The conventional separation of “work” and “life” in academia encourages faculty to ignore or even actively undermine their well-being. This week, we feature several publications that extol the need to prioritize self-care in higher education. Although work-life balance is important for all academics, certain groups face more emotional fatigue from microaggressions, relentless inequities and the . . .
Topics impacting performance, perception of performance, sense of belonging in the workplace.
The contemporary shift to online interactions has implications for the quality of academic relationships and experiences. One such pervasive yet troubling practice is “ghosting.” In “The Sad Humiliations of Academic Ghosting,” published in the Chronicle of Higher Education, ghosting is defined as a sudden cessation of response by one party in a digital communication relationship . . .
Research from the Pew Research Center in 2021 and 2022 shows that despite longstanding efforts to increase diversity in STEM, Blacks and Hispanics remain vastly underrepresented. How might we do better? A 2022 survey asked Black adults what would attract more young Black people into STEM careers and found that seeing “more examples of high . . .
As summarized in the recent Harvard Business Review article, 5 Ways Managers Can Support Pregnant Employees, there are ways to reduce detrimental experiences that affect health and well-being outcomes for pregnant faculty, staff, students, and their babies. The article links to two studies that examined workplace experiences related to pregnancy discrimination specifically and to health-related . . .
The recent terrifying shooting in a Colorado nightclub underscores the vulnerability of transgender and LGBTQIA-diverse peoples and the urgent need for better measures to ensure inclusion and safety. According to the Equity and Inclusion Vocabulary [https://www.mtu.edu/diversity-center/resources/vocabulary/] resource from the Michigan Tech Center for Diversity and Inclusion, “Identifying as transgender, or trans, means that one’s internal . . .
November is Native American Heritage Month, and this week’s Roundup is focused on Indigenous researchers in academia, who remain poorly represented, particularly in STEM fields. In the Second Nature article, “Respect and Representation,” four Indigenous scientists speak about the challenges early-career researchers face, and how scientists can respectfully and effectively bring together traditional knowledge and . . .
This week’s article spotlights disability as an axis of diversity. According to this article, 26% of adult Americans have at least one disability, yet data from 2004 suggest that only 4% of faculty members report a disability. Stigmas or biases, inability to fund graduate education while maintaining necessary medical care, lack of role models, and . . .
Post-Covid burnout, disengagement, and demoralization have become widespread throughout academia as in the broader workforce. We highlight two recent review essays in the Chronicle of Higher Education. In her essay, Rebecca Pope-Ruark explains burnout as “a collection of related symptoms, under the umbrellas of (1) exhaustion, (2) cynicism or depersonalization, and (3) feelings of reduced . . .
This week we showcase a blog post that suggests how women who are talented and capable can be undermined by gendered biases. The blog revisits incidents in which European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has been publicly slighted by men in power. A particularly well-publicized moment was dubbed “Sofagate” after European Council President Charles . . .
Speaking Up: How Department Leaders Can Change the Conversation in the Academic Workplace Have you ever asked yourself “Why didn’t I say something?” when a friend or colleague said or did something that was biased or uncivil at work? You’re not alone. Deciding whether and how to respond to these moments is complicated. Yet navigating . . .