Five Things I Wish I Knew My First Semester
My first semester as a faculty member taught me something I wish I had understood on day one: most of the stress did not come
Peter Szawranskyj
July 20, 2026
A FREE PUBLICATION FROM THE TEACHING PROFESSOR
faculty workload
Designing Sustainable Academic Workflows: AI as a Reflective Partner in Faculty Practice
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
Crystal Donlan, MEd, DEd(c)
June 8, 2026
Cloning Myself with AI: Four Ways to Multiply Faculty Presence for Graduate and Adult Learners
Have you ever wished you could clone yourself? I have. For many faculty in graduate and adult education that longing is more than a passing thought. Balancing the
Sherrie Myers Bartell, PhD
March 25, 2026
Why (and How) Teachers Should Use Generative AI in the Classroom
Through tools like ChatGPT, AI has become a household buzzword. But its usage continues to lag among educators. There are various reasons for this: lack of awareness,
Dr. Peter Zhang, PharmD, MBA, and Dr. Nidhi Sachdeva, MA, PhD
March 4, 2026
Half of Faculty Say Their Job is More Difficult Today than Five Years Ago
If you find yourself working longer hours or maybe feeling a bit more stressed at the end of the day, you’re not alone. Fifty percent of college faculty who completed the annual Faculty Focus reader survey said that their job is more difficult than it was five years ago. Only nine percent said their job is less difficult, while 33 percent said it’s about the same.
Mary Bart
June 24, 2013
Tips for Online Instructors: Managing Files, Feedback, and Workload
Teaching online is a rewarding experience; but any instructor who makes the transition to online education, thinking it will be easier and less time-consuming than face-to-face classroom teaching, is in for a big surprise! Establishing a regular presence in the online classroom, grading assignments and discussions, and maintaining records and notes from term to term are all time consuming – but essential – tasks. Learning to take care of the details of online teaching more efficiently makes it possible to be more effective in your teaching. The following is an abbreviated version of guidance I provide to new instructors about ways to keep their course files organized, students engaged, and workload manageable.
Eileen F. Schiffer, PhD
February 4, 2013
Tips from the Pros: Reducing Instructor Workload in Discussion Forums
Keith Restine, associate director of distance education, and Allison Peterson, senior instructional designer, both at Texas Woman’s University, offer the following tips for reducing instructor
Rob Kelly
June 14, 2012
Group Work, Discussion Strategies to Manage Online Instructor Workload
Shrinking budgets and increasing enrollments are putting online instructors in the position of teaching larger classes. Accommodating more students means rethinking how you teach your courses. Otherwise your workload can quickly become overwhelming.
Rob Kelly
June 7, 2012
Five Things that Will Ease the Transition from Faculty to Department Chair
Inadequate preparation, unrealistic expectations, and increased workload can be overwhelming for faculty members making the transition to department chair. Brenda Coppard, chair of occupational therapy
Rob Kelly
March 24, 2009
How to Create Appropriate Online Faculty Incentive Policies
Has the rapid expansion of online education put your institution on a collision course with faculty incentive policies? Although more and more faculty are teaching online, few colleges and universities are proactively addressing faculty workload, promotion, and tenure policies to more accurately reflect the differences between teaching online and teaching face-to-face.
Mary Bart
December 22, 2008
