2025 has been a year of peak disruption for faculty in higher ed.

It’s not surprising, then, that this year has spurred some of you to begin to consider what a Plan B, Plan C, and Plan D could look like for you.

This episode is for those of you who are facing some pretty big decisions on the horizon—like whether to stay at your current institution, apply for jobs in different states, start a side hustle, or pivot out of higher ed completely.

In this 49th episode of the Rise with Clarity Podcast, I want to acknowledge this moment of frustration, uncertainty, and fear. But I’d like to suggest that this can also be a moment of possibility for you. And I want to share a few questions that may help you as you reflect on what your next steps may be.

You can find the full written transcript for this episode at RisewithClarity.com/49, along with additional resources connected to this particular episode as well as other resources for women of color faculty.

Dr. Katherine Lee is a Higher Ed Coach and Career Strategist and a former tenured professor at an R1 university. She helps women of color faculty to manage the tenure track, navigate politics, and take the next steps to advance their careers. To find more resources or to work with Katherine, check out her website at: Rise with Clarity.

Does your research stop after you’ve left academia? 

This is a question that I explore in the 48th episode of the Rise with Clarity Podcast. I offer some reflections on a few professional experiences that I've had this year as an author, a consultant, and as a speaker, and I think of the ways in which research has been embedded in these experiences even though I'm no longer in the academy.

You can find the full written transcript for this episode at RisewithClarity.com/48, along with all of my other podcast episodes and other helpful resources for women of color faculty in higher education.

Dr. Katherine Lee is a Higher Ed Coach and Career Strategist and a former tenured professor at an R1 university. She helps women of color faculty to manage the tenure track, navigate politics, and take the next steps to advance their careers. To find more resources or to work with Katherine, check out her website at: Rise with Clarity.

Prior to starting your first job, how many of you were trained to lead an effective graduate seminar? Was your first experience with facilitating a graduate seminar during your first year on the tenure track? And do you remember how that went?

In this encore broadcast of the Rise with Clarity Podcast, I’ll be talking about some of the challenges with leading graduate seminars for your first time. And I want to offer you some strategies on how to avoid over-preparing and stressing out about teaching your first graduate seminars.

Find the full transcript for this episode at RisewithClarity.com/47 or RisewithClarity.com/14 as well as other resources and links to other podcast episodes for women of color faculty in higher education.

Dr. Katherine Lee is a Higher Ed Coach and Career Strategist and a former tenured professor at an R1 university. She helps women of color faculty to manage the tenure track, navigate politics, and take the next steps to advance their careers. To find more resources or to work with Katherine, check out her website at: Rise with Clarity.

How many requests to review article or book manuscripts do you receive on a regular basis? 

And do you have a process for deciding what you’ll take on in a given semester or academic year?

In this 46th episode of the Rise with Clarity Podcast I want to talk a little bit about the pros and cons entailed in doing peer reviews. I hope that by addressing some of these dimensions that aren’t talked about so openly, you can start to make more informed and strategic decisions about whether or not you’ll accept a peer review request that comes your way.

You can find the full written transcript at RisewithClarity.com/46, along with all of my other podcast episodes and other helpful resources for women of color faculty in higher education.

Dr. Katherine Lee is a Higher Ed Coach and Career Strategist and a former tenured professor at an R1 university. She helps women of color faculty to manage the tenure track, navigate politics, and take the next steps to advance their careers. To find more resources or to work with Katherine, check out her website at: Rise with Clarity.

What are your values when it comes to AI? And following up on that question, what are your pedagogical values when it comes to AI usage in the classroom?

If you’re confused about how to navigate this new reality, it’s completely understandable! It’s also reasonable if you are feeling conflicted about whether you are even Team AI or not.

In this 45th episode of the Rise with Clarity Podcast, I share 10 reflective questions that can help you to better assess what your pedagogical values are when it comes to AI. 

I also point you in the direction of some books, podcasts, and articles that can help you to clarify where you stand in terms of AI in general. 

Find the full written transcript for this episode at RisewithClarity.com/45, along with all of my other podcast episodes and other resources for women of color faculty in higher education.

