Super September 24
A word from Cofounder and Chair Sharon Lloyd
“Summer vacation is over. We have all had time away in the sun, or rain if like many of us you decided to have a staycation. Either way we will be stepping back on to campus with a renewed focus.”
September is here to remind us that we have things to do and plans to make, and unlike the resolutions made on January 1st, a new academic year is an opportunity to make positive changes that affect others as well as ourselves.
“If my career in Higher Education has taught me anything, it is that a new academic year brings opportunities, and a workplace focus that is centred on we rather than I.”
Both these calendar markers come after times where we may have over indulged on holidays and our minds begin to turn to making more positive choices. The turn of the season into autumn can make us think of a fresh start in the same way that a new year can. The lazy days of summer are over and it’s time to refocus our energy in the workplace.
However, unlike the start of January, everybody is likely to be available in the workplace to put things into action straight away. There’s much less pressure than at new year and people are more likely to have time to help you stick to your goals rather than pursuing their own
The start of September is built into our minds as the start of a new school year – a fresh beginning, often in a new environment. This pre-conditioning can be turned to your advantage when it comes to goal setting.
So how can we grasp the opportunity to start the academic year with a new positive mind set? Let’s discover new goals together that fit perfectly alongside a new academic year. Here are my aims…
“So how can we grasp the opportunity to start the academic year with a new positive mind set? Let’s discover new goals together that fit perfectly alongside a new academic year. Here are my aims…”
1. Decolonised teaching goals
A new intake of students presents opportunities to create new teaching goals for the year. Whether we have been teaching for many years or are just starting out in the profession, there is always room to develop our technique and bring in a new approach. Let’s discuss teaching ideas with colleagues and try to set goals to inspire our students (even more!) this year.
2. Career Goals
If we’ve been considering trying for promotion, a new academic year represents a great opportunity to show we are ready for more responsibility. This could be the perfect time to put ourselves forward – could we volunteer for academic committees or approach senior faculty staff to ask for a mentor? Can we suggest a new research project? Propose a paper for a conference?
3. Expand our FACE network
Setting a goal to make new connections within FACE can be a great way to create career opportunities, and a new academic year can be the perfect opportunity to meet new people – accept invitations to participate in one of our talks, attend the summit, or volunteer to sit on a FACE committee.
4. Build in race equity mindfulness
The start of a new term can be incredibly busy, and it is easy to become bogged down in the day to day challenges without leaving room for our own goals. Try to find a few minutes each day to simply focus on what you hoped to achieve in the year. Even a five minute break can be sufficient to help reframe your focus – if we use it wisely.
5. Create a positive working environment
Creating a fresh working environment can help us to gain a new sense of focus – take the opportunity to declutter from last year. In the famous words of William Morris: “Have nothing… that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.”
Let’s make the most of this annual opportunity to refocus and start our new academic year with a fresh and optimistic approach – who knows where we will be by January 1st?