WHAT FACULTY MEMBERS ARE SAYING ABOUT FSP

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"I just wanted to thank you for bringing together such an amazing group of women! I have learned so much from this group. I've often felt isolated (either in my department or at my institution) but in this group I've been able to connect with other women who faced the same things. We've connected at a very deep level. The things that people have vocalized are issues that I felt inside but never really felt like there was the appropriate time or space to have these kinds of conversations so I'm really grateful for this space. I also love how the scheduling, organizing, and accountability have allowed me to identify what motivates me. And the accountability from this program has also made me accountable in other areas of my life."
Assistant Professor, Research Intensive University

"When I think about what I've gained from this program, it's this idea of forming habits and gaining concrete skills. It's kinda crazy but the habits that I have learned from this whole experience are the most steady and stable habits that I have. The most notable, concrete, and consistent habits I have are sitting down with myself, having the Sunday meeting, planning, trying to show up for writing every day, and making sure I have accountability. And what I know is that it's a lifestyle. I'm most thankful that my 1st year in academia was not a miserable experience but a very pleasant, peaceful, and controlled experience. And it has absolutely and everything to do with learning some very proactive skills and life balance from this whole model that Kerry Ann has put together."
Assistant Professor, Research Intensive University

"For so long, I felt guilty about not getting everything done that I wanted to do. This program has helped me respond to the guilt in a proactive way by saying: 'Here's the plan. Here's what I intend to do. Here's what can be realistically done within this time period.' So when I'm finished, I get a treat. The mere fact that guilt no longer plagues me like an albatross has made the program worth the cost. Thank you Kerry Ann, I'm so grateful."
Assistant Professor, Research Intensive University

"I learned how to do work more efficiently... I feel like, now, because of the strategies I've learned, I have my weekends back! And I feel my life is richer because of that."
Assistant Professor, Research Intensive University

"This program is so amazing! It changes people's lives. I wish when I was a graduate student, I had learned these skills. I really, really appreciate you coming up with this wonderful program that helps us to be better with ourselves and our families. I really appreciate it."
Assistant Professor, Research Intensive University

"Creating a semester plan and having the Sunday meetings have been extremely helpful for me. I learned the skill of developing a very reasonable plan and I was very proud of myself at the end of the semester. I was very pleased. I learned how to teach more efficiently and I also learned how to better balance my work and family. I was able to take weekends off and really enjoy it. In previous semesters, when I took some time off, I felt very guilty and I wasn't able to really enjoy it. But now, given that I am able to finish lots of the writing and research goals each week, I can relax and really enjoy the moment."
Assistant Professor, Research Intensive University

"I've learned that every project needs a detailed plan. Plotting out my semester, plotting out my week or even my day, and then plotting out all the little stuff that I have to do in order to reach my goal...just being that detail-oriented and then having the courage to put whatever goals (or hopes) I have down on paper and trying to meet them. It's still a challenge for me but I feel like I've gained more confidence and by putting it all on paper, I'm starting to put my dreams and my goals into action."
Assistant Professor, Research Intensive University

"This program is the first time I actually put myself out there by talking to people who I normally would not talk to, like some mentors and even people who I've never met. That's something I always wanted to do but never really had the courage to do. And I just felt that working with this supportive community, I was able to do that."
Assistant Professor, Research Intensive University

"I learned that when you take the time to make a semester plan, it trickles through the entire semester. And what was the most eye opening for me was mapping what I said I was going do onto my calendar and having to find a specific day and time to do it. Then I could say "no" to things, because there was no place to put anything else on my calendar with all that I already had there."
Associate Professor, Research Intensive University

"I always thought that by going to school and getting the doctorate was a subversive act. You know, I came in, I didn't get close to people, I just took my classes and went back to the community. But here I am on the tenure-track and I'm just so thankful for this group. It's been very empowering to see and talk to sisters that have the same kind of views. There are some really good people in the Academy! This group has allowed me to find the space and read words that were very similar to mine, I appreciate that. I see now that I don't have to sell my soul to get tenure. I'm truly grateful."
Assistant Professor, Research Intensive University

"Tracking time has been just very eye opening for me. When we had to track everything we did for a whole week and see how much that matched our goals and our tenure and promotion. I saw how out of line my time was with my goals. It was a paradigm shift to think about dividing up my 40-hour week based on my tenure and promotion criteria. First of all, the whole idea of a 40-hour workweek alone was a paradigm shift but then also thinking X percentage of my time goes to service, and X percentage of my time goes to teaching was very helpful. But the most empowering thing for me was the lowering standards in non-critical areas -- I've completely embraced it."
Assistant Professor, Research Intensive University

"I learned that I have to have support. I can't do this by myself. I have to build this support. That's definitely something I learned about myself. The skill I've learned is how to put the planning pieces together. I was good at figuring out how long tasks take but I only planned out maybe 2 weeks at a time. That was all I could sort of take in terms of the stress of it. But the longer term planning, combined with my ability to sort of know how long things take, has definitely been a godsend. Even when my life feels like it's spinning out of control, I know that at any point, I can pick up and make a plan that will keep me pretty much on target and help me meet my goals."
Assistant Professor, Liberal Arts College

"One of the things that I appreciated about the group was that other people were actually interested in balance. I'm usually the odd person out on [wanting work-life balance] or people think that I'm crazy for even being interested in something other than work, so it has been really affirming to hear about other people taking yoga, having date-nights with their significant others, hanging out with their girl friends... You know, having a life!"
Assistant Professor, Liberal Arts College

"I appreciate learning how to treat myself. Because I felt like I was treating myself before but I didn't see it as a treat. I saw it as an escape. Now it feels like I've earned it and so I should enjoy life in the little moments that I'm not working, you know."
Assistant Professor, Research Intensive University

"One thing I learned that I think is very important is how to take care of ourselves, including taking care of our physical body and increasing our own power instead of always putting others before ourselves. Thank you so much."
Assistant Professor, Research Intensive University

"It's been really rewarding to make very detail-oriented goals and plans to accomplish them. I also really appreciate being able to kind of look at my work log over a semester I feel like... "Go! You are really doing so much more than just writing a dissertation." So that's been really rewarding. Where I would normally beat myself up, now I feel like, 'Oh my God, look at how much you've gotten done!' And I can speak that because I've recorded that history."
Doctoral Student, Research Intensive University

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