Your Career: Don’t make grades and deadlines the villains

How to embrace the power of extrinsic motivation in your teaching. ADVERTISEMENT [Your Career Logo]( You can also [read this newsletter on the web](. Or, if you no longer want to receive this newsletter, [unsubscribe](. How to embrace the power of extrinsic motivation in your teaching Research on teaching in recent years has awakened faculty members to the importance of cultivating intrinsic motivation in class. The idea is that faculty members, instead of relying on grades or late penalties to get students to complete their work, should turn to more meaningful motivators: the inherent love of learning or the fascinating nature of the subject matter. It’s a good message, but it’s had the effect of turning more traditional forms of educational motivation — firm deadlines, grades, carrot-and-stick policies — into the bad guys of college teaching. In fact, most work — especially the challenging and unpleasant parts — comes wrapped in both intrinsic and extrinsic motivators. That’s how long-term, complex tasks get done — including the work of completing a major assignment, passing a course, or earning a degree. When you make extrinsic motivation the antagonist, you neglect a powerful tool that you could be using to support students. So how can you embrace the power of extrinsic motivation in your classroom? Use it to build relationships with students. No matter how many times you tell students you’re available for office hours, you may still find yourself catching up on email during that time, while students seek answers using Google or ChatGPT. It would be far better for their learning to come see you with their questions, but any number of barriers can stop students from ever darkening your door. Instead, try requiring an office-hour visit as an early assignment or in lieu of a first quiz. Depending on the size of your class, you might ask students to sign up for short slots as individuals or in groups of three or four. Continue reading: “[How to Embrace the Power of Extrinsic Motivation in Class]( by James M. Lang and Kristi Rudenga Share your suggestions for the newsletter with Denise Magner, an editor at The Chronicle, at denise.magner@chronicle.com. If you’d like to opt out, you can log in to our website and [manage your newsletter preferences here](. ADVERTISEMENT SUBSCRIBE TO THE CHRONICLE Enjoying the newsletter? [Subscribe today]( for unlimited access to essential news, analysis, and advice. NEWSLETTER [Sign Up for the Teaching Newsletter]( Find insights to improve teaching and learning across your campus. Delivered on Thursdays. To read this newsletter as soon as it sends, [sign up]( to receive it in your email inbox. LATEST CAREER ADVICE, OPINION, AND NEWS ADVICE [Ask the Chair: ‘Should I Apply to Lead Other Departments?’]( By Kevin Dettmar [STORY IMAGE]( What to expect when you seek a chair’s position in a national search. ADVERTISEMENT LABOR [America’s Largest University System Is Headed for a Faculty Strike. Here’s a Primer.]( By Forest Hunt [STORY IMAGE]( The faculty union for the California State University system wants a 12-percent salary bump. Cal State officials say they can’t afford it. THE REVIEW | OPINION [Where Does the College Presidency Go From Here?]( By Holden Thorp [STORY IMAGE]( The job is increasingly untenable. Change is needed. AN ERA OF CAUTION [Why Political Attacks on Elite-College Leaders Should Come as No Surprise]( By David Jesse [STORY IMAGE]( Using campuses as political foils is a tradition that goes back a couple of centuries. “Part of the tradition,” one expert said, “is to be surprised by it.” EFFORTS TO DISMANTLE DEI [Amid National Backlash, Colleges Brace for Fresh Wave of Anti-DEI Legislation]( By J. Brian Charles [STORY IMAGE]( A Chronicle analysis has identified at least 19 bills that aim to ban a slate of efforts aimed at making colleges diverse, equitable, and inclusive. LEADERSHIP [After the Death of a Student-Affairs Leader, Lincoln U. of Missouri’s President Is on Leave]( By Alecia Taylor [STORY IMAGE]( The president stepped aside as the university prepared for a third-party review of “potential personnel issues and concerns.” FROM THE CHRONICLE STORE [The Unionized Campus - The Chronicle Store]( [The Unionized Campus]( The number of graduate-student unions has increased more than four-fold since 2019. [Order your copy]( to learn what’s at stake as union membership grows, and explore effective strategies for colleges to build relationships with new and existing unions. SPONSOR CONTENT | Ascendium [Rethinking College Behind Bars]( Discover how colleges are collaborating with correctional facilities and nonprofits to expand education access in prisons. What we’re reading Here’s more on career issues and trends from around the web. See something we should include? [Let me know](mailto:denise.magner@chronicle.com?subject=Your Career feedback). - In The Wall Street Journal, [new data]( shows that remote workers “are losing out on promotions.” - A [report]( The New York Times argues that “the next battle in higher education” may be over the “thoroughness of research.” - [Advice]( in the Harvard Business Review on what to do “when you think you’re doing good work but others don’t.” MORE CAREER RESOURCES [Leading a Regional Public University Today]( [STORY IMAGE]( UPCOMING: January 30, 2024 | 2 p.m. ET: A panel of experts, including presidents and administrators, will share their thoughts on what’s ahead for the sector. With Support From Academic Partnerships. [Register here.]( [Raising Your International Profile]( [STORY IMAGE]( UPCOMING: January 25, 2024 | 2 p.m. ET. 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This four-hour workshop will provide key insights for new and aspiring academic administrators on the inner workings of taking on a new role—from application all the way through the transition. [Reserve your spot today!]( JOB OPPORTUNITIES [Faculty and Staff job opportunities]( Marist College [Provost and Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs]( Purdue University Northwest [Horace Mann Endowed Chair in Exceptional Education]( SUNY Buffalo State [Tenure Track Assistant/Associate/Full Professor - Finance]( University of South Carolina Darla Moore School of Business [Bridge to Faculty Program in the Department of Economics]( University of South Carolina Darla Moore School of Business [Bridge to Faculty Program in the Department of Management]( University of South Carolina Darla Moore School of Business [Search other jobs.]( CAREER RESOURCES [Career Resources]( [Read the January collection]( to improve your campus interview experience this season. 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