Section Editor: Elaina Behounek
For this edition of the “Ask a Senior Colleague,” I asked how people balance work and home life.
Please find a helpful link, responses from senior colleagues, and a list of relevant ASC panels and sessions at the upcoming meeting.
Response One: Calendars, time, and energy management are critical. Every task should appear in your calendar, so you know exactly what will get done when. Know and pay attention to what matters. Schedule self-care and family responsibilities first. Self-care includes sufficient sleep, at least 7 and preferably 8 hours each night. At work, track your time and schedule according to how you are evaluated. If research and publications are 40% of your evaluation, then 40% of your time at work should be devoted to research, that is 16 hours in a 40-hour work week. Say no to service that is a time suck. Yes, it’s hard to do but it gets easier with practice; practice it! Schedule your time so that when you are asked to do something, look at your calendar and identify the exact day/time you will do that work. If you are already booked, what will you give up to do what they want you to do? Write out a list of your research and teaching responsibilities so you are aware of your existing commitments. Shut your door and don’t answer it when you’re working. A person who knocks on a closed door at work has already shown you that they don’t respect you or your time; don’t reward them by opening it, don’t confirm to them that you and your time are not worthy of respect. Get back up when you fall because you will fall. Treat your work as a practice that if you keep doing it will get better. Know your values, whatever they are, and live your life and balance your responsibilities accordingly. For me, people and relationships are what really matters, followed by meaningful work, and fun and joy at every moment possible. Know that you can’t make everyone like you or make them happy so let go of the need to be perfect. Do your best and do it with kindness and love. We only get one shot at life, at least only one at a time, and it goes by incredibly fast. Figure out what you want your life to look like and treat that vision as a newborn that requires your focused attention and nurturing so that you can put as much of it into being as possible. Laugh. Cry. Love.
Response Two: Early on in my career, it felt like because I did not have children that I was expected to do more on behalf of those that do. That and I struggle with generalized anxiety and the shame of having this mental illness made me work even harder so people would not notice. But now, I protect my outside of work time more fiercely. I have gotten really good at saying No. And when meetings or anything takes longer than what was scheduled, I rarely stay. In fact, I usually schedule plans for right after meetings to make sure that I leave.
Given that I teach courses that are very sensitive and draining, I am now trying to practice what I teach. I teach about self care such as proper sleep, healthy diet, exercise, and engaging in activities that are fulfilling. Now I do take time off, and I engage in lots of self care activities. Dancing, running, yoga, the weekly trivia night with friends. This restructuring of my life took place after my first ever sabbatical, when I realized that before I took the sabbatical I was going through a burn out. I even had considered leaving academia, because I was just so drained.
Response Three: I can remember when I asked a bunch of DWC professors how they manage work/life balance at a dinner at ASC many years ago. They all laughed in my face, which was a bit sad. The degree to which you will have work-life balance at U.S. universities is limited due to the broadly exploitative working conditions for academics under late capitalism and the often intentionally precarious employment statuses held by women at universities. This is magnified for those of us who teach about issues that should not be but still are controversial like racism, sexism, and violence against women. Women’s job insecurity is increasingly under attack as universities move to scholarly metrics and grant income as indications of performance rather than quality of work or engagement with actual social problems. Like teaching evaluations, these measures magnify cultural and social biases against women and racialized minority academics and repackage them as merit.
Self-care and preservation is essential for women in criminology. My personal rules include: not working nights and weekends and saying no to things you don’t really want to do to make that possible. While lots of our stress is created by our workplaces, lots of it is also self-imposed when we take on large projects that are outside our areas of interest or too much work that doesn’t fulfill our core job duties.
I recommend Kerry Ann Rockquemore’s blog posts on Inside HigherEd the http://www.insidehighered.com/users/kerry-ann-rockquemore and her book with Tracey Laszloffy.
