Spring Symposium on Career Flexibility

Debra Walker King, Associate Provost, Faculty Development

In February, the Office for Faculty Development is hosting a symposium as part of the Provost’s Diversity Speakers Series called “Traditional and Non-Traditional Work-Life Challenges: A Conversation about Career Flexibility.” As part of this one-time symposium, our office will be hosting a “Career Flexibility Spectrum Luncheon” especially for you. Luncheon attendees will have the opportunity to participate in an open discussion, as well as interact with others at the table as to what career flexibility means to their college/department. This a chance for you to meet with representatives from other colleges around campus to discover where you and they fall on the Career Flexibility Spectrum while brainstorming how to improve climate, perceptions and activities pertaining to career flexibility issues.

The luncheon will be led by Bob Drago from Penn State University and Ellen Galinsky from the Families and Work Institute. Bob Drago is the author of Striking A Balance: Work, Life, Family. Thanks to funding by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, Bob has done extensive research on work habits of parents, work flexibility, policies for working families and much more. Ellen Galinsky is the president and co-founder of the Families and Work Institute. In addition to authoring more than 35 books and reports, Ms. Galinsky also oversees several studies and projects at the Institute, including the Alfred P. Sloan Academy Awards for Faculty Career Flexibility.

The symposium and luncheon will take place on February 19, 2008. The luncheon will be held in the Reitz Union Rion Ballroom A from 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. Please contact Alison Hightower, Coordinator of Public Functions, at 392-4835 or email her at ahightower@aa.ufl.edu if you wish to attend this luncheon. I look forward to seeing your there.