Monthly Monitor: Middle of the Year
Guest Editors: Alauna Reckley (She/Her) and Hannah Boyke (They/Them)
Image depicts two rows of lockers with six columns in each row. The lockers have silver handles, locks, and name placards. The top row alternates in color from dark red, white, and pale blue. The bottom row of lockers are black, orange, and white.
In this issue, we explore topics related to mentor/mentee relationships, opportunities for engaging in collective action, navigating burnout, and accessibility and design.
We also share information about the call for abstracts for SSWR 2024, opportunities to join the support network for Victoria Copeland, and a call for nominations to showcase student achievements on SSWR DSC social media.
This newsletter includes
February/March 2023 Editorial by Hannah Boyke, MSW (They/Them) and Alauna Reckley, MSW (She/Her)
On Mentoring and Finding Your People
Opportunities for Connection & Collective Action
Staying Motivated During the Second Half of the School Year
Accessible Presentation Design
Call to Join the Support Network for Victoria Copeland
SSWR 2024: Call for Abstracts
SSWR DSC Communications Subcommittee: Call for Nominations for the Doctoral Student Showcase
Introducing the New SSWR DSC Communications Subcommittee Co-Chairs
Welcome to the February/March 2023 issue of the SSWR DSC newsletter! With this issue, we are welcoming new co-chairs for the SSWR DSC Communications subcommittee: Alauna Reckley (She/Hers) and Hannah Boyke (They/Them).
Meet Alauna
Pronouns: She/Her
The University of Alabama
Research Interests: Intellectual Disabilities with a current focus on individuals with Down Syndrome
About Alauna
“I am a first-generation student obtaining my PhD in Social Work at The University of Alabama. My current area of interest is Intellectual Disabilities with a current focus on individuals with Down Syndrome. I received my BSW from Florida A & M University and my MSW from The University of South Florida. After graduating with my PhD, I plan to work in academia while continuing working with my population of interest, working in my community, and being a mentor to other students, especially first-generation students, that come after me.”
Alauna’s Hopes for the Communications Subcommittee
“I hope to use my position as co-chair to continue being more active with communicating to and partnering with doctoral students not only from my institution, but from institutions all over. This is important to me because I strive to collaborate and share upcoming news, newsletters, events, conferences, and many other ways to advance student learning, perspectives, training, and support within and outside of our prospective communities.
Meet Hannah
Pronouns: They/Them
Michigan State University
Research Interests: crimmigration and the intersection of the immigration enforcement and criminal legal system and immigrants’ rights in immigration court
About Hannah
“I’m a PhD student at Michigan State University School of Social Work. My research interests include historical and contemporary immigration policy, the impact of immigration enforcement strategies on immigrant communities, the intersection of the immigration enforcement and criminal legal system, and immigrants’ rights in immigration court. I received my Bachelor of Arts in Social Policy and Relations at Michigan State University in 2017 and my MSW in 2019 from University of Michigan.”
Hannah’s Hopes for the Communications Subcommittee
“I hope that I can use this position as a platform for centering doctoral students’ voices, promote our expression, and to cultivate connections between students across schools, so we can better access the support and resources we need to thrive as people, students, educators, and researchers.”
On Mentoring and Finding Your People
Mentoring is a crucial component of academic success for doctoral students. From securing funding to discussing research ideas, uncovering the hidden rules of the academy, and navigating the job market, it helps to have people in our corner who can provide guidance and support.
We are often advised to find good mentors. But what should we look for in mentors? How do we know what to ask for? Whom do we approach?
The National Center for Faculty Development & Diversity (NCFDD) created a mentor map and webinar to help us think broadly about mentorship. While it was created for faculty specifically, these are tips that we can utilize now as doctoral students and take with us as we move into our careers. NCFDD identifies potential categories of support such as substantive feedback, professional development, sponsorship, emotional support, access to opportunities, role models, accountability, intellectual community, and safe space. A full description of each category can be found on their website to help you consider what support might be helpful - and keep in mind this may change along your journey!
