Faculty Focus

I’m an educational leadership adjunct professor, and many of my students are working professionals. They come to class after full workdays, often in evening or weekend sections, and I do not take that sacrifice lightly. When attendance slips, it is easy for instructors to frame it as a commitment problem. I do not. I see it as a reality problem, shaped by time, energy, and competing demands.  Students can access course content from almost anywhere, and many have learned to

The transition into higher education can feel deceptively unstructured. After 22 years in K–12 education, I found myself with more autonomy than ever—but far less clarity on how to measure progress. Some days ended with only a few sentences written and a lingering question: Did I actually accomplish anything today?  Over time, I developed some practical systems that helped me regain focus, build momentum, and feel successful on a daily basis. Three strategies, in part

The education landscape is undergoing profound transformation as artificial intelligence (AI) tools are becoming more accessible and powerful. The days of paying someone to write an essay and paying subscriptions for homework answer websites are behind us. ChatGPT, Copilot, and other AI tools are free and far more flexible to solve nearly any question a student could ask. This evolving aspect of pedagogy has been previously explored. Uysalel demonstrates how AI-driven interactions can enhance st

Faculty across higher education increasingly recognize the value of integrating the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into their courses. What stops many is the belief that SDG integration requires major curriculum redesign or specialist sustainability expertise. In reality, meaningful integration can be simple, practical, and fully aligned with established teaching approaches such as active learning, reflective practice, and Competency-Based Education (CBE).  In my

Every educator, whether in a physical classroom or online environment, has faced the uncomfortable reality of encountering difficult students. The term “difficult” can feel heavy, but in truth, most students don’t set out to cause disruption. Instead, challenges often emerge when students bring mismatched communication habits or expectations into the learning space. By reframing how we view these students and implementing effective strategies, we can transform tensi

The purpose of this article is to discuss our observations and insights into the challenges many doctoral learners face in writing their dissertations. In more than 30 combined years of mentoring doctoral learners, teaching content courses and chairing dissertation committees, we have experienced that doctoral learners seem to lack the basic skills to craft their dissertations. We refer to this as writing critically. In this article, we present a

The purpose of this article is to discuss our observations and insights into the challenges many doctoral learners face in writing their dissertations. In more than 30 combined years of mentoring doctoral learners, teaching content courses and chairing dissertation committees, we have experienced that doctoral learners seem to lack the basic skills to craft their dissertations. We refer to this as writing critically. In this article, we present a

Higher education faculty are increasingly asked to design learning environments that support not only academic achievement but also belonging, engagement, and student well-being. One instructional lever that directly influences these outcomes is how intentionally instructors structure collaboration. When cooperative learning and experiential activities are paired with strong pedagogical content knowledge (PCK), they can transform classroom culture and foster psychological safety (Hartmuth e

The contemporary faculty workload is both visible and invisible. Visible are the courses, the syllabi, the scheduled advising hours, and the committee meetings. Invisible are the hours of discussion facilitation, emotional labor in student emails, feedback that stretches late into the evening, and the cognitive fragmentation caused by digital availability. In online teaching environments especially, work expands quietly and persistently. There is always another post to read, anoth

The contemporary faculty workload is both visible and invisible. Visible are the courses, the syllabi, the scheduled advising hours, and the committee meetings. Invisible are the hours of discussion facilitation, emotional labor in student emails, feedback that stretches late into the evening, and the cognitive fragmentation caused by digital availability. In online teaching environments especially, work expands quietly and persistently. There is always another post to read, anoth

If you’re teaching in STEM, you probably love your discipline. Teachers want others to experience the joy we have experienced as you marvel at the world through our discipline. Unfortunately, this isn’t always what happens. It’s not fun to stare out at a sea of laptops and blank faces and ask yourselves why all your skill and passion are seemingly falling on deaf ears. Student motivatio

If you’re teaching in STEM, you probably love your discipline. Teachers want others to experience the joy we have experienced as you marvel at the world through our discipline. Unfortunately, this isn’t always what happens. It’s not fun to stare out at a sea of laptops and blank faces and ask yourselves why all your skill and passion are seemingly falling on deaf ears. Student motivatio

Multipurpose tools, especially the Swiss Army knife, have sustained their popularity over the years, namely for their size and versatility. Snag a fingernail? Got broccoli in your teeth? Screw came loose? Need to cut off a tag? With one tool, numerous problems can be solved.   As educators, we are subject to myriad situations in our courses that need a solution. For some, it’s the dreaded silence, where we expect vocal cont

Multipurpose tools, especially the Swiss Army knife, have sustained their popularity over the years, namely for their size and versatility. Snag a fingernail? Got broccoli in your teeth? Screw came loose? Need to cut off a tag? With one tool, numerous problems can be solved.   As educators, we are subject to myriad situations in our courses that need a solution. For some, it’s the dreaded silence, where we expect vocal cont

I’m going to be an adjunct for the first time at my graduate alma mater. Talk about pressure, anxiety, and a dash of imposter syndrome. Though all these emotions are normal, they tend to make the job more difficult. Ironically, we usually tend to think about all the negative possibilities when called for a great opportunity, instead of enjoying and wondering about the good this could bring for our growth.   “I can integrate this”, “I

Writing is the currency of higher education (Mazak, 2024) and is often a heavily weighted factor in the tenure process. And yet, the task of writing for publication is often not a top priority for faculty. Lack of time is the primary impediment, but confidence, affective, and physical barriers all stand in the way of getting started. In truth, writing is relegated to spare time that we never have. If a pocket of time becomes available, we have plenty of unfinished busine

Writing is the currency of higher education (Mazak, 2024) and is often a heavily weighted factor in the tenure process. And yet, the task of writing for publication is often not a top priority for faculty. Lack of time is the primary impediment, but confidence, affective, and physical barriers all stand in the way of getting started. In truth, writing is relegated to spare time that we never have. If a pocket of time becomes available, we have plenty of unfinished busine

In the era of digital education, faculty teaching online courses may find it difficult to establish meaningful connections with their students. As a faculty member who teaches primarily in-person undergraduate students, I spend lots of time curating my classes to encourage connections among my students. I encourage them to work collaboratively on projects and provide feedback to one another regularly. Students seem to respond well to these interactions and most

Graduate and professional students who aspire to academic careers often tell mentors that they are eager to teach but unsure how to gain experience or show it on a CV or dossier. Because TA opportunities vary across programs and budget cycles, departments and teaching centers can create equitable on-ramps by structuring small, credible experiences that convert directly into evidence. With a few coordinated practices, students can produce citable artifacts and gain&n

Graduate and professional students who aspire to academic careers often tell mentors that they are eager to teach but unsure how to gain experience or show it on a CV or dossier. Because TA opportunities vary across programs and budget cycles, departments and teaching centers can create equitable on-ramps by structuring small, credible experiences that convert directly into evidence. With a few coordinated practices, students can produce citable artifacts and gain&n