How much time does my new role take?

When I accepted my new position, it came with the description of being a commitment of maximum 28 hours a week. That sounded like a lot to squeeze in, but I’ve balanced multiple roles before—teaching, research, service, and everything else that comes with an academic career. But a few months in, I’ve started tracking how much time the position actually takes, and the numbers tell a different story.

Some weeks, the job stays well within bounds: 20, maybe 22 hours. But others… they stretch. There are weeks when the time creeps up toward 30 hours, often without me even realizing it until Friday afternoon. Meetings stack up. Emergencies arise. Strategic decisions need dedicated headspace—and that thinking time isn’t always visible on my calendar, but it’s still work.

This fluctuation makes it hard to find consistent blocks of time for deep work. My research and writing need to be protected with some time in the morning before the day carries me away. It is hard to find lots of time to advance my research in a week punctuated by calls, urgent requests, or just the mental residue of switching between roles. I’ve noticed the impact in the way my writing has slowed down some.

One change I’ve already made: stepping away from several technical committees and service roles. As much as I enjoy contributing to the broader academic community, something had to give. Service work can be immensely rewarding, but as unpaid work it has fallen down my priority list.

I am still happy with my new role and everything that I am learning. But I do think we need to talk more openly about the real time costs of academic leadership and service, especially when they’re framed as “part-time.” It’s easy to think you’re still operating at 20% when, in reality, the role has quietly expanded to 40% of your weekly capacity. Anyway, I am tracking my time and will report back in the future.

So I’m learning to adjust. I’ve blocked out non-negotiable writing time in my calendar again. I’m revisiting my project timelines and setting more realistic expectations. And I’m trying to be kind to myself when things don’t move as fast as I’d hoped.

If you’ve found yourself in a similar spot—where a seemingly small commitment quietly grows and competes with your research time—I’d love to hear how you manage. I suspect I’m not alone.