teachingincolor's podcast

In this two-part series, we are going to talk with my bestie, Rochelle L. Woods about the importance of negotiating for the teaching conditions you need, what gets in the way, and the secret to getting over your fear of the “no”. Part Two In the second episode of this two-part series, Rochelle talks about how you sometimes need to do layers of negotiations to get to the right person; why she never hears “no”; and everything you need for a winning negotiation plan. If you are nervous about negotiating, or believe it will be combative, you absolutely have to listen to this episode.  Please check out Rochelle's website at https://negotiationsolutions.org/, and send her an email at rwoods@negotiationsolutions.org for a copy of the handout we mention in this episode. You can contact me if you need support (or maybe to help you pinpoint exactly which teaching conditions you need to negotiate for!) – chavella@effectivefaculty.org   I hope you enjoy this series. Please subscribe so you don't miss an episode.

In this two-part series, we are going to talk with my bestie, Rochelle L. Woods about the importance of negotiating for the teaching conditions you need, what gets in the way, and the secret to getting over your fear of the “no”. Part One In the first episode of this two-part series, I ask Rochelle to share the reasons people don't negotiate or advocate for what the teaching conditions they need to remain at and thrive at their universities. She also shares how she helps people get over their reluctance and negotiate for what they need.  Please check out Rochelle's website at https://negotiationsolutions.org/, and you can contact me if you need support (or maybe to help you pinpoint exactly which teaching conditions you need to negotiate for!) – chavella@effectivefaculty.org I hope you enjoy this series. Please subscribe so you don't miss an episode.

At the start of every term, like a lot of faculty of color, I have a feeling of dread. But this past July, I decided to do something different, and I had the calmest start of term of my entire academic career. I want to share my secrets with you in this episode so you too can develop a strategy for a better start of the term. I encourage you to listen right to the end, because I share something that may surprise you (not to mention the juicy bit about my boyfriend I drop in the middle!)   Need some additional resources on why it's so important to develop a better strategy to start your term? The Overlooked Minefield https://www.insidehighered.com/advice/2021/04/16/teaching-issues-can-be-among-biggest-obstacles-retaining-bipoc-women-faculty   Workplace stress and discrimination effects on the physical and depressive symptoms of underrepresented minority faculty https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32926523/    Want more info on retaining faculty of color? Diversity/Inclusion in Teaching? Sign up here.    And lastly - I am serious---reach out via email (chavella@effectivefaculty.org) or set up a time to chat to put together a plan for a smoother start for your academic term.  

Mistakes Universities Make When Trying to Retain Black Faculty: Part Four In this series, we are going to talk about the mistakes universities make when they are trying to retain Black faculty; why it matter (especially now); and what you can do right now (as in today) to change it. Part Four In the fourth and final episode of this series (you can listen to part one here) I talk about the fourth big mistake that campuses are making that is driving away their Black faculty. This one is really rant-worthy.  I'll talk about how institutions can avoid this mistake, and an important resource – see below – to help BIPOC faculty deal with the problem in the meantime.   Please contact me if you need support at your campus – chavella@effectivefaculty.org   I hope you enjoy this series. Please subscribe so you don't miss an episode.

Mistakes Universities Make When Trying to Retain Black Faculty: Part Three In this series, we are going to talk about the mistakes universities make when they are trying to retain Black faculty; why it matters (especially now); and what you can do right now (as in today) to change it. Part Three In the third episode of this series (you can listen to part one here) I talk about the third big mistake that campuses are making that is driving away their Black faculty. It happens right at hiring, and it immediately communicates that we are going to have to face challenges without institutional support.   I'll talk about how BIPOC faculty can deal with this mistake, and how allies and administrators can deal with (and prevent) this mistake.   Please contact me if you need support at your campus – chavella@effectivefaculty.org   I hope you enjoy this series. Please subscribe so you don't miss an episode.

Mistakes Universities Make When Trying to Retain Black Faculty: Part Two In this series, we are going to talk about the mistakes universities make when they are trying to retain Black faculty; why it matter (especially now); and what you can do right now (as in today) to change it.     Part Two In the second episode of this series (you can listen to part one here) I talk about the second big mistake that campuses are making that is driving away their Black faculty. And it's something that only surprises allies – Black faculty, you'll be nodding your head the entire time. I'll talk about what the problem is, why it is a problem, and what you can do about it. I'll also talk about a recent high profile example of failing to retain Black faculty, and how it plays out on campuses every day. Please contact me if you need support at your campus – chavella@effectivefaculty.org   I hope you enjoy this series. Please subscribe so you don't miss an episode.

