You're asked which committee you'd like to join. One feels familiar, another would expose you to work you're curious about, and a third seems to have an urgent need. Choosing isn't only a question of which title looks best.
The handbook recommends considering the professional learning available through service. Use that idea alongside the institution's needs, your expertise, and the time you can realistically offer.
Name the skill you want to develop
You might want to understand curriculum review, work with community partners, coordinate a project, or learn how governance decisions are made. Be specific. 'Gain leadership experience' becomes more useful when you can name the work you'd like to practice.
Then ask whether the proposed role actually offers that experience.
Find out what the role involves
Talk with someone who knows the committee's work. Ask about preparation, deliverables, expected time, and support for a new member. A title that sounds relevant may involve different tasks from the ones you imagined.
Clarify the commitment before accepting it.
Look for a genuine contribution
Consider what you can bring while learning. You don't have to know everything at the start, but the group needs reliable work, questions, and follow-through. Seek guidance where the task requires knowledge you haven't yet developed.
Learning opportunities work best when they also serve the shared purpose.
Value continuity as well as variety
A new role can broaden your understanding. Continuing in a role can also be valuable when expertise and relationships matter. Don't rotate simply to collect different titles, or stay indefinitely because asking about a transition feels awkward.
Discuss what the next period needs and whether your contribution remains a good fit.
Keep the workload in view
Compare the commitment with your assigned responsibilities. If a developmental opportunity requires more time than you have, discuss adjustments or a later chance to participate. Growth shouldn't depend on making every week longer.
Before choosing your next service role, write one sentence about what you can contribute and one about what you hope to learn. Ask whether the actual tasks support both. That gives the choice a clearer purpose than reputation alone.
Adapted from The New Faculty Handbook by Zafer Unal, pp. 155-156.
