College Department Meetings as (Dysfunctional) Events

College department meetings exhibit all the characteristics of an "event." As a planned gathering that is temporal in nature and involves two or more participants, the college department meeting serves a critical role in bureaucratic processes such as curriculum approval, policy formation, and information dissemination. While intended to facilitate decision-making and organizational coherence, these meetings often reflect underlying power dynamics and workplace culture, leading to dysfunctionality. This article proposes a range of organizational theories to understand college department meetings as (dysfunctional) events. It also outlines event participants and the different "roles" they play during these meetings. Department meetings, like other structured events, have the potential to foster collaboration and institutional progress, but overcoming dysfunction requires purposeful agendas, balanced leadership, active participation, and a collective commitment to meaningful engagement.