Being one of a few – or the only – minority in professional spaces comes with its fair share of challenges.
But if you’re the only one, who do you talk with about it? How do you handle challenges in your workplace that stem from your minority status that no one else there understands?
On Oct. 23, The University of Alabama’s Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion will host “How to Thrive in the Academy When You’re the Only ____ In Your Department,” from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Bryant Conference Center.
To register for the workshop, sign up here.
The workshop will be conducted by Dr. Joy Gaston Gayles, a professor of higher education and university faculty scholar at North Carolina State University, whose research focuses on attracting and retaining women and underrepresented people of color to STEM fields.
The workshop is designed to provide essential tools for underrepresented faculty and to identify and confront challenges that are unique to their experience on campus.
“We know that underrepresented faculty experience overwhelming requests for service on committees related to diversity or requiring diverse representation, are viewed as uniquely equipped to mentor minority students and, therefore, have heavy advising loads, and are more likely to experience microaggressions and incivility in the classroom, and thus often over prepare for teaching and teach defensively,” said Ryan Blocker, the program administrator for the National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity, which provided Dr. Gayles as the presenter.
“This workshop mitigates these challenges by providing a framework for achieving solo success. Participants learn how to prioritize their research/writing — which matters most for tenure and promotion — among teaching and service demands, engage in self-care and develop techniques to avoid burnout, loneliness and isolation.”
Blocker said the workshop also focuses on creating a community for underrepresented faculty who share these challenges so that they can have a network of support because, despite being a mentor, they don’t necessarily have collaborators or sponsors to help them navigate these challenges.