UTSA provides support for work-life balance in academia

Sept. 25, 2019 -- As part of the university’s initiative on Research Excellence, UTSA is providing professional research support and resources to faculty. In 2018 the Office of the Vice President for Research, Economic Development and Knowledge Enterprise sought membership in the National Center for Faculty Development & Diversity, an organization dedicated to facilitating academic growth for faculty in all stages of their careers.

As of August, UTSA is supporting five faculty members’ participation in the NCFDD’s signature Faculty Success Program. It is a guided work-life balance program for faculty that is focused on increasing research productivity. For the next four months the cohort members will work independently but meet regularly with their assigned mentors and small groups.

The UTSA faculty cohort members are:

• M. Sidury Christiansen, assistant professor, bicultural-bilingual studies, whose research focuses on sociolinguistics, digital literacy and language use, transnational bilinguals, ESL composition, and language ideologies and identities.
• Maria Veronica Elias, assistant professor, public administration and policy, whose research focuses on public administration theory and epistemology, public organization theory, community organizing and civic engagement.
• Anne Hardgrove, associate professor, history, whose research focuses on South Asia, cultural and social history, and world history.
• Catherine Nolan-Ferrell, associate professor, history, whose research focuses on the Mexico-Guatemala border, human rights and forced migration in the 20th century.
• Crystal Webster, assistant professor, history, whose research focuses on 19th century African American women and children’s history.

Participants attend weekly webinars, learn to set achievable professional and personal goals, and commit to a daily writing practice designed to advance their publication profile. Designed for tenure-track and tenured faculty, this program features online and in-person communities for resources and support with weekly training sessions, a productivity tracker, and master coaching sessions for individual support.

“Like many associate professors, we get pulled into multiple teaching and service projects. For me, it became challenging to maintain my research and writing with program development in Latin American studies and building COLFA’s summer study abroad program to Oaxaca, Mexico. I am thrilled to be able to participate in the FSP, which provides in-depth coaching on balancing a vibrant research/writing agenda, teaching and other professional goals with a healthy personal and family life,” explained Nolan-Ferrell.

Over 85% of prior participants have reported improved writing productivity and a better work-life balance after completing the program. Each UTSA participant has committed to submitting a proposal for funding or a peer-reviewed publication within one year of completion of the program and to share their lessons learned with their faculty peers and postdoctoral scholars.

⇒ UTSA faculty are encouraged to create a free NCFDD account.

FSP is just one program offered to UTSA faculty. NCFDD membership also provides access to resources for all UTSA faculty, postdoctoral scholars and graduate students. Resources include an online core curriculum, access to writing groups and various webinars led by guest experts. Faculty and grad students can participate in writing challenges and dissertation success curriculum. The goal of NCFDD is to increase faculty research productivity, while being able to live a full and healthy life beyond campus.

— Sarah Hada

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