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The Office of Faculty Affairs (OFA) is excited to announce Burke Hilsabeck’s appointment as the new Director of Faculty Relations and Community, effective June 1. Having served as Assistant Director over the past year, Hilsabeck brings a deep respect for the rhythms and realities of faculty life at ÌÒÉ«ÊÓƵ, and a clear commitment to making that life a little better. 

We sat down with Hilsabeck to learn more about how his background has prepared him for this role and what he’s most excited to build alongside the ÌÒÉ«ÊÓƵ faculty community.

What exactly is Faculty Relations, and how does it support faculty members at ÌÒÉ«ÊÓƵ?

Faculty Relations supports faculty by helping them navigate the unique challenges of academic life. Faculty careers are distinct in ways that are sometimes invisible from the outside; it's a career path shaped by years—often more than a decade—of intensive postgraduate education, research and apprenticeship. Faculty members deeply value their autonomy, and because of that, the relationships faculty form with students, with colleagues, and with the institution carry a different weight and complexity. 

In most professions, if you don’t get along with a colleague, you can move teams or companies. In academia, people often spend their entire careers within the same department. That reality makes conflict inevitable, and that is why it’s so important to build skills that don’t just resolve tension but bolster relationships over time. 

You’ve worn a few different hats in your career. How do you think those experiences will shape how you show up in this faculty relations role?

Having been a faculty member and a department chair myself, I understand the various pressures faculty face, from achieving tenure to navigating professional isolation. I’ve also worked through conflicts that can arise in these tight-knit environments, whether between faculty and students, faculty and leadership, or among peers. That experience, combined with my background in teaching, really shapes how I approach this role. I also genuinely like faculty; I’m endlessly curious about their research, work and experiences. I took on this job because I want to help make faculty life better.

What core values or principles will guide your approach to faculty relations?

Empathy is at the heart of it. Faculty careers demand extraordinary dedication, often at the cost of personal bandwidth for relational work, and that reality needs to be met with open-mindedness and compassion. I also believe in patience and a long-term perspective. Sometimes, the processes we have in place can feel difficult in the moment, but when used well, they exist to protect and support faculty over the course of their careers. Faculty Relations is about helping faculty thrive not just individually, but within their communities. 

What are you most excited to dig into in your first few months in the role?

I’m excited to work with Jennifer Fluri, who serves as one of the faculty directors in OFA, to expand restorative practices in the faculty relations context. We’ve already seen some early success there, and I believe strongly that these approaches—centered on dialogue, trust and understanding—fit the needs of faculty life especially well.

My goal in the next few months is to also continue building relationships across campus. In a distributed, high-achieving environment like ours, faculty don’t always have the opportunity to connect beyond the demands of their work. I want to help create spaces where faculty can build relationships—places where people can talk, relate and work through challenges together.

Are there any misconceptions about faculty relations you’d like to clear up?

One important thing to understand is that Faculty Relations is not here to provide administrative oversight or to enforce campus policies in a punitive way. We exist to advise and support faculty and academic leaders as they navigate complex, often unfamiliar territory—policies, processes, expectations—so they can continue focusing on what they do best. Additionally, our goal is not to have faculty avoid conflict altogether, but to help them experience conflict in a way that deepens relationships.

Outside of your professional life, what brings you balance and keeps you grounded?

Meditation is a big part of my life. It gives me the equilibrium I try to bring into my work with faculty—being calm even when things feel complicated or difficult. I also find energy and joy in my family. I have two kids, and family life, like academic life, is full of challenges and conflicts. It teaches you patience and perspective—skills I use every day in this role.

And, against my better judgment, I’ve recently taken up running! It’s humbling but a good reminder that progress often comes slowly and requires a lot of patience.

For more information about Faculty Relations, email OFAFDS@colorado.edu or .
See also: Suzanne Soled retires after nearly a decade of service to ÌÒÉ«ÊÓƵ faculty