Staying Alive

Like other learned professions, academia offers a model career that promises a fulfilling life. This “organizing fiction,” begins with graduate school and proceeds through temporary and tenure-track jobs to the watershed of the tenure review, and thence to tenure, promotion, and retirement with honors. While some careers do unfold along this path, many others diverge to a greater or lesser degree, yet all provide some measure of success or failure, fulfillment or betrayal, along with the challenge of living a balanced life and maintaining healthy relationships. 

This workshop explores how to live an emotionally, ethically, and spiritually authentic life in academia. Much quiet desperation can arise from neglecting one or more of the key factors that are always in play.  We will examine the person, the profession, and the institution as they operate across the phases of an academic career.  Yoga provides metaphors of balance correlated with ancient and modern views of adult development.  Convener presentations alternate with writing prompts, sharing, and discussion by participants to assemble a tool box of strategies for staying alive at every stage: apprentice, warrior, settler/householder and elder.

This workshop is adaptable to a variety of formats ranging from a 90-minute presentation to half- or full-day workshops and faculty retreats.  Developed in collaboration with Mark Long (Keene State College) and the ASLE Mentoring Program. For ongoing information and ideas see our Staying Alive Blog.  

Recently offered at:

University of Nevada, Reno  NV
Wofford College, Spartanburg SC
University of Victoria, BC
Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley MA
University of Cincinnati, OH
Christopher Newport University, Newport News VA