Monthly Monitor: Antiracist Pedagogies and Practices in Academia

Monthly Monitor: May 2021

Antiracist Pedagogies & Practices in Academia

Guest Editors:

Agnès Nzomene Kahouo Foda, MSW, MAP, SIFI

Durrell Malik Washington, Sr., MSW

Included in this Issue:

1. Editorial: Why Does Diversity and Inclusion Matter?

2. Editorial: Antiracist Pedagogy in Social Work Doctoral Education: Reflections From a Year’s Work

3. Jobs in Race Equity Work: Professional Roles Beyond Academia

4. Diversity Statements: Demonstrating Commitment to Anti-Racist Practices on the Job Market

5. Crafting Your Teaching Portfolio

6. Remembering Yourself During Exam Season

7. Social Work Snippets

Why Does Diversity and Inclusion Matter?

By Agnès Nzomene Kahouo Foda

I am surprised at how diversity and inclusion are now being talked about as if they were something new. For many people, the concept of diversity and inclusion has become their field of study of predilection. Everyone wants to have something to do that is diverse and inclusive. Diversity and inclusion is increasingly dominating workplace and academic culture. I think about the constant changes that society has been experiencing in the last decade-  in  civil society, changes in the workplace, changes in our everyday living conditions, changes in what we see around us and around the world. I have been in the United States since 2008, and it seems that only in 2020 after the murder of George Floyd have the words diversity and inclusion  gained more recognition or prevalence. Let’s face it. Why does diversity and inclusion matter? I thought living in a country with people of diverse backgrounds with available policies that promote equal rights was what we call diversity, equity, and inclusion. Why has it become necessary for everyone to write a diversity statement for employment and school applications? These questions forced me to dig deeper into what diversity and inclusion even mean before getting to why it matters. 

Swaminathan (2019) defines diversity as the notion of being formed of various groups, particularly individuals, in an organization, while he describes inclusion, on the other hand, as a connection between two groups of people when all the members of one group do not feel as though they were not part of the other group. As Swaminathan mentioned, while important concepts founded independently, welcoming diversity in an institution is only a starting point to really accept and implement it because diversity is incorporating different “individuals while taking in consideration their difference (e.g., promoting equity, social justice in terms of race, social class, gender, sexual orientation, religion, language background, country of origins, educational background, and immigration status) that they may have and accepting their roles that is the key to creating a rich and vibrant society of professional social worker for example” (Swaminathan, 2019). It is important to embrace constructive changes that might influence our culture; it is useful to acknowledge the reasons why the change is needed.

While working at a refugee resettlement agency, the US 2017 administration brought obvious division among individuals when a Muslim ban was instituted by former President Donald Trump. The ban clearly was discriminatory and exposed millions of refugees to harm and danger. Diversity matters because when we understand and include diverse populations, we all perform better as a society and as social science professionals. I think we need to be intentional about how we make strategic decisions that are also supported by research. Our mission as social justice advocates is to empower individuals to understand their worth and their value. Diversity and inclusion is really important because it forces organizations and institutions to develop policies that help eradicate systemic racism, discrimination, and all form of bias.

As I write this, I also wonder how we can embrace constructive changes while discriminating against a particular nation for their religious beliefs or group for their sexual orientation? It made me think about an example of diversity and inclusion in our government as the place of logical example of society's respect for their individuals. One policy came to mind. The “2011 “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” that was finally and formally repealed, allowing gay and lesbian service members to serve openly in our nation’s armed forces” (Slack, 2012). Just as the repeal of the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell was in honor of “all the patriots who fought and marched for change” as President Obama noted, it was even more relevant because leaders in the military showed that implementing the change was necessary to respect all individuals serving to protect the country regardless of their sexual orientation. 

I am an African female immigrant. Coming to the United States and having the chance to continue my studies in a different context,  especially a different language than the one I knew in my country, has given me the opportunity to understand the difficulties that those who feel “different” often encounter. I know how damaging it can be to feel that difference, and also how rewarding it can also be to feel that we are equal to others in our today’s society, especially given the prevailing political and social climate here in the United States. Social workers have multitudes of people from different backgrounds and works of life at various universities across the United States, and it is even more important to feel that our knowledge has increased. In the United States educational system, there are various layers of human society that remind us that we are all human despite our differences. Higher education has taught me to be more equipped and knowledgeable about my rights as a student and to advocate for myself and others. 

