MARY LOU HIGGERSON brings to this text 20 years of experience that spans every administrative level of multicampus university system. Higgerson holds a PhD from the University of Kansas where she studied and conducted research in organizational communication. Combining her knowledge of communication literature and skills with her administrative experience, Higgerson has focused her writing, consulting, and training activities on the application of communication and management theory utilizing video vignettes and case studies. Since 1990, Higgerson has taught on a variety of topics for the American Council on Education in seminars offered through the Department Leadership Program. Currently a professor of speech communication at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, Higgerson teaches courses in organizational communication and the university as an organizational culture. Higgerson has coproduced training videos on communication strategies relevant for higher education administrators and has written articles that have appeared in such publications as The Chronicle of Higher Education, Journal of College and University Personnel Association, Continuing Higher Education review, and The Department Chair. She coauthored a book titled Complexities of Higher Education Administration: Case Studies and Issues, which is designed for formal classroom use, workshops and seminars, and self-directed professional development.