Your Career: How to build a better meeting

It is possible to keep meetings from being dull, fruitless, and contentious. ADVERTISEMENT [Your Career Logo]( You can also [read this newsletter on the web](. Or, if you no longer want to receive this newsletter, [unsubscribe](. It is possible to keep meetings from being dull, fruitless, and contentious No doubt you’ve seen the “that could have been an email” meme, or maybe even sent it to colleagues after an especially unproductive session. Since you do not want anyone to feel that way about a meeting you’ve organized, think about its purpose before sending invitations. Think hard about what you are hoping to accomplish and whether bringing people together — physically or virtually — is the only or best way to achieve the results you seek. Don’t hold a meeting every first Tuesday at 3 p.m., simply because your department has always held a meeting every first Tuesday at 3 p.m. Schedule one only when you are clear on its purpose and convinced that a meeting is the superior path toward your desired goals. What might those goals be? While meetings serve many functions, attendees consider the most successful meetings to be those in which they learned something new, made progress in moving their work forward through coordination, or increased their understanding of and commitment to shared goals. For detailed advice, continue reading our guide on: “[How to Run a Good Meeting]( by Allison M. Vaillancourt Share your suggestions for the newsletter with Denise Magner, an editor at The Chronicle, at denise.magner@chronicle.com. Subscribe to The Chronicle Enjoying the newsletter? [Subscribe today]( for unlimited access to essential news, analysis, and advice. Professional Development Programs Our professional-development programs are designed to combine critical information from The Chronicle's journalism with practical skill-building workshops, seminars, and tools that will help you succeed in higher ed. We partner with leading experts and experienced practitioners to provide robust programs tailored to the evolving needs of professionals navigating an ever-changing academic landscape. [Learn more]( about our upcoming programs and reach out to workshops@chronicle.com with any questions. LATEST CAREER ADVICE, OPINION, AND NEWS ADVICE [10 Lessons From Leading a Study-Abroad Trip]( By Aimee Weinstein [STORY IMAGE]( A faculty member explores the ups and downs of traveling overseas with students for a course. THE REVIEW | ESSAY [Life as a Disposable Academic]( By Jamie Bolker [STORY IMAGE]( When my college closed, I lost my tenure-track job. Then my life fell apart. THE REVIEW | FORUM [The College Presidency Is Broken. Here’s How to Fix It.]( [STORY IMAGE]( 13 leaders on the challenges of the role, and the opportunities worth pursuing. TUSSLE OVER TEACHING [How a Rejected Course on the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict Rattled a Department]( By Amanda Friedman [STORY IMAGE]( Michel DeGraff, a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, believes his proposed seminar was rejected because of his pro-Palestinian views. His department says otherwise. SHIFTING RHETORIC [A Student Group’s Endorsement of Violence Splits Columbia’s Faculty]( By Kate Hidalgo Bellows and Jasper Smith [STORY IMAGE]( Faculty members at Columbia University say they disagree with a pro-Palestinian student group’s recent endorsement of violence, but some support the group’s right to express that sentiment. NEWLY UPDATED [Tracking Higher Ed’s Dismantling of DEI]( By Erin Gretzinger, Maggie Hicks, Christa Dutton, and Jasper Smith [STORY IMAGE]( We’ve documented actions taken on dozens of campuses to alter or eliminate jobs, offices, hiring practices, and programs amid mounting political pressure to end identity-conscious recruitment and retention of minority staff and students. From the Chronicle Store [Overcoming Student Loneliness - The Chronicle Store]( [Overcoming Student Loneliness]( Students are especially vulnerable to loneliness, which can be difficult to measure and hard to combat. [Order this report]( for expert insights to foster stronger social connections on your campus. What we’re reading Here’s more on career issues and trends from around the web. See something we should include? [Let me know](mailto:denise.magner@chronicle.com?subject=Your Career feedback). - The latest [Work Friend]( column in The New York Times offers advice on getting the boss to notice you and on calling out bullies. - A [report]( in The Wall Street Journal predicts that “health costs and flat raises are set to squeeze” American paychecks. - In the Harvard Business Review, the [four “interview red flags”]( that hiring managers say “concern them most. MORE CAREER RESOURCES [Clear Pathways: From College to Career]( [STORY IMAGE]( UPCOMING: October 31, 2024 | 2 p.m. E.T. In this virtual forum The Chronicle will host a discussion about how colleges and employers can work together to match the right talent with the right opportunities in high-tech manufacturing and beyond. With Support From Ascendium. [Register now.]( COLLEGE MATTERS FROM THE CHRONICLE [Ben Sasse’s $38K Sushi Bill]( By Jack Stripling [STORY IMAGE]( As president of the U. of Florida, Ben Sasse, a former U.S. senator, steered millions of dollars toward consultants and hired his Republican allies to serve in lucrative jobs. And he threw some expensive parties. THE REVIEW | ESSAY [Is Your College About to Close?]( By Robert Kelchen [STORY IMAGE]( Here are the telltale signs of financial distress. [Professional-Development Programs]( [STORY IMAGE]( Visit The Chronicle’s professional-development resources page to stay up-to-date on our career advancement workshop opportunities for higher-ed professionals. Job Opportunities [Search thousands]( of faculty, administrative, and executive job openings and [upload your resume]( to be searchable by employers! [Senior Counselor/Psychologist in Weigel Health Center]( Buffalo State, State University of New York [Seeking the 19th President of Clarkson Since the Institution's Founding in 1896]( Clarkson University [Tenure-line Faculty Position in Sport Law & Sport Public Policy (Open Rank)]( University of Michigan-Ann Arbor: School of Kinesiology [Tenure-line Faculty Position in Sport Economics Finance and/or Analytics (Open Rank)]( University of Michigan-Ann Arbor: School of Kinesiology [Operations and Supply Chain Management Faculty Position Assistant Professor]( Darla Moore School of Business, University of South Carolina [Economics Assistant Professor (2 openings)]( St. Lawrence University [Associate Dean, Student Affairs and Enrollment Management-Associate Professor/Full Professor Tenured]( The University of Alabama Career Resources [Perfecting the Application] [Read the October collection]( for advice on perfecting the application. 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