As a social worker with the drive to promote social change and international development and  empower people and communities, I believe that when we all come together as one, we can gain more insights and experiences to grow both as individuals, and as institutions. I am the doctoral student representative in the diversity and inclusion committee at the University of South Carolina, yet I speak about my goal to promote equity and social justice but wonder what it really means, and how it matters in a predominantly white institution. So, I ask, “as social work professionals, how can we achieve diversity and inclusion in a society where we do not have control of the system?” 

References:

Slack, M. (2012, September 20). From the Archives: The End of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. Whitehouse.Gov. https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/blog/2012/09/20/archives-end-dont-ask-dont-tell

Swaminathan, M. (2019). Say It Like You Mean It: Why Diversity and Inclusion Matter. Journal of the American Society of Echocardiography, 32(8), A19. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.echo.2019.06.004

Antiracist Pedagogy in Social Work Doctoral Education:

Reflections From a Year’s Work

By Durrell Malik Washington, Sr.

On September 10, 2020, three amazing doctoral candidates, Kimberly Grocher, Alicia Mendez, and Maxine Taylor, and myself hosted the first session of the student-led Anti-Racist Pedagogy in Social Work Doctoral Education series. This 2020-2021 four-part series was sponsored by the Group for the Advancement of Doctoral Education in Social Work (GADE) in partnership with Fordham University School of Social Services. The first three sessions were exclusively for doctoral students. The first a BIPOC (Black Indigenous People of Color)-only space, the second an all-white student space, and the third a combined student collective. The fourth meeting brought together students and faculty. The goals we set at the beginning of this initiative were the following:

1. Engage social work doctoral students across the country to co-create and re-envision developing, implementing, and sustaining Anti-Racist Pedagogy across doctoral programs.

2. Create meaningful anti-racist action steps for doctoral programs to enact in this movement.

3. Establish an ongoing student-voice presence within GADE.

4. Build solidarity and community across doctoral programs.

In total, 90 students attended the first session, and 24 completed our post-survey. Key takeaways from the first session and the survey include 1) a sense of urgency to implement anti-racist pedagogy now into social work doctoral programs, 2) a direct call to financially invest in anti-racist work, 3) a need for recurring BIPOC-only spaces for social work doctoral students to participate in without faculty or administration presence, and 4) a plea to listen and believe BIPOC students’ experiences. 

For session two, we recruited three white doctoral students, Kess Ballentine, Kristen Brock-Petrohius, and William R. Frey, to lead an all-white student meeting on November 10th, 2020. Forty-four students in total attended this meeting. This was shocking as white students are much more prevalent within doctoral programs, as are BIPOC students. White students must show up in these efforts, period. Much of the discussion from this session was naming actions that white students were willing to take/support. Themes from these actions included 1) Personal Reflection & Education; 2) Getting Involved Personally; 3) Engaging Other Students; 4) Engaging White Colleagues; 5) Engaging Faculty & Administrators; 6) Organizing Strategies; 7) Specific Feedback/Recommendations; 8) Supporting BIPOC Student Advocacy Efforts; 9) Supporting BIPOC via Social Capital Sharing; and 10) Advocacy.

Session 3 was a meeting for all students that took place on January 28th, 2021. During this meeting, we shared the recommendations that we planned to share in our final student/faculty session. This was also an opportunity for students to add any other themes we may have missed. 

The final session took place on April 14th, 2021. This student-faculty meeting was the opportunity for my colleagues and I to share the recommendations that resulted from a month of conversations with doctoral students across the country on how to move towards anti-racist pedagogy within social work doctoral education. We began the meeting by highlighting the three major themes that arose from our collective student meetings. These themes were the following:

1. Believe, listen, and validate BIPOC voices: “Students expressed a desire to end ‘sharing trauma’ as a means of justifying our requests for an anti-racist education. These stories, the need for anti-racist pedagogy, is not new, so believe, listen, and validate.”