As a doctoral student, your dissertation chair and/or committee members might naturally fulfill many of these roles. However, that is not the case for every student. And rather than relying on one individual to fulfill all mentoring roles, as NCFDD also points out, we can seek out additional mentors, sponsors, and collaborators within and outside of our schools/departments. This may include non-committee faculty members, our peers, friends, family, community members, or any others who can help support your academic journey.
Utilize NCFDD’s mentor map to assess your current network, notice any gaps, and consider who you might approach to fill those gaps. For more information on seeking a mentor, we recommend you view the webinar and additional materials on their website. NCFDD addresses additional crucial issues like limiting beliefs (e.g., perfectionism, imposter syndrome, concern about “bothering” busy professors) that may prevent you from reaching out to faculty.
Image depicts the NCFDD Mentor Map. Aspects of mentorship include feedback, professional development, sponsorship, emotional support, role model, access to opportunities, accountability, safe space, and intellectual community
Don’t be afraid to reach out and ask for mentorship and guidance. Finding your people makes all the difference in this journey - there are so many people who want to see you succeed, and you are worthy of that support!
In addition to seeking out mentors, you have much to offer those around you!
How to Be A Mentor:
Being a mentor is one of the most important relationships that someone can have. It can set them up for many great opportunities when it comes to networking, navigating life and different situations, and just having someone there for motivation and support. Mentors can be anyone, from friends, bosses, teachers, family members, co-workers, etc. There are a few aspects that can go into being a good mentor to guide others and be a successful role model. Although these will vary from person-to-person and are not limited to the ideas below, they can be helpful when determining how to mentor someone.
One of the most important things to be mindful of when becoming a mentor is setting expectations from the beginning of the relationship. These expectations can be based on communication, goals and what the mentee and mentor want to get out of the relationship, and many more things that may come up during the mentorship.
Another important part of being a mentor is active listening. To build rapport with your mentee and ensure that you are helping them in the best way possible, you must listen to what they want to get out of the mentorship/relationship.
Listed below are more ways that you can be a successful mentor:
Show empathy
Provide constructive criticism
Remain positive
Provide networking opportunities, if applicable
Celebrate achievements
Provide motivation
Stay honest and open
Additional Resources:
To view additional related resources and webinars and more, log into the National Center for Faculty Development & Diversity. Click here to see if your institution has a membership.
Michigan State University Office of Faculty and Academic Staff Development’s Best Practices for Mentors and Mentees in Academic Settings.
Opportunities for Connection and Collective Action
The doctoral experience and the current sociopolitical environment can leave us feeling a bit disconnected. One way to expand our networks and build our collective power as doctoral students, scholars, and scholar-activists is to join organizations that align with our values and goals.
We share the Caucus of LGBTQ Faculty & Students (“Q Caucus”) and the Social Work Activist Collective as two organizations to consider joining.
The Q Caucus
Image depicts the Q Caucus logo. The logo resembles a hexagonal structure comprised of 12 triangles that are light and dark green, light and dark orange, light and dark brown, light and dark red, light and dark purple, and light and dark blue.
Looking to connect with other LGBTQ+ scholars? Consider joining the Q Caucus.
“The Caucus of LGBTQ Faculty & Students in Social Work [‘Q Caucus’] is a support, networking, and advocacy group. Membership is open to social work educators and scholars throughout the world who are LGBTQ or interested in LGBTQ issues. In addition to the online group and listserv, we usually meet at both the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) Annual Programming Meeting & at the annual conference of the Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR). At CSWE, we co-sponsor a reception with the Council on Sexual Orientation & Gender Expression (CSOGIE). These meetings are, of course, on hold during the current pandemic.”
The Q Caucus sends out regular announcements and opportunities, hosts virtual meet ups and creates an annual job market booklet to highlight members on the academic job market. Becoming a member is quick and easy! Dues are currently waived due to the ongoing pandemic. Learn more and become a member here.
