Beyond the To-Do List: Women Educators Redefining Productivity Through AI Partnership

The Scenario:

It's 7:43 AM on a Tuesday, and Dr. Jane Doe is already on her third task of the day. She's reviewed a graduate student's dissertation chapter over coffee, responded to fourteen emails about the curriculum committee meeting that has been a conversation for weeks, and is now racing across campus to teach her 9:00am course.  She is mentally rehearsing the role play activity she planned for today while simultaneously remembering she needs to submit that grant proposal that is due by Friday. Somewhere in the margins of her calendar, she is supposed to finish the peer review since she is also the co-editor of a prominent academic journal.   Lastly, Dr. Doe promised a junior faculty college a lunch date since she serves as her mentor. It has been two months since their last catch up meeting.  Oh, and she did carve out time this week to work on her own research agenda that she has to present on next month at a conference. 

This is Dr. Doe’s typical schedule.  A whole new schedule begins when 5:15pm comes, and she rushes to her car to get to the afterschool program before 6pm to pick up her two children who have been in their care since the school day ended at 2:15.  They will jump in the car looking for snacks and asking what’s for dinner, encouraging her to stop at the nearest fast food restaurant.

Dr. Jane Doe isn't unusual. She is an example of many women in higher education.

The Reason:

Women in higher education are often the directors of programs we didn't ask to direct,. We are the mentors who say yes when everyone else says no. We are the committee members whose names appear on every roster because we're "so organized" and "such good team players." We write the grants, design the courses, smooth over departmental conflicts, and champion our students through crises both academic and personal. We are simultaneously scholars, administrators, counselors, advocates, and organizational glue doing what experts call "academic housework.”  Many label us the essential but undervalued labor that keeps institutions running but rarely appear on a curriculum vita.

Our statistics tell an interesting story: Women in academia spend significantly more time on service work and teaching than their many of their male colleagues, while facing the same pressure to publish, secure funding, and achieve tenure. The result? A constant state of cognitive overload. A nagging sense that we're always behind, always letting someone down, always choosing between competing goods. We've been told to "lean in," to set boundaries, to prioritize self-care and advice that feels painfully inadequate when facing the genuine needs of students and our own ambitions for meaningful scholarly contribution.

The Change:

This was our story…until around November 2022.  That is when the game changed.  Open AI introduced ChatGPt, a large language model that has been a winning partner for women in all professions, but specifically higher education lately.  It is not uncommon to hear women say things in comedy like: Claude is my boyfriend. Gemini is my administrative assistant. Co-Pilot takes me where I need to go fast.  That is because all of these tools have stepped up to make the workday more manageable, projects less stressful, and the reduction of the dreaded “to-do” list that haunts us in our sleep. (I have a solution for that below)

How Can Generative AI Support My Workday?

Generative AI can serve as a partner for busy professionals, and in higher education, a busy day is the norm.  It is not uncommon to open emails as the day begins, and reading/replying to them taking the entire morning.  This is one way that generative AI tools like Micrsoft Co-Pilot can assist with the task.  Asking Co-Pilot to arrange emails in priority, or even asking it to summarize the emails received since the day before is a task that simplifies email, allowing you to select the order you read and respond. Co-pilot can also help us to write our emails faster and more concisely.  It rewrites or shortens text for clarity. 

Another way that generative AI can support is by creating a project management to do list.  Of course, we all have our to do lists that we create, but how about one that not only tells you what to do but HOW to do it efficiently and concisely?  Tools like ChatGpt or Claude can create your list based on the tasks you enter, and simple prompts such as create a manageable timeline for me to do the following… This can be a time saver for sure.  If a presentation is needed, slides that tell a story can be built with a number of AI tools that can convert reports to slides with charts and images.  One of my favorite prompts is to say, “Draft this five page report into a five slide summary with engaging visuals and dynamic points of discussion.”

How Do I Select a Tool that is Best for Me?

One of the most popular questions about generative AI and large language model tools is trying to decide which tool to select for personal and professional use.  There are so many excellent tools available, and more are being designed rapidly in a market that is growing.  One of the best ways to find the right tool is to select one, try it, decide what you like about the tool, and then try another.  Do the same for this second tool.  Then compare the two tools on what you features appeal to you and what does not.  Using this information, you can now search for tools that do what you like most and eliminate the ones that have features you do not prefer or need.  Another step in finding a tools is to make a list of tasks that you would like a generative AI tool to partner with you to complete.  Search for tools with these features.  You are likely to find many, so prepare yourself for a long list.

Be Responsible AI Explorers

As AI continues to reshape the way we work, choosing the right tool isn’t just about efficiency or making life easier, it is about aligning technology with our values, our responsibilities, and the people we serve. When we slow down long enough to evaluate accuracy, transparency, data privacy, and true usefulness, we ensure generative AI becomes a partner that elevates our work rather than complicates it.

Responsible AI use starts with intention. It means asking the right questions, understanding the limitations, and committing to fairness, ethics, and continuous learning. When we follow these guidelines, we create workplaces where innovation thrives and trust remains at the center. The tools are evolving quickly, but the most important decision-maker is still you. Choose wisely, stay curious, and let AI empower you but not replace your professional expertise.

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Dr. Wanda White Walker is the Director of Teaching and Learning at Winston-Salem State University. She is a digital literacy thought leader and influencer for Adobe. She loves sharing innovative teaching practices that transform the learning experience for students, faculty, and staff.