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Introduction: Students in higher education courses need to practice vital groupwork skills that are increasingly relevant in today's collaborative workplace, which often occurs through small group coursework. Statement of the Problem: The process of forming small groups with students who are committed to the topic and goals is frequently problematic. Literature Review: We review the literature on the advantages and disadvantages of common group formation strategies, such as self-assembly and professor assignment. Teaching Implications: We discuss the use of a unique method of forming small groups in a university setting through a fun, interactive activity based on the classic "speed-dating" exercise. Conclusion: We recommend that educators consider the use of a speed-interviewing group formation strategy to allow groups to form based on similar topic interests and work styles.

Purpose: This study was conducted to fill gaps in the literature based on institution type, career level, and gender identity. Design/methodology/approach: Faculty often struggle with achieving work-life balance. This struggle is exacerbated for faculty parents. Most academic parent research has been conducted on early-career women and at research-intensive universities. Although these groups are important, it is also important to understand experiences of academic parents at different career levels and types of institutions. The authors conducted a qualitative thematic analysis from focus groups with faculty from a mid-sized master's level university about work-life balance expectations and experiences in their roles as academics and parents. These four groups included early-career mothers (n = 5), early-career fathers (n = 4), mid-career mothers (n = 4), and mid-career fathers (n = 7). Findings: Faculty expressed having a high workload based on an intersection of high work expectations, unclear work expectations, and lack of equity. Consequences of the high workload included lower work-life balance, dissatisfaction at not doing more, the loss of flexibility as an advantage, and lower organizational commitment. Originality/value: Although results are limited in generalizability, it is useful to examine one institution, with all participants sharing the same culture and policies, in-depth. The authors discuss recommendations for educational administrators for assisting academic parents and suggest institutions work to examine informal expectations and formal policies at their institutions. Working together, faculty and staff can help enhance alignment of expectations and perceptions of work-life balance, hopefully leading to happier, more satisfied employees.