In this series, we are going to talk about the mistakes universities make when they are trying to retain Black faculty; why it matter (especially now); and what you can do right now (as in today) to change it.   Part one We are exhausted, we are over it. Campuses say they are down for doing antiracism work, but they are ignoring a large part of the problem. Let's discuss how institutions are ignoring an important part of campus climate and work life for diverse faculty and it is costing them exceptional faculty   Please contact me if you need support at your campus – chavella@effectivefaculty.org   I hope you enjoy this series. Please subscribe so you don't miss an episode.

In the third and final part of my interview with a successful woman of color humanities professor, we continue our discussion about the disconnect between the stated intent of campuses to deal with anti-Blackness, and their treatment of their own Black faculty, as well as about finding hope and solutions to make the situation a little more bearable.    Finding hope We are finding strategies to keep moving forward to be successful. But this will also hopefully help people know that they aren't alone and inspire them to push forward, or also leave institutions when necessary.  Trusting yourself. Leaning on the community and stand on the other shoulders that exist. Helping other women of color avoid the same barriers, because I have already done that. How do you find community? There can be guilt and shame in sharing so you can build community – you have to be vulnerable and risk telling people what is happening for you. It's also important to acknowledge that hope is not required in this moment and there is no need to fake it. Having community to commiserate with is enough sometimes.  Research says people are leaving because of things related to teaching. Allies – listen: we are leaving because of hostile climates around teaching, regardless of scholarly productivity. It is important to remember that it is empowering that institutions have shown their hands – you now have some of the unwritten rules, and you can tell someone else those unwritten rules.  Additional resources: https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2020/10/21/scholars-talk-about-being-black-campus-2020 I hope you have enjoyed this three part series. If you missed any of the episodes, please check them out at https://teachingincolor.libsyn.com/. Stay tuned for our next episode of Teaching in Color!   How to support the show Please subscribe, review and share this podcast to help spread the word.   

In Part Two of my interview with a successful woman of color humanities professor, we continue our discussion about tenure and promotion, the problematic nature of student evaluations and peer reviews, and what she wishes her institution would do differently. If you are feeling alone on your campus as you struggle with these issues as a woman of color faculty member, we want to remind you - you are not alone in feeling alone.   On Peer Reactions Peers, when they come and review and evaluate, see how difficult and challenging the topics taught are and respect the approach. This highlights the importance of multiple lenses on teaching. But it also highlights the importance of knowing who to ask to evaluate your teaching, who will be sympathetic to the style and material of the class.  Overall, the teaching evaluations and student evaluations were always a problematic part of the tenure process, regardless of the institution. The institutions are looking at the things that stand out, which are the outliers; instead of seeing it as bimodal, they are seeing the negative.  What do you wish your institutions had done differently?  Being true to declarations of being there for people of color on their campus. It's a lot of words and not much action.  How did you put evaluations in context during reviews?  Initially, there is trust in the review, but eventually, you learn to address what you know the concerns will be – the outliers. You learn you have to be strategic and contextualize the experiences into the larger narrative of racism and sexism.  “I'm writing an appeal instead of writing an article.” This is why a lot of people leave - it is too much work to undo the isms that are part of the review of their teachings, or hostility in classrooms.    Additional Resources Case study on course evaluation forms about a Black woman professor at a Predominantly White Institution (PWI). https://effectivefaculty.podia.com/evaluating-the-teaching-effectiveness-of-black-women-faculty   Listen to Part 3 of this interview to hear more about how denying promotions to black women faculty of color sits with the current push on campuses to deal with their own anti-blackness.    How to support the show Please subscribe, review and share this podcast to help spread the word.

