its
often gives them instant credibility with- personnel.
in the campus community. They Use of institutionalize formal power is
understand the formal bureaucracy better ineffective in dealing with such strong indi-
than anyone and they are the masters of viduals. Therefore, in order to work
utilizing the informal campus networking effectively within this informal hierarchi-
system to accomplish their goals. They cal structure an outsider must acknowledge
338 / Education Vol. 133 No. 2

and understanding all of these factors. to have any influence at all, and those indi-
The key is to become one of them. This viduals on campus who are viewed as
can be accomplished by "earning one's "strange characters"."
stripes" through longevity. It can also be These individuals may be known as
accomplished though by slowly immers- "geeks, nerds, freaks, or even the odd
ing oneself into their world. This means balls," but collectively they make up what
volunteering for key committees, offering is known as the "fringe" people. These
to help with their pet projects, and most are the invisible people who go about their
importantly, pubhcly supporting their caus- day doing their jobs and rarely interacting
es whenever possible. Although one may with anyone outside of their immediate
not be able to give support at every junc- circles. They march to the beat of a dif-
ture, until one can gain a powerbase it is ferent drummer and are seen as peculiar.
important to not be seen as an adversary. It is interesting that within an institution
Adversaries are dealt with swiftly and the that espouses personal and intellectual free-
damage caused to one's career or reputa- dom that those who are "different" in any
tion usually cannot be repaired. Like way are seen as defective and inconse-
elephants these individuals have long mem- quential.
ories. E opposition must be posed it should Acceptance by these groups can usual-
be channeled privately through other pow- ly be accomplished by simply spending
erful campus individuals. Even the most time with these individuals, getting to know
soHd wall is porous and individuals do have them better on a professional and person-
their own agendas. Recognizing and using al basis, helping them achieve their goals,
these facts to one's own advantage is smart. and by convincing them that they have
If the "in group" has one weakness it worth, and in that worth they have untapped
lies in their beHef that they are untouchable. power that just needs a voice. Alone these
They assume because they are powerful, individual groups wield very little power;
they will always be powerful. They sur- however, together and unified they pos-
mise that by ostracizing and isolating any sess the ability to orchestrate critical and
newcomers who might challenge their sweeping change.
interpretation of the school's culture they If one can leam to effectively gain the
will remain invincible. This conscious confidence ofthe powerful and in addition
decision to exclude less powerful campus gain the support of these less powerful
individuals is in the end their Achilles' fringe groups, than that individual can
heel. acquire influence and power that is far
These excluded and often forgotten more encompassing and far more reaching
individuals include those who work in less than that wielded by any one group alone.
than glamorous positions within the uni- Campus culture is indeed based in tra-
versity such as maintenance, facilities, dition; however, because it does evolve and
janitorial services, the Information Tech- change, it is also fluid. Power can change
nology (IT) people, those who are too new the culture. This power comes from those
The University Culture... / 339

who work on the campus. It is therefore


possible to build an all encompassing per-
sonal powerbase through these individuals
and then use that base to implement need-
ed change while still honoring the
university's rich culture and traditions.
In the end, those who acknowledge,
understand, and honor a university's cul-
ture with its cherished tradition and values
can use this knowledge to marshal
untapped human resources to acquire pro-
fessional and personal power.
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