In many college towns, a diaspora occurs in April. As students leave, the faculty scatter. Some take holidays, some start summer fellowships, & some work on papers from further away.
What goes unnoticed is a rump of faculty whose schedules don't change - they keep working from home or the office.
I tend to be in the office.
I was recently asked why?
The answer is pretty simple - I have a kid in school.
Even though my #universitystudents have left campus, my #highschoolstudent goes to campus every day.
Even during breaks, I get up at 6, make breakfast, drop the kid at school, and go to work. At three or so, I try to wrap things up, head home, check-in on homework, make dinner, & unwind ... then at nine or so, I sit back at my computer & try to make up for my truncated workday.
The next day, I repeat.
Some years, I've been lucky. A grandparent will stay with my kid & I've been able to take a summer #fellowship - with the then little one & now teen joining me a few weeks later.
Fundamentally though, the differences in Summer possibilities have made me appreciate, as a #singleparent & caregiver, that academe is not the same job for every faculty member.
Faculty with caregiving, esp. primary, responsibilities face a different set of pressures & constraints than faculty without.
And while I do not think that the standards for performance should differ, I think that faculty need to become more aware of the differences.
So what should we all be attentive to?
First, caregiving responsibilities do not fluctuate. Responsibility for a child or an aging parent does not go away.
For #faculty who are not in that position, be aware that your colleagues don't get breaks in the same way you do.
Second, as you schedule meetings, the better or worse times for faculty who are caregivers generally do not change.
When you ask for meetings, be attentive to that fact.
It is challenging for caregivers to say no, but you can help them by not asking for meetings early or late in the day.
Third, class breaks do not translate to more time for caregivers.
Many caregivers use breaks to catch up on #research & #coursepreps - activities that non-caregivers attend to during the academic year.
We do so while caring for our kids & loved ones without the stable support structure of #schools, for example.
If you #collaborate with a caregiver, don't expect them to be more available, stick to the agreed-upon schedule.
Fourth, academic life does not cut #caregivers a break. Caregivers & non-caregivers have the same pressure to perform.
Given that the performance bar is the same, that does not mean we can't give each other a break.
Accommodate each other's schedules. Support each other. Sort out your colleagues' strengths. Play to them.
I hope that with more awareness, we can construct a more flexible, supportive #academiclife for everyone.
I hope everyone has a great #summer!
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/jason-thatcher-0329764_universitystudents-highschoolstudent-fellowship-activity-6936796367713423360-M-20?utm_source=linkedin_share&utm_medium=member_desktop_web
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