Month: March 2020

Tenure and Promotion Advice

Shelly Eversley

Hello Fellows!

How are you doing?  As we make our way through all of the challenges facing us in this moment, it remains so important that we all practice Self Care.  We are doing all that we can to stay healthy and sane in this time of isolation.  Have you tried a free dance class with the legendary Debbie Allen?  Or the free 90 day trial from Peleton?  Their an app offers short stretching exercises, yoga and cardio classes, guided meditation and more.

Of course also, we are doing what we can to remain productive.  Some of you may be wondering and worrying about tenure.  And since we won’t be meeting in person on April 3 to talk about your questions and your plans, we’ve curated some good advice for you from “The Professor is In” column at The Chronicle of Higher Education.  Please follow these links for PDFs of “10 Things No One Ever Told Me About Applying for Tenure,” “Publishing as Strategy,” and “4 Steps to a Strong Tenure File.”

And, in case you haven’t heard, given the current circumstances, The University is offering the option to delay tenure for one year.  This option is outlined in the Guidance Memo (March 24, 2020) from CUNY’s Vice Chancellor of Labor Relations.  It states that it is “going to permit faculty whose candidacies for tenure are coming up in the fall 2020 semester to receive a one-year extension, if they so desire.  Such faculty must request a tenure clock extension by emailing their request to their college Provost by May 1, 2020.”

“Going forward,” the Guidance Memo states that “faculty on the tenure track who subsequently want to request a tenure clock extension based on the circumstances of Spring 2020 must apply by February 1 in the year immediately preceding their tenure review…their request will be subject to a fact-specific review, in accordance with past University practice.”

This announcement might be a much needed reprieve for some.

Whatever the case, we look forward to seeing you all at our revised Professional Development Day on Friday, August 28.  Please mark your calendars!

 

Take care, Shelly and Matt

Research Foundation Guidance + Work-Life Balance for Faculty of Color

Matt Brim

Hello Fellows,

We are truly heartened to hear that you have been relying on the structure provided by your writing groups and your Mentors to stay focused and find professional support in the face of adversity. The underlying strengths of the FFPP are becoming more vivid than ever: the capacity to connect, draw on professional resources, build layered support systems, and persevere together.

We have several timely informational items to share with you.

  1. The CUNY Research Foundation has just released the following for PIs and grant workers:  https://www.rfcuny.org/RFWebsite/about/announcements/coronavirus-guidance/ and specifically  https://www.rfcuny.org/RFWebsite/learning-resources/covid-19-guidance/faqs-for-rf-field-staff-and-principal-investigators/   This guidance will be updated periodically, so please check back at the RF site.
  2. The current moment only highlights something the FFPP has long focused on: the question of how faculty of color can achieve a good work-life balance in academe. Dwayne A. Mack, professor of history and Carter G. Woodson Chair of African American History at Berea College, offers his perspective here.

Finally, our STEM Mentor, William Carr, recently gave a talk about coronavirus (COVID-19). Thank you to William for sharing your expertise with us!

We look forward to communicating with you regularly–even as we want to respect the fact that we’ve all been a bit overwhelmed with email lately! The FFPP Commons will be, we hope, a valued site of connection, resource-sharing, and collegiality as we move ahead.

Very best wishes to all,

Matt and Shelly

Professional Development Day Postponed

Shelly Eversley

Hello Everyone,

By now you may have already read our post about the importance of self-care in a time like this.  It is more important than ever.

We’d also like to remind you that we’ll be sharing some selections from our Professional Tool Kit—items like tips from publishers and editors, advice from grant makers, and slides about tenure and promotion.  You’ll find them here, in our digital community so please continue reading our posts as they land in your inbox.

We know the personal connections Fellows make during our Professional Development day are really important, so we’ll schedule an event early next fall.

Stay tuned and stay well!

Shelly and Matt

Now More Than Ever: Self Care

Shelly Eversley

How are you doing?  We have been thinking a lot about you, hoping that you are finding a way to take care of your mind and your body as we all adjust to this new (temporary) reality of “social distance” and teaching online.

With this goal in mind, we’ve collected some tips and resources for you to help insure your self care.

  • UNPLUG OCCASSIONALLY.  Take a break from the news every now and then so you can recharge and (try to) relax.
  • FIND SUPPORT.  Please don’t forget you are part of an academic community.  Check in with your Mentors and fellow Fellows.  Message us, if you need to (shelly.eversley@baruch.cuny.edu or matt.brim@csi.cuny.edu), or try meditation.  The Breathing App is a free option.   And Tricycle, a Buddhist magazine is offering free meditation practice sessions online (using Zoom).
  • STAY SOCIAL.  Keep in touch with your friends and family.  Group chat, set up a virtual happy hour, or even a virtual writing session.
  • MOVE YOUR BODY.  Now is a good time to develop an at-home work out routine.  There are plenty of free, on-demand options on Youtube and on Spotify.  Try Yoga with Adriene, FitnessBlender, or Tiny Workouts.

Most of all, please be sure to honor your feelings and remember we’re in this together.  We’ll get through it together.

In the coming days and weeks we’ll post some gems from the Professional Tool Kit we were going to share at our Professional Development Day.  We’ll also schedule an in-person, abbreviated workshop in the fall so we can gather and celebrate our community of scholars.

Stay tuned and stay positive.

XO, Shelly and Matt