2. Have a sense of urgency: “Students expressed a sense of urgency in engaging and implementing an anti-racist social work doctoral education. Students of color noted that they have tried tirelessly to get their programs to take notice of these issues that are unique to Black [students] Indigenous [students], and [other] Students of Color. These are not new issues.”

3. Financially invest in Anti-Racist Work: “This work requires a financial investment. BIPOC students are tired of being ‘voluntold’ for the newest affinity group with no compensation. For BIPOC students (and faculty), this work is personal. It takes a toll on the mind, body, spirit, and collective. Normalize paying BIPOC folx for our work.”

Next, we shared our recommendations for taking actions which we believed would be a step in the right direction in moving towards an Anti-Racist doctoral program. Recommendations included:

1. Establishing a formal space for BIPOC students supported by GADE: “We recommended the creation of a doctoral student led affinity group for BIPOC doctoral students that meets virtually at least quarterly and is fiscally supported & sponsored by GADE and other social work organizations willing to partner with GADE.”

2. Instilling a permanent student voice with GADE: “We recommended that GADE create an ongoing doctoral student advisory board (~4-6 students) to continue representing student voices in all things related to our education, networking, and funding opportunities.”

3. Formalizing Doctoral Program accountability:“Modeled after the Council for Social Work Education’s Educational Policy Accreditation Standards and in collaboration with other leading SW entities (NADD, CSWE, SSWR…), we recommend that a permanent anti-racist pedagogy and education task force is created.”

4. Implementing restorative justice through the lens of eliminating structural racism and discrimination within Social Work programs: “We recommended that GADE, NASW, CSWE, NADD, SSWR, schools of social work, and particularly social work doctoral programs who have conveyed horrific acts of racial discrimination towards their BIPOC students and faculty make a public apology similar to that of the American Psychological Association on behalf of the discipline, and their respective institutions/organizations to BIPOC students, faculty, and the public for their overt and covert support of structural and institutional racism and include action steps to eradicate this phenomenon and egregious practices.”

“We recommended that schools of social work write ‘diversity statements’ that they provide to their new applicants detailing the ways they are addressing racism and structural inequality in their institutions. These statements should also include explicit areas of improvement such as retention, representation in administration, etc.”

1. Racial & Cultural Sensitivity/Humility Training: “Annual ‘Mandatory’ requirement for faculty.”

2. Establishing a group within all schools to internally do this work: “We recommended all Social Work programs allow and support doctoral students to establish a student led organization which will develop their own action plan to address anti-racism within their individual school. And schools compensate students for doing this work including either a stipend and/or giving students a student organizational budget.”

Lastly, which was not a recommendation but more of a notice, we informed participants that BIPOC students will be creating a “Green Book” about Social Work doctoral programs. Details for the Green Book are still being finalized but some things that will be included in the Green Book are schools:

1. Implementation of Anti-Racist pedagogy into the doctoral program’s required curriculum

2. Attentiveness and  responsiveness to BIPOC students’ concerns around Anti-Racism in the program at-large

3. Recruitment and retainment of BIPOC faculty

My co-organizers and I also shared a brief reflection on how we felt engaging with this initiative. I would like to share my personal reflection: 

When I was first asked to embark on this journey, I was excited, to say the least. Having the opportunity to join a group of passionate, energetic, and brilliant doctoral students and together attempt to develop recommendations for what an anti-racist doctoral education could look like within the field of social work seemed like a step in the right direction for our field. From my perspective, we all understood the need for this kind of initiative, and we understood it could not just center around our four voices. As we sought feedback from our fellow colleagues, many of the stories were disheartening to hear but not surprising. The commonalities amongst the needs of BIPOC students across universities further solidified the need for universal reforms across all schools of social work. Many of the testimonies were extremely disheartening to hear, especially those we were not allowed to share. Though the work has been draining and difficult to hear, we knew it was necessary to continue to push forward with our plans and make sure that BIPOC student voices, recommendations, and concerns were heard. I am thrilled with the list of suggestions we presented at the final meeting, and to note that our recommendations are far from an exhaustive list. There is much work to be done outside of what is in our final report. 

