Two weeks ago, the Center for Faculty Excellence and Teaching Innovation hosted our first ever professional development retreat for lecturers. Approximately 40 faculty participated in a half-day event focused on how to leverage insights from the Course Equity Portal for equitable teaching and assessment practices. While the retreat was rooted in SJSU’s commitment to student success, one of the best outcomes was the community building that took place. Because so many folks paused their regular plans to be fully present at the event, we co-created a space where cross-campus connections could bloom. It felt downright luxurious to have a solid block of time to engage in self-reflection, learn from each other, and exchange ideas.

The experience I had at the retreat has me reflecting on the difference between finding time and making time. Often, I have heard myself sighing, “I need to find time to read that book,” or complaining to a colleague, “Ugh, I just haven’t found time to work on my writing!” The reality is that it’s nearly impossible to “find time” for anything, because each day slips away so easily. For example, I learned early on in my faculty career that teaching-related tasks would take up as much time as I allowed, to the point of taking over the blocks set aside for my RSCA endeavors. When we seek to “find time,” we may as well be searching for the mythical pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. It’s not out there, waiting patiently for us to discover it.

By contrast, when I “make time,” I can reclaim my sense of agency, purpose, and commitment. I have been inspired to make more time throughout the day for the people, projects, and pleasures that are important to me. Now, to be real, making time also entails making tough choices about what gets done and what gets delegated, delayed, or even deleted. For instance, making time to start reading the book that’s been sitting on my desk means not spending my lunch hour scrolling through news and social media apps. Likewise, making time to work on my writing probably means that I have to stay off email for an hour, even though seeing so many unread emails makes me break into a cold sweat! But it feels good to make choices aligned with my values and priorities, rather than let the day do what it will with me.

I encourage you to join me in releasing the expectation that we will “find time,” and instead make time for what matters to you. Imagine how it might feel to make time to message a friend you’ve been missing, take a self-compassion break, or just step away from your computer to stretch and get some fresh air. Even these small steps can model this mindset for our students and colleagues. Now, more than ever, we each deserve to make time for the connection, creativity, and well-being that can lead to greater fulfillment in the day-to-day.

Sincerely,
Magdalena L. Barrera
Vice Provost for Faculty Success

Canvas Pages offer a way for a variety of instructional materials to get organized. This might begin with adding short informational text and expand to longer formatted paragraph text. The rich content editor within the Page offers ways to customize the text, for example by using headings, subheadings, and bulleted lists. Also, within a Page, images and diagrams can get included. When adding visual elements, it is important to add either alternative or descriptive text that provides additional details. In addition, Panopto recordings can get embedded into a Page, allowing students to seamlessly view media and move through related content. 

Professors, welcome back! Find all your classroom technology resources for a smooth semester on the SJSU IT IMS website. You'll find info on supported classrooms, troubleshooting tips, equipment features, and classroom instructions. If your room isn't listed, contact your department technician for support. Take a moment to identify the technology in your classrooms and reserve any needed adapters or additional equipment through our Equipment Loaning Service – all you need is your SJSU ID. Familiarize yourself with your device and its connection options to avoid technology delays. As always, we're here to help! Visit SJSU IT IMS at IRC 112, call us at (408) 924-2867, or email Classroom Support. For the SJSU IT Service Desk, call (408) 924-1530 or go online.

Let's kick off a successful semester! For non-IT issues in your classrooms, contact your department/college staff for department/college managed classrooms and laboratories. For non-IT issues in the University Lecture Rooms, contact Academic Scheduling & Space Management  by emailing the AAD Classroom Group  to report any missing furniture or issues. Furniture should not be removed or added from University Lecture Rooms.