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Life in academia is hard. Let's make it easier, together.

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Registration closed

REGISTRATION HAS CLOSED
FOR THE FALL 2024 SESSION

To be considered for late registration, email drew@nodramaturg.com.
If you would like to be notified of future sessions, consider subscribing to my newsletter!

The STANDOUT Professor Confab fall 2024

— September 3rd through November 1st —

The STANDOUT Professor Confab is a new offering designed to enhance productivity and wellbeing for academic researchers, from postdocs to senior scholars. Whether you’re struggling to carve out time for solo projects, feeling isolated in your department, or seeking tools to enhance your career and life, we hope you’ll consider participating and inviting others to join you.

The STANDOUT Professor Confab
provides critical support, structure, and community through:

Focused work sessions every Monday through Thursday for enhanced accountability and productivity

Informal virtual gatherings of researchers at similar career stages for camaraderie and encouragement

Workshops for continued professional and personal development

FOCUSED WORK SESSIONS

These drop-in sessions are for focused, independent work. Sessions take place twice a day, Monday through Thursday. The detailed program schedule can be found below. You are invited to attend as many sessions as you wish.

We begin each focused work session by greeting one another and sharing goals. Participants then work independently on projects that require concentration, with a quick progress check at the halfway point, and time for celebrating our accomplishments at the end. 

You are encouraged to stay for back-to-back sessions when available if you’d prefer 2-hour stretches of deep work.

INFORMAL GROUP MEETINGS

Ample research documents the importance of social support, yet many of us feel isolated within the academic environment. These informal conversations are designed to reduce that sense of isolation by coming together to share ideas and encouragement. Participants share possible topics or questions for discussion in advance of each meeting, and everything shared during these sessions is confidential. 

Meetings take place monthly in small groups assigned according to career stage and preferred timing. The detailed program schedule can be found below.

WORKSHOPS

Workshops take place once a month and provide opportunities for learning and positive interaction.

The September workshop will focus on setting goals for the coming months. The topic for the October workshop will be determined based on input from participants.

The detailed program schedule can be found below.

SCHEDULE

Select your time zone

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Focused work sessions

Every Monday from 9-10 am and noon-1 pm ET

Every Tuesday from 4-5 pm and 5-6 pm ET

Every Wednesday from 1-2 pm and 2-3 pm ET

Every Thursday from 1-2 pm and 2-3 pm ET


Monthly informal group sessions

Participants will select first and second choices from the time slots below for a monthly session with a small group of colleagues at a similar career stage:

 

  • Tuesdays from 2:30-3:30 pm ET

  • Wednesdays from 3:30-4:30 pm ET

  • Fridays from 9:30-10:30 am ET

  • Fridays from 11 am–noon ET

  • Fridays from 12:30-1:30 pm ET

  • Fridays from 2-3 pm ET

  • Fridays from 3:30-4:30 pm ET


Workshops

Friday 9/6 at 12:30-1:30 pm ET: Goal-setting workshop

Friday 10/4 at 12:30-1:30 pm ET: Second workshop (topic TBD with input from participants)

Focused work sessions

Every Monday from 8-9 am and 11 am-noon CT

Every Tuesday from 3-4 pm and 4-5 pm CT

Every Wednesday from noon-1 pm and 1-2 pm CT

Every Thursday from noon-1 pm and 1-2 pm CT


Monthly informal group sessions

Participants will select first and second choices from the time slots below for a monthly session with a small group of colleagues at a similar career stage:

 

  • Tuesdays from 1:30-2:30 pm CT

  • Wednesdays from 2:30-3:30 pm CT

  • Fridays from 8:30-9:30 am CT

  • Fridays from 10-11 am CT

  • Fridays from 11:30 am-12:30 pm CT

  • Fridays from 1-2 pm CT

  • Fridays from 2:30-3:30 pm CT


Workshops

Friday 9/6 at 11:30 am-12:30 pm CT: Goal-setting workshop

Friday 10/4 at 11:30 am-12:30 pm CT: Second workshop (topic TBD with input from participants)

