Workshop Descriptions

Professors’ teaching and service commitments come with urgent deadlines, but there are few short-term deadlines for writing and research. With a full load of other responsibilities and a variety of writing challenges that may arise even when time is available, maintaining a steady pattern of productive writing can be difficult for even the most motivated writers. In this workshop professors will learn habits and structures that are the foundation of a generative writing practice.

As academics progress in their careers, demands on their time increase. This interactive workshop teaches professors how to manage their busy schedules to achieve their most important goals. Attendees learn to: set physical and technological boundaries to create oases of time; say no frequently and with gusto; teach with integrity and limits; demote email from Ruler of Your Life to Undersecretary for Communications, negotiate for resources to free up time, and delegate like crazy.

People with a dual focus on work and family are less stressed and more successful than those whose primary focus is on just work, or just family. Work/Life balance workshops teach the successful strategies these dual focused people use to achieve balance, and participants engage in related exercises to improve their own balance. This workshop is relevant to singles as well for as for those with spouses and children.

Promotion gives professors a stronger voice in their disciplines, departments, and the university. However, mid-career faculty members often find it challenging to move quickly and maintain strong momentum on their next major project. Obstacles to overcome include increased service obligations, difficulty finding colleagues with whom to discuss their experiences, and for some, promotion guidelines that are not clearly defined.
In this interactive workshop, mid-level professors will make a plan for promotion that includes both concrete publication goals and building systems of accountability and support to stay on track.

The most successful researchers benefit from a robust network of real-world connections in a variety of arenas. Advantages include opportunities for fruitful collaboration, access to information, both social and instrumental support, and the ability to build a national and international reputation. For academics to whom networking comes easily, this workshop will provide additional tips and strategies, and for those who are “schmooze–adverse,” the workshop will identify methods to build connections in ways that suit one’s personality and style.

I will design a fun, customized networking event for your organization or professional society meeting. Whether in industry or academia, networking is an essential component of professional success. However, being thrown into a room with a bunch of strangers and expected to interact is not everyone’s idea of a good time. This structured activity is comfortable for everyone, whether introverted or outgoing, since it allows participants to interact without the burden of figuring out what to discuss or when to end the conversation. Rena will also share networking tips that participants can try out following the facilitated program.

Summer writing retreats intersperse short workshop segments with longer periods of quiet time for individual writing. The workshop segments cover material on creating a productive writing practice and time management. The two-day retreat adds content on dealing with difficult co-authors, responding to daunting revise and resubmits, and managing negative cognitions during writing sessions. During the quiet individual writing periods, participants can also sign-up for one-on-one consultations with Rena to discuss personal writing goals and challenges.

Medical school teaching takes place in a range of environments including traditional classrooms and labs, and also involves supervision of individuals and teams in both hospital and clinic settings. This session reviews best practices from the science of teaching and learning and provides opportunities for attendees to share their own experiences and best practices.

Positive Organizational Scholarship focuses on how to transform normal organizations into exceptionally high performers. In this interactive workshop Rena will share relevant research and engage us in activities to consider how we can put ideas into practice to increase the engagement and performance of our work teams.

Although leadership can be conferred through titles and roles, it is incumbent upon leaders to claim their authority. Even without official titles, those who speak and act powerfully can have great influence. Awareness of patterns of speech and the use of voice are tools that can be employed to build and maintain a powerful and respected presence in interactions with colleagues, administrators, and staff. This interactive workshop includes findings by researchers who study issues of gender and language and provides participants the opportunity to practice speaking with greater authority.

Women tend to ask for less than their male counterparts and the consequence of this difference is a serious disadvantage over the course of a female academic’s career. Program participants learn to think more expansively about what can be requested and they practice the strategies used by the most successful negotiators. Since women who negotiate assertively risk being seen as less likable, this workshop also offers techniques to mitigate the bias against female negotiators.

Some mentoring relationships are enriching for both members of the duo, and others seem to fall flat, despite the best of intentions. This interactive workshop will explore how coaching tools can be employed in the mentoring relationship to create a more dynamic experience.