In this three part series, I interview a tenured humanities professor who will candidly share her experiences being a woman faculty of color. We'll talk about her teaching style, the reactions from her students and colleagues, and the problems this causes on the road to tenure and promotion. The interview:   There is no training or playbook for being a woman of color in front of an audience – you don't expect the confrontation. There is an overall dismissiveness of the work coming into a characteristically white space, and the students sometimes can't hear what has been said (which is that there are other valid voices and perspectives, not that yours is necessarily invalid).   Teaching Pedagogies In this classroom, students are involved in the learning process. This isn't about teaching at them or about just absorbing and regurgitating, but about processing the information. The topics are broad but teaching always include race and class and gender topics into the learning experience, and effort is made to include voices and perspectives that students might not be used to. This is difficult for students – they are used to learning in one-dimensional, colonial dialogue.    Student Classroom Interactions The result can be one of disbelief –all other filters information has come through for them have been white, which leads to women faculty of color not being perceived as a legitimate authority. So, although students are encouraged to challenge ideas, they are confronting the instructor as an illegitimate source of education.     Student Evaluations Which leads to problems with student evaluations. Often these are extreme and diametrically opposed (“this was amazing and opened my eyes” or “ I don't know why I have to be in this class, why does she always bring up race, why does she always bring up women?”) Statistically and qualitatively, the response will be overwhelmingly positive, but these outlier comments not only affect the reader, but the perception of the class by the institution.  Tenure and promotion  When you get bifurcated evaluations from students, figuring out how to address them takes a lot of time and effort for women faculty of color, which takes away from our research time. As addressing -isms in the teaching review  takes up more time, writing and research and production suffer, making it more likely to have an unsuccessful bid in the tenure process. It is hard to show up in a class and deal with that energy on a regular basis, and it ends up being a detriment to scholarship.  This is an unfortunate but common experience. However, no one knows it's common because women faculty of color are so few on campus and it's hard to see that you aren't alone in your experience.    Make sure you come back to hear part two of this interview, where my guest talks about her peers' reactions to her teaching, what she wishes her institution would do differently (pay special attention here, allies and administrators!) and how women faculty of color are forced to adapt in conversations about tenure and promotion.    Further Resources https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2020/02/27/study-student-evaluations-teaching-are-deeply-flawed  https://uncpress.org/book/9781469627717/writtenunwritten/   How to support the show Please subscribe, review and share this podcast to help spread the word. 

How institutions derail the tenure of women faculty of color   Recently, on a panel for an event called Negotiating Power & Status in the Academy, I spoke about how teaching is one of the main ways that institutions derail tenure for women faculty of color. In this episode, I break down why women faculty of color are so uniquely qualified to be excellent teachers; how they benefit the institutions where they teach; how they are derailed from promotions and tenure; the impacts of this treatment; and how to fix it. Sounds like a lot, right? We better get started!   Let's talk about teaching Institutions derail women faculty of color's tenure primarily via teaching. We tend to focus on grants and research, but we must not overlook the importance teaching has for tenure, especially for women faculty of color. The experiences women faculty of colour have with teaching demonstrates a gendered and racist pattern in higher education, and it needs to be addressed. This experience isn't anecdotal; this experience is grounded in research.   In this episode, I review the research on: The unique features and benefits of women faculty of color's teaching (including how we teach students to question objectivity and the world at higher rates than other faculty) How campuses benefit from women faculty of color's teaching (including helping them fulfill their stated commitments to a global, diverse society. How institutions derail us through teaching (including how women faculty of color and other diverse faculty are assigned higher teaching loads, have more new preps, more service and intro courses. How this impacts women faculty of color (including the physical and mental health outcomes, as well as retention, promotion and tenure) Strategies for administrators and allies (including the importance of changing classroom observation to bring in line with best practices. ) And most importantly, strategies for women faculty of color (including how important it is to be strategic about teaching, not just for student learning, but to put yourself in a position to be retained, tenured and promoted)     Additional Resources (including articles mentioned in the podcast) Evaluating the Teaching Effectiveness of Black Women Faculty https://effectivefaculty.podia.com/evaluating-the-teaching-effectiveness-of-black-women-faculty Race and Gender Oppression in the Classroom: The Experiences of Women Faculty of Color with White Male Students https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0092055X10370120   Email me at chavella@effectivefaculty.org for more resources or support   How to support the show Please subscribe, review and share this podcast to help spread the word.    

Welcome to my new podcast, Teaching in Color. This podcast gives voice to the teaching experiences of faculty of color who've been silenced, marginalized and ignored, their careers destroyed for far too long, most often by the allies presumed to support them. A thriving diverse faculty is essential for a thriving and successful student body, campus and community culture. Faculty of color - find affirmation, validation and empowerment here. Faculty and administrator allies - take note and then take action. Teaching in Color shares how.   This is the trailer for the podcast, where I talk about what is in store for listeners.