Unified Purpose: Navigating the Intersections of Teaching and Administration

As we embark on a new academic year, it’s a time for reflection and renewal. Our roles as educators, mentors, and leaders are more important than ever as we navigate the evolving landscape of higher education. In this newsletter, I want to share a personal story that speaks to the challenges and opportunities that come with balancing our professional identities—particularly as many of us find ourselves wearing multiple hats in our work. 

Who am I? This question has echoed in my mind as I transitioned from faculty member to administrator in January 2023. For 15 years, I identified as faculty—a teacher, a researcher, a mentor. Now, as an administrator, I find myself at a crossroads, caught between two worlds that often seem at odds with each other.

As a faculty member, my identity was clear: I was there to teach, to guide students, and to contribute to the academic community. But stepping into administration has brought a new perspective, one that sometimes conflicts with the values I held dear as faculty. The question is, can I be both, or must I choose one identity over the other?

As faculty, we often view administration with skepticism, sometimes even frustration, seeing it as a distant entity imposing rules and regulations. Now, as an administrator, I see the broader picture—the need for structure, the importance of policies that ensure fairness and consistency across the institution. Yet, the faculty member in me still feels that familiar restlessness, questioning whether these policies always serve the best interests of those in the classroom.

The guilt of not teaching students directly weighed heavily on me. Was I losing a part of myself? But then, during a conversation with a colleague and friend, it became clear—teaching doesn’t stop in the classroom. In my new role, I support faculty, guiding them in mentoring others, introducing innovative pedagogies, and fostering a sense of community. I am still a teacher, just in a different context.

Learning has always been my light in the darkness, a safe haven where I could find value and identity. As a young girl, forced to see and understand things far beyond her years, I was pushed to grow up too fast, developing the perspective of a cynic. But within the walls of classrooms, I discovered not just a sense of purpose, but also that there were people who believed in me. That light, that sense of hope, became my guiding force. It’s this same light that now guides me in my work with faculty, helping them to kindle that spark of purpose and learning in their own academic journeys.

Embracing this new identity doesn’t mean abandoning the old one. I am still Jessica, the teacher, the mentor, the learner. But I am also Jessica, the administrator, working to make a difference on a broader scale. For those who find themselves in a similar position, know that it’s possible to merge these identities and create something new—something that draws from all the experiences and roles you’ve had in life.

In higher education, the lines between faculty and administration are often seen as rigid. But perhaps it’s time we start seeing these roles not as opposites, but as complementary parts of a whole. By embracing all aspects of our professional identities, we can work together to create an environment that truly benefits our students, our institutions, and ourselves.

As we move forward together this semester, I hope this reflection resonates with you and serves as a reminder that our shared mission—to educate, inspire, and support our students—unites us, no matter the titles we hold. Let’s embrace the new year with a renewed sense of purpose and the understanding that we are all part of something greater, working collectively to foster growth, learning, and success within our community.

Wishing you an awesome semester,

Jessica