Dr. Katherine Lee is a Higher Ed Coach and Career Strategist and a former tenured professor at an R1 university. She helps women of color faculty to manage the tenure track, navigate politics, and take the next steps to advance their careers. To find more resources or to work with Katherine, check out her website at: Rise with Clarity.

In this encore broadcast, I discuss the topic of amplifying the academic achievements of women of color faculty. I reflect on how it can sometimes be very challenging for women of color faculty to promote their own achievements. Lastly, I offer 6 tips on how to better ensure your academic accomplishments are acknowledged, documented, and amplified.  

Find the full transcript for this episode at RisewithClarity.com/44 or RisewithClarity.com/13.

Dr. Katherine Lee is a Higher Ed Coach and Career Strategist and a former tenured professor at an R1 university. She helps women of color faculty to manage the tenure track, navigate politics, and take the next steps to advance their careers. To find more resources or to work with Katherine, check out her website at: Rise with Clarity.

Professors: What lights you up in your job?

If you need to think about your response to this question, I invite you to linger a bit here. Because I think it’s important for you to have some clarity on this as you move forward in your academic career—whether you’re just starting out as a new professor or you’re well beyond tenure. 

In this 43rd episode of the Rise with Clarity Podcast, I reflect on how being more  strategic and intentional about how you approach your faculty duties can be beneficial for you. 

You can find the full written transcript at RisewithClarity.com/43, along with all of my other podcast episodes and other resources for women of color faculty in higher education.

Dr. Katherine Lee is a Higher Ed Coach and Career Strategist and a former tenured professor at an R1 university. She helps women of color faculty to manage the tenure track, navigate politics, and take the next steps to advance their careers. To find more resources or to work with Katherine, check out her website at: Rise with Clarity.

Conceptualizing and developing a course syllabus may be daunting if this is a first-time experience for you. You might feel compelled to devote the entire summer to crafting your syllabi.

In this 42nd episode of the Rise with Clarity Podcast, which is a re-release of Episode 24, I share 6 tips on course and syllabus prep for those of you who are new to teaching. But I also bring into this discussion some newer concerns about how certain AI tools have already been integrated into aspects of teaching and learning on college campuses, often with limited oversight.

Find the full transcript for this episode at RisewithClarity.com/42 along with all of my other podcast episodes and other resources for women of color faculty.  

Dr. Katherine Lee is a Higher Ed Coach and Career Strategist and a former tenured professor at an R1 university. She helps women of color faculty to manage the tenure track, navigate politics, and take the next steps to advance their careers. To find more resources or to work with Katherine, check out her website at: Rise with Clarity.

Are you a new professor who is beginning your first year on the tenure track this fall? If so, then this episode is just for you! 

In this 41st episode of the Rise with Clarity Podcast, I reflect on the different components of the onboarding process for new faculty, and offer you 5 tips on how to manage some of the overwhelm that may come with this big transition. 

Find the full written transcript for this episode at RisewithClarity.com/41, along with all of my other podcast episodes and other resources for women of color faculty in higher education.

Dr. Katherine Lee is a Higher Ed Coach and Career Strategist and a former tenured professor at an R1 university. She helps women of color faculty to manage the tenure track, navigate politics, and take the next steps to advance their careers. To find more resources or to work with Katherine, check out her website at: Rise with Clarity.

In this 40th episode of the Rise with Clarity Podcast, I talk about identifying systems of support for you in and beyond higher ed as you move forward in the coming months. I demonstrate how you can use the GROW model to help you identify and articulate what systems of support you need to reach your goals by the end of the summer. You can find the full written transcript for this episode at RisewithClarity.com/40, as well as all of my other podcast episodes and resources for women of color faculty in higher education.

Dr. Katherine Lee is a Higher Ed Coach and Career Strategist and a former tenured professor at an R1 university. She helps women of color faculty to manage the tenure track, navigate politics, and take the next steps to advance their careers. To find more resources or to work with Katherine, check out her website at: Rise with Clarity.