Social Work Activist Collective
Image reads “Social Work Activist Collect #SWACtivist”, and is the logo for the Social Work Activist Collective. Above the text are an array of arms, some with closed fists and others holding protest signs.
If you’re interested in social work’s role in unions, collective action, abolition, anti-racism and anti-oppressive work, the Social Work Activist Collective (SWAC) invites you to join their efforts.
“The Social Work Activist Collective (SWAC) is an alliance among organizations led by workers (i.e., students, practitioners, and social work faculty) within the field of social-service work. These organizations engage in various forms of movement work within the profession, and all share the same goal of transforming the social, economic and political conditions that shape how social work and those who labor within it are perceived, funded, and legitimated.”
What additional organizations, groups, or movements would you recommend?
Staying Motivated During the Second Half of the School Year
The second half of the school year, especially near the end of your semester or quarter, can sometimes feel harder to get through than the rest of the year combined.
You may often be low on energy, time, and resources, and it is more challenging than usual to recharge yourself and stay motivated. Burnout around this time of the school year is common too. Burnout can be described as a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress. Additionally, it can cause a lack of motivation.
Low motivation in a doctoral student can take shape in numerous ways, and we may feel less motivated for different reasons. Nevertheless, it is essential to spot signs of decreasing motivation early so that we can apply ways to address it sooner and avoid burnout.
Some typical signs of low motivation* may include:
Taking a long time to get started on things (e.g., projects, assignments, and papers), and when you do, you postpone complex or important tasks related to that thing.
Taking longer than usual and feeling as if it’s more difficult to finish something. If you are not happy with the work you have produced, and your overall progress slows down.
Deliberately looking for distractions. For example, this could look like aimlessly browsing websites or social media or binging watching shows and movies.
Losing interest in things you previously loved or cared about and/or not being as excited as you usually are about your work and when thinking about your Ph.D.
One of the best ways of handling low motivation and trying not to get burnt out is by taking proactive measures before it truly settles in.
Here are some tips for staying motivated and keeping burnout at bay:
Remind yourself of the big picture – Remind yourself of your long-term goals, both professionally and personally, and focus on how each action you take contributes to your larger goals. Visualize or even write down these goals and use them to help you plow through your to-do list.
Celebrate successes and reward yourself for your accomplishments – Achieving your major goals will take time, so it is important to celebrate all successes throughout your academic journey. Celebrate your big wins as well as your small ones. These celebrations and rewards can be however simple or elaborate you want them to be!
Take things one day at a time – While you may have many responsibilities, it is important to remember not to cram everything into one day. Creating a realistic to-do list for yourself each day can help narrow your focus and prioritize your workload.
Set boundaries – Sometimes saying “no” can be hard, but sometimes it is essential. Setting personal boundaries will help honor your needs and protect you from situations and people who exacerbate feelings of burnout.
Take time for yourself – Setting time aside for yourself each day or week can help maintain a positive mindset, whether it is listening to music, journaling, or taking a nap. Taking time for yourself, even if it is only for a few minutes each day, can help.
Take care of yourself – Both physical health and mental health are important. Paying attention to your body's needs and responding to them in a way that aligns with your mobility and supports your physical health journey is vital. Some examples of ways to take care of your physical health may be making sure you eat healthy foods, get enough rest at night, and make time for exercise. Taking care of your mental health can involve identifying factors/stressors that impact your mental health, surrounding yourself with supportive people, practicing mindfulness, and seeking counseling.
Ask for help and create a support system – find a few people who will encourage you along the way. Family, friends, other doctoral students, academic advisors, professors, and therapists/counselors can be great resources for support.
Give yourself some grace – you will not always feel motivated, and that is okay! Do not be too hard on yourself. Maybe you just need a break, which again is okay.
