As an integral part of both shared-governance and the land-grant mission, service is foundational to the healthy functioning of our university. Yet service remains the least valued of the three pillars of academic work, distant behind scholarship and teaching, in part because it is difficult to quantify and evaluate. Additionally, and perhaps unsurprisingly, abundant research shows that university service is not equitably distributed. Women and faculty from under-represented groups shoulder a disproportionate amount of it.

Following a two-day discussion on the nature of service, and a culture shift in how service is perceived and evaluated, participants to the National Summit on Transforming the Culture of Faculty Service and Engagement have been brainstorming next steps. As an attendee, Melanie-Angela Neuilly offers insight in the current national debate surrounding university service and proposes WSU-relevant solutions for both faculty and administrators.