Developing Equitable Work-Life Policies on Campus

While higher education institutions have introduced policies such as tenure-clock stoppages and parental leave, these interventions often fail to challenge deeply embedded cultural norms and structural hierarchies that marginalize women and underrepresented faculty. Drawing on equity literacy as a conceptual framework, the chapter critiques the dominant “ideal worker” model that assumes faculty availability is unconstrained by caregiving or personal responsibilities. The COVID-19 pandemic, digital technologies, and the growing role of AI have introduced new complexities, simultaneously offering flexibility while exacerbating expectations of constant availability and reproducing institutional biases. The chapter emphasizes the importance of department-level culture, leadership professional development, and transparent policy evaluations to foster equitable work-life environments. The chapter introduces comprehensive, equity-minded organizational strategies that extend beyond policy creation to actively challenge and transform institutional norms. By embedding work-life equity as a cultural value across all levels of the institution, higher education leaders can address the intersecting influences of gender, race, caregiving, and technological change on faculty wellbeing, productivity, and advancement.