We were enjoying our empty nest. After many years teaching math in high school and technical college, I accepted a full-time university position in 2019. I got to know students and peers in class and around campus. Little did we know what 2020 held in store. The pandemic came and affected all of us. Then […]
They aren’t very big. But students like them. Each year the School of Nursing sponsors a “Destress Fest” before final exams. Some students take the handouts about stress-reducing strategies, but all of them seem to gravitate to stickers. A Resurgence There is a resurgence of interest in stickers — they end up on Macbooks, Hydro […]
Please join me in considering a hypothetical situation: let’s imagine you are back in your fourth year as a tenure-track Assistant Professor. Your career is going exceedingly well. You’ve been publishing well, the teaching is coming along surprisingly well, and you have been welcomed into a team of three senior professors with whom you will […]
During the COVID lockdown of 2020, I joined a Faculty Commons online book group for women. We gathered from across the U.S., and even as far away as Florence, Italy, to read and discuss Sent by Heather and Ashley Holleman. What began as a simple book discussion grew into something deeper: fellowship, spiritual sharpening, and friendships. We […]
I’ve never understood why we call him “Doubting Thomas,” when “Reasonable Thomas” feels like a much better description. The story that birthed his nickname is in John 20:24-29, shortly after the risen Jesus first appeared to the disciples gathered in the upper room. Thomas is not in the room when this unprecedented encounter with Jesus […]
What does one do on a Saturday in the dead of winter in snowy Michigan? Yes, I know. Not many options. I decided to join a half-day Zoom call to participate virtually in an A Common Call conference sponsored by Faculty Commons. I didn’t expect my decision that February of 2021 would lead to so […]
When I earned my terminal degree, I envisioned returning to my Christian alma mater to spend my career in faith-based education. That was the plan—or so I thought. After a few years in Christian higher education, I felt an unmistakable nudge from God, not just calling me away, but pushing me out of that familiar […]
The Apostle Paul’s words can be easier to plaster across a motivational poster than apply to one’s professional life. Consider: “When I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Cor 12:10b). Asked to report improvement for a performance evaluation, we hesitate to confess our limitations. Forced to admit a shortcoming, we apply spin, reinventing faults as […]
As many of us can attest, being faculty in higher education often comes with an unusual level of fervor for gaining knowledge. We were the ones in primary and secondary school that actually looked forward to the first day of school. The schedule and routine, learning new things, performing well: these are things we thrived […]
In May of 2025, I was stunned to receive an email from my university’s human resources department informing me that I was at risk of being laid off. Even though I knew that my institution was facing some tough financial challenges, I hadn’t really expected to face layoffs (or what we British term “redundancy”) myself. […]
