On Thursday, November 5, Dr. Barbara Robert will be presenting to CVM formal mentors and mid- and senior-level faculty on 'WorkLife Balance: Going Beyond "Do as I say, not as I do."' This opportunity ties in with the College's current Strategic Planning initiatives.

The group will discuss questions such as:

• What cultural expectations are at play in work life balance?
• Is work life balance an issue for men as much as it is for women?
• How do you balance doing the best job possible with the many different tasks that need to be done both within and outside the work place?
• What are the consequences of over-work/imbalance on health, family life, and overall productivity and participation?
• How can we recognize an imbalance before it spirals out of control?
• How do we deal with the consequences of imbalance (e.g. poor performance, burn-out, mental illness, loss of faculty)?
• How do you deal with wanting to care for that individual and continuing to do your job?

Barbara Roberts, PhD, is Senior Advisor to the Provost and Executive Director of the newly created MSU WorkLife Office, which will provide programs and resources for MSU faculty and staff, will serve as an advocate for work-life integration, and demonstrate MSU’s commitment to a healthy work life. The new office will be located in Linton Hall.

Dr. Roberts is a licensed occupational therapist. Prior to coming to MSU she was the University of New Brunswick human rights officer, advising the university on human rights, harassment, and positive work environments. Prior to that Roberts was the disability services advisor for Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario. Roberts has a PhD from Queen’s University and Master of Science from Boston University.