SUPPORTING WORK-FAMILY BALANCE
WE HEAR, WE SPEAK
"We Speak, We Hear” learning community
Rationale:
International faculty are the spreadhead of internationalization, and the numbers of international faculty are usually considered a key marker of internationalization by the global rankings, and by ministries and other policymakers within countries (Altbach & Yudkevich, 2017). Therefore, international faculty who bring diversity, new perspectives, and skills to universities have become an important part of today’s global academic environment. Specifically, this faculty group often brings international consciousness and content into higher education, and thus establishes a diverse atmosphere across campuses (Huang et al., 2019). International faculty additionally bring new perspectives to research, teaching, and service to universities. They are usually the heart of international efforts for cross-cultural collaboration, global partnerships, and exchange programs, as well as international resources and funding opportunities. Yet, international faculty have to face various challenges. For instance, they often devote the same account of time to teaching compared to native-born faculty, while they generate fewer student contact and classroom credit hours (Mamiseishvili, 2011). They are often less involved in the administration and governing of the institution as native-born faculty, and they are less likely to be in leadership positions (Mamiseishvili & Rosser, 2008). As international women faculty, we additionally have to face unique challenges related to work-life balance, motherhood experiences, and the negotiation process (Babcock & Laschever, 2009). Finding solutions and seeking sufficient support is significant to both our mental and physical health.
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Who we are?
WSWH is an online learning community established for international women faculty at East Carolina University (ECU) as a venue to share stories and seek strategies to balance work and family. It is expected that this project will be expanded by supporting women faculty across racial/ethnic groups at ECU and other institutions in the future.
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What do we do?
1) WHWS collects and shares necessary resources regarding work-family balance within the learning community.
2) WHWS hosts regular online webinars by inviting senior international women faculty at ECU to share their strategies toward work-family balance.
3) WHWS invites members to share stories, difficulties, and/or need support towards work-family balance through Podcasts and the online discussion forum.