When Taking on Extra Work in Higher Education Makes Sense (And When It Doesn’t)
Imagine this: Your department chair asks if you’d be willing to lead a new curriculum development committee. Or perhaps a colleague suddenly leaves, and your supervisor “volunteers” you to temporarily manage their advising caseload. In higher education, opportunities—or obligations—to take on additional responsibilities often arise without immediate financial rewards or title changes. While saying “yes” might feel like the path of least resistance, it’s worth pausing to ask: When does extra work align with long-term goals, and when does it risk exploitation or burnout?
Why Faculty and Staff Say Yes to Uncompensated Labor
The decision to accept extra tasks in academia is rarely straightforward. For many, it stems from a mix of institutional loyalty, passion for their field, and the unspoken pressure to prove their value. A 2022 survey by the American Association of University Professors found that 68% of faculty reported taking on unpaid administrative roles to “stay competitive” for future promotions. Others cite personal motivations, such as wanting to shape student success initiatives or build interdisciplinary collaborations.
However, systemic issues also play a role. Contingent faculty—who make up over 50% of teaching staff at many institutions—often feel compelled to accept additional duties to secure contract renewals. As one adjunct instructor shared anonymously: “I’ve mentored students and served on committees for years, hoping it’ll lead to a permanent position. So far, it hasn’t.”
The Hidden Benefits of Strategic “Yeses”
While financial compensation matters, some unpaid responsibilities can yield intangible rewards that advance careers:
1. Skill Diversification: Designing a new course or managing a grant project might develop competencies in budgeting, leadership, or data analysis—skills that aren’t always cultivated in traditional teaching or research roles.
2. Visibility and Networking: Chairing a university-wide task force or presenting at faculty senate meetings raises your profile among decision-makers, potentially opening doors to funded opportunities later.
3. Reputation Building: Consistently contributing to campus initiatives can position you as a collaborative team player, which matters during tenure reviews or leadership searches.
Dr. Elena Martinez, a tenured biology professor, credits her unpaid role coordinating a STEM outreach program for high school students with helping her secure a later NSF grant. “That experience showed funders I could manage community partnerships,” she explains.
The Risks of Overcommitting
Not all extra work is created equal. Tasks that lack clear alignment with professional goals or institutional priorities can become time sinks. Common pitfalls include:
– Mission Creep: Agreeing to “small favors” that snowball into ongoing obligations (e.g., managing a colleague’s research lab indefinitely).
– Emotional Labor: Roles involving student crises or contentious committee debates may drain energy without providing adequate support.
– Delayed Recognition: Some institutions habitually rely on certain individuals for unpaid labor without ever formalizing their contributions.
A 2023 Chronicle of Higher Education article highlighted cases where staff members handling dual roles for years saw external hires brought in for the very positions they’d been performing informally—often at higher salaries.
How to Evaluate Opportunities Wisely
Before accepting new responsibilities, ask:
1. Does this align with my long-term goals? If you aim to move into academic leadership, chairing a governance committee makes sense. If you’re focused on research, perhaps not.
2. What’s the exit strategy? Clarify whether the role is temporary (“We need coverage for one semester”) or open-ended.
3. Can I negotiate non-monetary benefits? Request conference funding, reduced teaching load, or public acknowledgment of your contributions.
4. Am I setting a sustainable precedent? Regularly taking on unpaid work can normalize inequitable labor practices across the institution.
For contingent faculty or staff, transparency is key. One career advisor recommends phrasing requests like: “I’m excited to contribute to this initiative. Given my current contract terms, how might this experience be documented to support my professional growth?”
When Pushing Back Is Necessary
There are times when declining extra work protects both your well-being and professional integrity. Signs it’s time to say no:
– The task falls far outside your expertise or job description.
– You’re already stretched thin, and adding more would compromise existing responsibilities.
– The request reflects a pattern of inequitable workload distribution (e.g., women and minorities being asked to handle diversity-related labor disproportionately).
If saying no feels politically risky, try framing it collaboratively: “I’d love to help, but to do this effectively, I’d need [specific resource or timeline adjustment].”
Rethinking Institutional Responsibility
While individual boundary-setting matters, systemic change is equally critical. Forward-thinking universities are addressing workload equity by:
– Creating transparent processes for assigning and compensating extra duties.
– Offering professional development credits for service work.
– Including unpaid contributions in formal performance evaluations.
As higher education grapples with funding challenges and evolving workforce expectations, redefining what “going above and beyond” means—and how it’s valued—remains an urgent conversation.
Final Thoughts
In an ideal world, every contribution in academia would be recognized and rewarded appropriately. Until then, faculty and staff must weigh each opportunity against their career trajectories, personal limits, and the broader cultural messages their choices send. Sometimes, an unpaid role today plants seeds for tomorrow’s growth. Other times, protecting your time and energy becomes an act of professional self-respect. The key lies in discerning the difference—and advocating for structures that ensure fairness for all.
Please indicate: Thinking In Educating » When Taking on Extra Work in Higher Education Makes Sense (And When It Doesn’t)