*These signs can also be indicative of depression, anxiety, or other forms of mental duress, which can result in or be exacerbated by burnout. It is okay to reach out for help, take a break from school, and prioritize your health and healing. If you recognize these signs in fellow students (or your students, advisees, etc.), please check in with them and offer support.
Resources
For some additional tips and other perspectives on motivation and being a Ph.D. student, check out these websites:
Accessible Presentation Design
Unfortunately, accessibility is often overlooked in materials that introduce creating and designing professional presentations.
I’ve always found creating presentations and posters one of the more *fun* aspects of academic life. Design has always been something that I have enjoyed. Most people that know me could attest to my (sometimes probably unnecessary) insistence on maintaining my aesthetic when designing academic and professional materials.
I wanted to provide some strategies for poster and presentation design that can leverage aesthetics and accessibility. These strategies are not exhaustive, and use of these strategies is only one aspect of cultivating accessibility.
Accessibility is more than a checklist
I want to mention that accessibility is more just going through a list of items. Disabled and queer disability justice scholar and activist Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha describes accessibility as solidarity and a “powerful act of love and I-got-your-back. It’s in the big things, but it’s also in the little things we do movement by moment to ensure that we all—in all our individual bodies—get to be present fiercely as we make change” (2018).
As I introduce some strategies for accessibility, I hope that these can become more normalized as basic practices in designing presentations. I also want to shout out the work of Dr. Shanna Kattari who has researched ableism extensively and conducted research regarding ableism in social work programs.
Strategies that promote accessibility
Always use alternative text and captions for images to ensure that your presentation or poster can be read by screen readers. These images can include figures, photos, clipart, and icons. Alternative text is essential for material that will be distributed online. In-person, it’s important to describe the images used in the presentation. Here’s a link for using alternative text and captions for Microsoft.
Check colors in the presentation or poster to ensure that there is adequate contrast and use multiple indicators, rather than just color indicators. There are a range of tools available online to check the contrast of the colors used. I keep a file of color palettes and the colors’ associated hex codes that I have checked for contrast. Here’s a link for a contrast checker, a luminosity ratio checker, and a design guide from Crux Collaborative
Verify that the reading order of the page or slide is correct and follows the presentation of information used when presenting the material.
Express all information displayed in the presentation audibly. I’ve been to many presentations in which multiple paragraphs of information are loaded onto a single slide. This can be very overwhelming to process. However, one trend that seemingly emerged to combat this is designing slides that are purposefully bare—in which the bulk of information is delivered audibly. This can exclude deaf and hard of hearing audience members. However, there is a middle ground: display information across multiple slides and avoid overloading text onto any single slide. When doing this, it’s important to use new titles for each slide that capture the main idea of the slide.
Present with captions both in-person and in online events. Captions can be turned on directly in PowerPoint and Google Slides or using Zoom.
Make materials available across multiple platforms if possible.
Be careful with Canva
Canva can be really great, and I would lie if I said I never used it. However, please be careful when using Canva, as it has limited options for setting alternative text and reading order when sharing pdf documents. This resource offers advice for checking and improving the accessibility of Canva-created documents.
Some Resources:
This link demonstrates how to use google to create accessible professional materials, and this link demonstrates accessibility for Microsoft based materials.
Help Support Activist and Scholar Victoria Copeland
In a short time, Victoria has made an extraordinary impact on the field of social work.
In this portion of the newsletter, we are sharing information about efforts to raise attention and support for Victoria Copeland, MSW, PhD who has been experiencing debilitating health effects from long COVID. At this time, we are hoping to use this space to show support for V.
For the past six months, Victoria has been experiencing debilitating side effects of long COVID and related complications. A group of Victoria’s colleagues and friends have been working to raise awareness about V's situation and raise funds for a medical airlift to their family in Las Vegas.
