Limited-time campus experiences inspired by my new book, Frayed

Higher education is stretched thin. Faculty are exhausted. Leaders are navigating impossible expectations. Frayed offers a new way forward, and these programs bring its insights to life on your campus.

Frayed Campus Experiences bring the insights of Frayed to your faculty and leadership teams through high‑impact programs. Each offering is designed as a contained, high‑impact experience that helps your community reflect, reconnect, and begin rewriting the story of burnout and leadership on your campus.

These are event‑based programs, not long‑term consulting engagements — perfect for faculty development days, leadership retreats, and campus‑wide conversations.

“Working with Rebecca was a transformative experience for our community.”

ADVANCE Office of Faculty Development at Northeastern University

Keynote: The Frayed Leader

A story‑driven keynote that introduces the core themes of Frayed and helps faculty and leaders see themselves in the narrative.

What participants experience

• A compassionate, research‑informed look at burnout in higher education
• A shared language for talking about burnout and its impact
• The systemic forces that keep us stuck in ideal‑worker norms
• A hopeful, human‑centered vision for leading with vitality

Ideal for
Campus‑wide events, leadership retreats, women’s leadership programs, and conference keynotes.

Format
60 minutes, virtual or in-person

Workshop: Rewriting the Story of Burnout

An interactive session that moves faculty and leaders from awareness to reflection to early action using frameworks from Frayed and Appreciative Inquiry.

What participants experience

• Guided reflection using stories and themes from Frayed
• Small‑group conversations that surface lived experience
• Strengths‑based inquiry to imagine what vitality could look like
• Practical tools for shifting norms and expectations

Ideal for
Faculty cohorts, department chairs, mid‑level leaders, CTLs/faculty development centers

Format
90 minutes or more, virtual or in-person

Leadership Retreat: Compassionate Leadership in a Frayed Academy

A deeper, more intimate experience for leadership teams ready to rethink how they lead and how they support the people they serve.

What leaders experience

• A facilitated space to reflect on their own well-being
• Appreciative Inquiry exercises that build shared understanding
• Collective storytelling and meaning‑making
• Visioning and alignment around sustainable leadership practices
• Clear priorities for the next 6–12 months

Ideal for
Provost teams, deans, department chairs, faculty affairs leaders, and women’s leadership programs.

Format
Half‑day or full‑day; in‑person.

Optional Add-Ons:

Day on Your Campus

Extend your keynote or workshop into a full day of connection, conversation, and leadership support.

This add‑on gives campuses the chance to make the most of Rebecca’s visit by including multiple touchpoints across different audiences, all grounded in the themes of Frayed and Unraveling Faculty Burnout.

What the day might include, in addition to a keynote or workshops

• Fireside chat or Q&A with faculty and/or leaders
• Small‑group coaching for chairs, deans, or emerging leaders
• Shorter workshops for specific audiences (chairs, women leaders, etc.)
• Facilitated conversations about burnout, invisible labor, and leadership culture
• Coaching for leaders who want a confidential space to reflect

We work together to determine the most impactful visit for your campus.

Leadership Briefing

A focused 60–90 minute session for senior leaders that provides a high‑level overview of burnout trends, campus‑specific implications, and the Frayed framework as a tool for culture change. Leaders gain shared language, strategic clarity, and actionable considerations to support decision‑making and align their teams.

Advisory Sprint (2–4 Weeks)

A short engagement for campuses that want a bit more support after a keynote, workshop, or retreat without a long‑term consulting commitment.

What’s included in addition to a workshop or leadership experience:

• Two listening sessions with key stakeholders identified by leadership
• One leadership coaching session
• A short, written summary with recommendations
• Optional follow‑up Q&A

Ideal for
Campuses wanting help turning insights into action.

Why Rebecca?

Rebecca brings a blend of research expertise, lived burnout experience, and compassionate leadership. With two decades in higher ed and national recognition for her work on burnout, including her 2022 book Unraveling Faculty Burnout, and new book Frayed: Leadership Burnout Among Women in Higher Ed (2026), she creates spaces where faculty and leaders feel seen, supported, and energized. Her sessions are practical, human‑centered, and grounded in the realities of academic life, offering your campus both clarity and hope.

Bring Frayed to Your Campus

Whether you’re planning a faculty development day, a leadership retreat, or a campus‑wide conversation about burnout and leadership, these programs offer a powerful, human‑centered way to begin.

Rebecca is represented by Jamie Brickhouse at Red Brick Agency. You can reach Jamie directly at jamiebrickhouse at redbrickagency dot com or use the form below to open the discussion.

 

What Happens Next?

• Reach out to start a conversation with Rebecca
• Jamie connects within 48 hours
• Choose the experience(s) that fit your community’s needs
• Finalize the date and logistics
• Host a powerful learning experience for your faculty and leadership