Time Management for Faculty

I had the opportunity to join a Faculty Lunch & Learn yesterday out of our Center For Faculty Development. The topic was "If I'd know then what I know now" and faculty shared their ideas and best practices for preparing for tenure that I wanted to share. I thought this was good timing, as we approach the end of the year, and some of you may be looking to incorporate better time management practices in the new year.


Be mindful
One of the key messages yesterday was to be mindful of what works for you.  It was interesting listening to the diversity of practices discussed. One person would say that they had to have their research time scheduled on their calendar, and the next person said they felt too confined when they had to work within parameters that they set for themselves. Thus, before you take on any new strategies, it's important to consider your own needs and your own style. How do you work best? When do you work most effectively? What environment do you prefer for your work? etc.

Have a system
An article in The Chronicle of Higher Education last week was authored by a tenured faculty member who was in a rather unique position of having gone through tenure twice (he was tenured at one institution and then took an Assistant Professorship at another institution). He contrasts his disorganization when going for tenure the first time with the system he set up the second time. In the latter, he used Evernote and other technology to really streamline his process. The key point in this article is that whether you are tech-savvy or prefer using your scheduling book, develop and stick to a system of organization that works for you.

Front-loading teaching
One idea shared at yesterday's lunch was that of front-loading your teaching. One tenured faculty member mentioned that when it came time for her to write her book, she worked with her Chair and Dean to teach all of her courses (four) in the Fall and then to have the Spring to focus on her book. Another newly tenured faculty member did something similar but taught most courses in the Fall and only one in the Spring.

Block 40% of your work time for research
One thing we notice in our office is that oftentimes new faculty put their research on the back burner for their first semester teaching as they develop their new courses and get into the teaching groove. The problem comes when faculty are slow to move their research back to the front burner quick enough. One faculty member mentioned that because she knew that 40% of her time was supposed to be dedicated to her research, she would block two days a week on her calendar to focus solely on her research. In this way, she made sure that it didn't fall to the wayside.

Some of these ideas, I hadn't heard before yesterday, but I thought they were creative solutions to time management. Going back to being mindful, some of these strategies may work for some faculty members, but not others. But, as we near the end of the year, it's important to step back and make sure that you're setting yourself up to accomplish your goals.

Resources
How Tech Tools Can Help Professors Prepare Their Tenure Portfolios - The Chronicle of Higher Ed