About V
V co-founded a new journal, Abolitionist Perspectives in Social Work; published in the Columbia Journal of Race and Law Forum, Affilia, and other leading journals; and engaged with numerous public outlets, such as the Doin’ the Work: Frontline Stories of Social Change podcast. Victoria received their MSW and PhD from UCLA. As a student at UCLA, V was involved in community organizing with Stop LAPD Spying Coalition, the UCLA Labor Center, and with student groups like Cops Off Campus and UC Survivors + Allies. For the past year, Victoria has been working at Upturn on research related to technology justice.
Ways to Support
Sign up to participate in a social media blast starting April 5.
Sign up to participate in a social media/ e-banking event on April 5th.
Share with your networks
Know someone who can create a media story?
Do you know a journalist who might be willing to write a profile about Victoria’s activism and scholarship?
Do you or someone you know want to write an article or Op-Ed about the debilitating effects of long COVID/ME? The public needs to know that COVID isn’t over and that many Americans continue to suffer from its long-term effects.
Join Victoria’s care network. We are a loosely organized group coordinating efforts to support V’s immediate and long-haul needs.
Call for Abstracts: SSWR Annual Conference 2024
SSWR’s 28th Annual Conference is now accepting abstract submissions!
Image depicts SSWR call for submissions for the 28th Annual conference in Washington DC. Blue and white text are overlayed on top of a blue and purple background.
The conference will be in Washington D.C on January 10-14, 2024. “The Conference Planning Committee of the Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR) welcomes submissions for presentations within all content areas of social work, social welfare services, and social policy.” (SSWR, 2023)
Directions and Submissions
Submit an abstract or learn more about the submission process and types of submissions being considered: SSWR Abstract Submissions
Deadline: April 15, 2023
We hope to see you there!
DSC Call for Nominations: Doctoral Student Achievement
Celebrate doctoral students’ accomplishments in research, practice, and/or degree milestones!
SSWR DSC Communications Subcommittee has an ongoing call for nominations to showcase social work doctoral student achievements.Nominate a colleague (or yourself) to have their recent accomplishments featured on SSWR DSC social media and in a future DSC newsletter.
The nomination form asks for your name, pronouns, program, a description of the accomplishment(s), information about your research, and brief bio information. If you want, you can also upload a photo of the nominee for us to share and tell us your social media handles to mention in the posts. Student achievements will be posted to social media and the SSWR DSC website as they are received. Achievements will also be featured on the SSWR DSC Newsletter.
View past students showcased for their achievements here.
SOCIAL WORK SNIPPETS:
Call for Papers
Deadline: June 1, 2023
Abolitionist Perspectives in Social Work
Deadline: Ongoing
Deadline for Abstracts: Rolling
Deadline for Abstracts: May 1, 2023
Additional Student Resources
Resources for newer conference presenters and atttendees
How to Give a Scientific Talk: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-018-07780-5
Video on How to Confidently Present your Research at Conferences: https://asiaedit.com/webinar/how-to-confidently-present-your-research-at-conferences-in-person-and-online
Not following “SWRnet”?
Formerly known as the IASWR Listserv, SWRnet (Social Work Research Network) was launched in October 2009 to continue serving the social work research community by providing regular updates on funding opportunities, calls for papers, conference deadlines and newly published research. SWRnet is administered by the Boston University School of Social Work.
Image use information
Images for the newsletter pieces “Accessible Presentation Design” and “On Mentoring and Finding Your People” are from the Gender Spectrum Collection—link available here.
All heading images are accompanied by alternative text descriptions embedded in the image, so it is accessible to a screen reader even if not visible on the page. Additional images throughout the newsletter pieces are accompanied by captions as well as embedded alternative text.
Additional Information
Disclaimer: This newsletter is created as free service by SSWR Doctoral Student Committee Communications Subcommittee members:
Hannah Boyke
Alauna Reckley
Isaac Akapnitis
Paulette Nance
Julisa Tindall
The opinions expressed in this newsletter are the opinions of the individuals listed above alone and do not claim to represent the opinions of SSWR or the SSWR Doctoral Student Committee.