I spend numerous hours each semester in class preparation developing pedagogical strategies for the 25 percent of the freshmen and sophomores enrolled in my courses who need additional motivation and academic/social support to be successful learners. My Philosophy 212 course is web enhanced and requires students to comment on unit readings and questions, as well as collaborate with one another. I review their online work two to three hours a week. I average three hours a day grading. I grade 60 to 75 papers each week and approximately 15 journals of three- to five- double-spaced typed pages every other week. On a given day, I spend one to two hours in conference with three to five students during my office hours or between classes. I spend between one and two hours a week in conversation with colleagues sharing research literature and best practices for the courses I teach. 

 

I spend approximately two hours a day responding to emails from students, colleagues, and university administrators. In addition to hours related to teaching, I prepare grant proposals and spend many hours addressing extracurricular activities. These include approximately five hours a semester attendance at university guest speakers and performing arts events which are sometimes a part of students’ course requirements. I also serve as a committee member for Black History Month and as Chair of our Annual Women’s History Month in March, both time consuming positions. I average five to eight hours a week as Faculty Advisor of National Council of Negro Women and on community service committees, serving as chair of Women’s and Gender Studies Program proposal, Faculty Assembly delegate, Faculty Assembly Governance Chair and following up with my own Faculty Senate.

 

I juggle in order to address the many day-to-day responsibilities that fill my typical day. Inevitably, that affects my overall ability to be effective, and it also affects my family and personal life. What motivates me at the moment is the validation from students through course evaluations that say that I am a change agent for them. But I am finding it more and more difficult to do so. My focused research time is regulated to the summer. That time is shortened by one session of summer school, if I make the choice to teach one summer session to subsidize my income for better retirement benefits. I hope my story will make a difference in addressing salary and workload issues for faculty with four-four teaching loads and a multitude of other responsibilities.