Focused work sessions

Every Monday from 7-8 am and 10-11 am MT

Every Tuesday from 2-3 pm and 3-4 pm MT

Every Wednesday from 11 am-noon and noon-1 pm MT

Every Thursday from 11 am-noon and noon-1 pm MT


Monthly informal group sessions

Participants will select first and second choices from the time slots below for a monthly session with a small group of colleagues at a similar career stage:

 

  • Tuesdays from 12:30-1:30 pm MT

  • Wednesdays from 1:30-2:30 pm MT

  • Fridays from 7:30-8:30 am MT

  • Fridays from 9-10 am MT

  • Fridays from 10:30-11:30 am MT

  • Fridays from noon-1 pm MT

  • Fridays from 1:30-2:30 pm MT


Workshops

Friday 9/6 at 10:30-11:30 am MT: Goal-setting workshop

Friday 10/4 at 10:30-11:30 am MT: Second workshop (topic TBD with input from participants)

Focused work sessions

Every Monday from 6-7 am and 9-10 am PT

Every Tuesday from 1-2 pm and 2-3 pm PT

Every Wednesday from 10-11 am and 11 am-noon PT

Every Thursday from 10-11 am and 11 am-noon PT


Monthly informal group sessions

Participants will select first and second choices from the time slots below for a monthly session with a small group of colleagues at a similar career stage:

 

  • Tuesdays from 11:30 am-12:30 pm PT

  • Wednesdays from 12:30-1:30 pm PT

  • Fridays from 6:30-7:30 am PT

  • Fridays from 8-9 am PT

  • Fridays from 9:30-10:30 am PT

  • Fridays from 11 am-noon PT

  • Fridays from 12:30-1:30 pm PT


Workshops

Friday 9/6 at 9:30-10:30 am PT: Goal-setting workshop

Friday 10/4 at 9:30-10:30 am PT: Second workshop (topic TBD with input from participants)

.

 Who runs the sessions? 

The STANDOUT Professor Confab was developed by Elizabeth Odders-White, a former academic researcher and leader and current professional coach. Informal group meetings and workshops will be facilitated by Elizabeth. Some focused work sessions will be run by Elizabeth, and others will be run by STANDOUT Professor staff.

 How much does the STANDOUT Professor Confab cost? 

The fee for the program is $129.

Registration closes on Tuesday, August 27th, at 5 pm ET or as soon as all available slots are filled.

A limited number of partial scholarships are available. Please contact drew@nodramaturg.com for more information.

 What will I gain from participating? 

Here’s how scholars responded to the question, What did you gain from participating in the STANDOUT Professor Confab pilot?

Got a lot more work done than I would have on my own. Learned from others on issues that they are facing that are similar to my own. Networking and building connections with other junior scholars. I feel like I could reach out to several people that I met through the program for advice, a listening ear, etc.”

“I was more productive writing with the group than writing by myself. Knowing that others have (similar) challenges, the informal groups also made me feel less lonely and isolated.”

“Having hope that cordial interaction with other academics is possible.”

“It helped me schedule out time to work on writing and research. It also gave me a group of colleagues that aren't at my school that I began to get to know. These folks are going through similar issues, questions, and concerns and it was nice to get to know them through this process.”

“The focused work sessions were particularly useful. It served as a good self-enforcement mechanism and actually helped me stay focused over those periods. I also found the slides for the workshop to be helpful even though I couldn't join the session.”

“Great to see challenges other professionals are facing in their career [and] learn how others handle them.”

“Participating in the pilot program allowed me to clock-in more time dedicated to my research. I have struggled with accountability, and the program helped with that.”

Colleagues! Insight into how others are approaching common challenges.”

Please email drew@nodramaturg.com with any questions. We can't wait to see you!

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