Faculty burnout isn’t just about grading and meetings—it’s the constant student demands, last-minute emails, and challenges to your authority that chip away at your energy. In this post, I share three syllabus boundaries that will protect your time, reduce unnecessary conflict, and model ways of working that you want your students to carry into their own careers. You’ll even get the exact language I use so you can easily set these boundaries with confidence this fall.
In Wednesday’s post, I shared how my alma mater, Smith College’s Mountain Day tradition inspired me to be more purposeful about incorporating intentional pauses into my course syllabi. I explained how I achieve this without compromising course learning outcomes or academic rigor.
My post struck a chord. Many of you replied to my email and social media posts echoing the call for more grace and space in our courses—sometimes for your students’ well-being, yes, but often for your own.
You told me about your versions of Mountain Day: a “shit happens” clause in your course syllabus, built-in research days, and other moments that offer breathing room in the middle of an otherwise relentless semester.
Today, I’m sharing three more energy-protective strategies, including the exact language you can drop into your syllabus this fall.
Photo by Artur Voznenko on Unsplash
Here are three boundaries you can set right now to protect your energy and model sustainable ways of working for your students.