Balance. A simple word, yet, a challenge to achieve. Intervention to help members in academia to achieve work-life balance started in the 1990’s by the College and University Work/Family Association (CUWFA) and is still being implemented today. Career-life balance is an integral piece in one’s life; without balance, it can offset various factors, including, but not limited to: stress levels, work productivity, attentiveness, and level of happiness. How can one manage everything when called from all ends? Can an equilibrium exist? What are some successful and effective strategies for acquiring and maintaining work-life balance? “Celebrating Life!” serves to share real firsthand experiences of members within the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) community on their approach for achieving career-life balance.
We hope that Celebrate Life! would bring light to others through showing successful stories of people who have demonstrated career-life balance. Sharing firsthand experiences is an excellent way of learning where we gain knowledge and insight on effective approaches for balancing career and life. Career-life balance is an important topic that is currently spreading across various institutions. In 2012, First Lady Michelle Obama and NSF Director Dr. Subra Suresh launched the National Science Foundation’s Career-Life Balance Initiative to address family-friendly practices. At UMBC, we are currently implementing the Career-Life Balance Initiative, which will raise awareness of career-life balance for faculty, staff, postdoctoral fellows, and graduate students.
Through the Celebrate Life! section of our Career-Life Balance Initiative, we hope to provide a central learning place for the public to view. If you are a member of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) community and would like to share your story, we are open to submissions of your own experience of balancing career and life. Please share with us your story and an accompanying photo (if applicable) of how you demonstrated career-life balance by clicking the link below. We respect each person’s story as each scenario and approach may be different. It is through viewing each person’s approach that we gain knowledge and insight on effective ways for balancing career and life. Through submitting your story, it will be an indication that you are giving us permission to share your story and accompanying photograph to the public for educational purposes. For any questions or concerns, please email us at promisestaff@gmail.com. We will respond as promptly as possible.
Picture Credit: Marlayna Demond
Picture Details: Amanda Knapp, Ph.D., Assistant Vice Provost, Academic Standards and Policy Administration, who was featured on the magazine cover of American Motorcylist. She is an example of the UMBC community who demonstrates career-life balance.