Response Four: The art of a graceful “no” on both the work and home front. Don’t underestimate the time demand – we always short ourselves “it won’t take that long.” Let good be good enough, perfect is the enemy of productivity
Response Five: I must say that I have not solved the life/work balance. It’s different for everyone, of course, but my only course of action was to work, work, work until I reached my current status. Fortunately, my partner is also an academic, so we both knew the score.
Questions about the work/life balance were unheard of earlier in my career. I only heard this phrase when millennials hit the scene and looked for a different way of doing things. Under my department’s current leadership, a couple of the younger people have achieved life/work balance by becoming particularly friendly with her and getting a pass on publishing standards :).
Response Six: I often wonder if there is a balance between home and work. There are times that home issues take a priority, and times when work takes a priority. If your HOA is complaining about your yard needing work, ya gotta deal with that or risk a fine. When the Dean needs your assessment outcomes by Friday, better get that done. Whenever each priority is raised, the other drops. Such a back-and-forth can make us feel that we are dropping the ball and can’t find any balance in our lives.
I wonder how much the concern over home/work balance is based on our expectation that there is such a balance. You know, the role of the media helping to construct what “should be,” some kind of idealized lifestyle. On the other hand, maybe you have a colleague that appears to have such a balance and makes us look at our lives negatively. As a result, we may feel inadequate because our life is harried. Concern over balance in one’s life might be tied to Imposter Syndrome too. Many of us are in unique positions in academia surrounded by people at the top of their craft/art/science – and feeling that we “can’t handle it,” may be rooted in similar ideas that we don’t belong – which is untrue, but the feeling persists. This is probably more visible for junior faculty working toward tenure and promotion – but it’s NOT exclusive to junior faculty. The perception is that the risks are high if you don’t get it all done, get it all done right, and get it all done NOW!
The reality is that each of us has life happening. For example, this past semester I was sitting on a committee to select students to award scholarships. Each student was interviewed, and they were asked to explain some research idea. One student spoke about how suicide had affected their life – then a member of the committee stated that they too had dealt with it, then ALL of the committee members stated that they had as well. It got a bit emotional, but I was surprised that these people that I had worked with for almost a decade, and think highly of, had dealt with some of the same things as I. They all seemed to be breezing through the academic life while I feel that I am often behind. Did they really have balance? Do I? Through it all, we all have to deal with – not balance – life. Accepting this might help.
Some things I have learned that might help, especially for junior faculty. First, plan as much as possible – including set times to research/write. Whether you are a morning person or night owl, set time aside to focus on that – it’s too easy to take a nap, work on the assessment for your class, etc. unless you have it scheduled. Don’t go crazy with planning six hours a day to write – it isn’t going happen. Here you need to know yourself; do you write better at home, the office, the coffee shop, or the library. It’s been said before, schedule at least one hour, in your prime time, each day to write. While you’re at it, do the same for responding to student emails, even coffee breaks.
Second, try to get into a rhythm with your days. Arrive at work about the same time, mow the grass each Saturday, prep for class on Sundays, etc. One you set up the habit of needs at home and work, it will be easier. You may be able to see when you can devote more time to home or work. However, issues pop up and you can adjust – for example if there is a college function you “must” attend on Saturday, mow on Friday evening. That rhythm can help with #3 …
Third, avoid thinking that you are “out of balance,” we all are, but think how you can ride the waves with less stress. Don’t stress over things you can’t control. If the Dean needs that report on Friday and it’s not done, ask if you can get it to her/him on Monday … I suspect she/he won’t be reading it over the weekend anyway, right?
Fourth, adding children into the mix. Poster project due tomorrow but hasn’t been started and you need gold glitter – not the silver you have from the last project, need a red shirt for “red shirt day” at school tomorrow, band recital this evening, classroom volunteer for snacks, child’s friends coming over, sleepovers, and child is sick and can’t go to school/daycare. All of these, and more, are out of your control. Yes, you can plan many of them – assuming your child tells you about them or actually gives you the flyer sent home with her/him. Many you cannot. As a parent/caregiver you will have those surprise late nights helping to make a diorama of the solar system – but know that it will get done. My department has a history of stepping in to cover a class, watch a sick child for a couple hours/etc. in such situations; perhaps your institution might do this too.
