Work/Life Balance as Key Driver for Program Development in Times of Crisis

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2021

Publication Title

Programmatic Perspectives

Volume

12

Issue

1

First page number:

88

Last page number:

105

Abstract

This commentary asks program administrators to consider workload (or overwork) for all stakeholders in our programs, as well as options for ways that we can take care of each other and ourselves. To do this, we will offer three initial strategies for program development in times of crisis by addressing workload head-on, and the inevitable overwork that too often arises from uncertainty and austerity. The primary goal is to establish a work/life balance for all stakeholders in our programs: 1. Establish concrete benchmarks for workload 2. Target workload through faculty development 3. Reflect regularly on workload as part of short- and longterm assessment The stressors that faculty, students, and administrators have faced during the pandemic are myriad. Although there is no solution to eliminate all of these burdens, we are working to adopt an “ethic of care,” which means we focus on what’s under our control programmatically. And we can push back against unnecessary and traumatizing budget conversations. People’s emotions and material conditions matter a lot. Sometimes, doing more with less is as simple as actually asking for less.

Keywords

Workload; Ethic of care; Faculty development; Assessment

Disciplines

Arts and Humanities | Liberal Studies


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