A constructive Approach to Managing Faculty Conflict: An Action Research Study

Context of the Study

This study was conducted in the researcher’s work setting, on the campus of Morehead State University (MSU) in Morehead, Kentucky. Morehead State University is a comprehensive, four-year public university that began as a coeducational institution that

opened its doors in 1887. As a Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Council on Colleges (SACSCOC) accredited institution, MSU serves over 10,000 students from 108 of 120 Kentucky counties, 44 states, and 29 nations. The average class size is 18, with a student-faculty ratio of 17-1. Morehead State University offers 144 undergraduate degree programs including associate and baccalaureate degrees and 78 graduate degree programs. The university is one of five schools in the United States that offers a baccalaureate degree in space science and the Earth and Space Science program works directly with NASA. Its main campus employs 225 faculty, including instructors, and 42 adjuncts on its teaching staff. Besides the main campus located in Morehead, Kentucky, MSU offers distance learning with regional campus centers located in Ashland, Mount Sterling, Prestonsburg and West Liberty, along with several other locations in Eastern Kentucky as well as online courses. The university currently employs a total of 359 full- time faculty members who are non-tenured, on the tenure-track, or tenured (Morehead State University website, 2014).

Researcher Role in the Organization

The researcher is the Assistant Dean of Caudill College Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences. Responsibilities in this position include representing the Dean on behalf of the college; participation in all recruiting events; serving as a liaison for the college with Alumni Relations to promote donor relations, with the Office of Research and Sponsored programs to identify appropriate funding opportunities for grants, and with the Office of Marketing and Communications to oversee the college’s social media presence. In collaboration with the Dean, the researcher helps coordinate the Bachelor of University Studies degree, and serves in leadership roles on steering committees. In

addition to the administrative role, the researcher is also a tenured associate professor, director of an academic minor program, and serves as a campus leader and mentor to both faculty and students. As an insider to the context studied, being involved in situations of conflict as a faculty member and administrator provided the researcher with an opportunity to increase her knowledge of conflict management strategies for managing conflict.