ASC SESSIONS OF RELEVANCE
Roundtable: PhD Mama: Balancing Motherhood and the Academy
Fri, Nov 16, 9:30 to 10:50am, Marriott, Area 9, Skyline Level
Session Submission Type: Roundtable Session
Abstract
This session focuses on the challenges and strategies on balancing a family within the academy. How do you negotiate maternity leave? What issues do you face in balancing the demands of workload and parenting? How do you balance your identity and the role of motherhood while maintaining your academic self? Each of the panelists became mothers during different stages of our academic careers and will share the challenges we’ve faced as we’ve balanced our roles of motherhood and family within our research and teaching demands
Roundtable: Techniques for a Healthy Work/Life Balance
Wed, Nov 14, 5:00 to 6:20pm, Marriott, Area 5, Skyline Level
Session Submission Type: Roundtable Session
Abstract
Balancing work and life is often difficult for academics, due to the open-ended nature of academic work and the lack of a bounded working day. Trying to juggle multiple priorities as a faculty member, including teaching, research, and both professional and community service, as well as commitments to family, friends, and of course one’s self, can be extremely challenging. In light of power dynamics and inequality in academia, this roundtable will focus on the importance of creating balance, the challenges faculty face today, and strategies and skills for developing and maintaining a work-life balance. This workshop is sponsored by Division on Women and Crime’s Committee on Teaching and Pedagogy.
Professional Development “Navigating the Search for Work/Family Balance”
Wed, Nov 14, 3:30 to 4:50pm, Marriott, L507, Lobby Level
Session Submission Type: Professional Development Panel
Abstract
This panel will focus on providing students with strategies for balancing “academic” life with life outside of the university—partners/children, friends, non-academic activities, etc.
Roundtable: Strategies for Balancing Research and a 4/4 Teaching Load
Thu, Nov 15, 3:30 to 4:50pm, Marriott, Area 8, Skyline Level
Session Submission Type: Roundtable Session
Abstract
Tenured and tenure-track professors at teaching universities are required to balance a high teaching load with time-consuming service requirements and expectations regarding scholarly productivity. While teaching remains the primary consideration for tenure and promotion, universities are increasingly requiring tenure-track professors to demonstrate scholarly output each year. This roundtable will discuss strategies by which professors with a 4/4 teaching load can also maintain an active research agenda. Topics will include peer collaboration, undergraduate research projects as part of independent studies, community-based research, and service-learning opportunities.
Workshop: Balancing Act: Successfully Managing Research Partnerships and Academic Careers (Organized by The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA))
Tue, Nov 13, 1:00 to 5:00pm, Marriott, M104, Marquis Level
Session Submission Type: Workshop
Abstract
The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), through the Innovations Suite, is increasingly providing funding for researcher-practitioner partnerships throughout the criminal justice system. The Innovations Suite promotes “research-informed practice” as well as “practice-informed research.” These partnerships offer significant opportunities for innovative research while at the same time providing opportunities for researchers to contribute to public safety, system effectiveness and efficiency, and fairness. These partnerships, though rewarding, can also generate challenges for academics navigating University promotion and tenure processes.
This workshop is intended to support scholars interested in pursuing researcher-practitioner partnerships. The workshop will cover the Innovations Suite model and concepts of action research, problem solving, and the ingredients of successful researcher-practitioner partnerships. Discussion will include the roles of research including problem analysis, evidence-based and evidence-informed practice, implementation and sustainment, ongoing assessment and feedback, and evaluation. Consideration will include methodological issues as well as the balance between basic research, applied research, and evaluation. Additionally, the workshop will consider these issues in light of the demands of faculty career paths with suggestions for successfully managing and navigating the partnerships as well as career success.