I will say that I cannot really say what expectations I had at the final meeting, but I left feeling empty. I was proud to be associated with my colleagues, proud of our work, and proud of those who shared their experiences with us. However, not hearing many faculty make commitments to at least try to push for any of our recommendations out loud in front of their colleagues in an open forum was again not surprising but left me thinking. When do we move past the email statements and liked and retweeted posts and actually start taking these steps? I will continue to push for a better doctoral education for all BIPOC students and push our profession to be better and make sure our work this year was not in vain.

Disclaimer: For more detailed information around this effort, please look out for the final brief we will be publishing within the next couple of weeks.

Jobs in Race Equity Work

Professional Roles Beyond Academia

NASW has an open position for a member of their policy team in Washington D.C. The Manager of Social Justice Advocacy and “is responsible for the development and execution of the Association’s social justice advocacy portfolio, primarily at the federal level. Portfolio priorities include economic equity, criminal/juvenile justice, healthcare equity, immigration, political equity and environmental justice, among others, and intersect with racial equity and civil rights.” The position was posted in February 2021, but remains open. 

https://us59.dayforcehcm.com/CandidatePortal/en-US/NASW/Posting/View/1 

Green Lining is an organization in Oakland, CA, working to build a sustainable future where communities of color “can build wealth, live in healthy places filled with economic opportunity, and are ready to meet the challenges posed by climate change.” This is done through policy advocacy and linking communities to government for the purpose of creating change across the country. The organization currently has jobs posted for positions in California and remote work options. The organization embodies their vision through hiring employees from diverse backgrounds and has equitable work-life job benefits, such as paid bonding days after a child is born or comes into the home, a 45-day sabbatical after 5 years of employment, professional development stipends, and community building activities embedded in the work culture. Here is the link to their website: https://greenlining.org/job/leadership-academy-director-2020/ 

Brennan Center for Justice is a non-partisan think-tank, advocacy group, and communication hub for issues related to law and policy. The center has a focus on issues such as fair voting rights, ending mass incarceration, reforming money in politics, and more. There are several available positions; one of particular interest for doctoral degree holders is within the Justice Program. The Researcher position requires a Ph.D. in social science or policy related field. Most positions are in New York, NY, or Washington D.C Please see https://www.brennancenter.org/about/employment for more details.

Keep checking out our Facebook page posts for more jobs in and outside of academia. 

Diversity Statement:

Demonstrating Commitment to Anti-Racist Practices on the Job Market

The increasingly obvious socio-cultural and political turmoil in the United States has drawn attention to the inherently racist practices and structures in our society, including our educational and higher education institutions. As a way to better understand an applicant’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), most academic positions have added a Diversity Statement as another component of the job packet. These statements are increasingly separate components from a description of DEI in a teaching or research statement. 

Diversity Statements are an opportunity to demonstrate your commitment to DEI and, more specifically, discuss practices and values that guide your research, teaching, practice, and presence in the fight against systemic racism. With intersectionality and the many facets of diversity, you should narrow down to the most important elements, perhaps those that relate to your research or ongoing community action/advocacy, rather than try to discuss every aspect of diversity. 

You should include specific references to your work educating yourself on issues of DEI, active involvement in addressing DEI, and a plan of action with specific tasks or goals to support marginalized communities. Think, what aspects of your work or track record show not just an understanding of the inherent inequities across communities, but also action towards equity?

Many university and college writing centers now have specific resources and writing prompts to help you begin drafting your Diversity Statement. In creating your statement, it's important to reflect on your experiences and values. It may be helpful to look at exemplars and have an active discussion with your mentors. Remember, diversity statements are not a place to discuss your involvement with diverse populations or describe your appreciation of diverse perspectives. Instead, this statement should reflect specific examples of your actions and approach to DEI and anti-racist practices. 

Diversity Statement Writing Prompts, Resources, and References:

Beck, S.L. (2018). Developing and Writing a Diversity Statement. Vanderbilt University, Center for Teaching. Retrieved April 27th, 2021 from https://cft.vanderbilt.edu/guides-sub-pages/developing-and-writing-a-diversity-statement/

Cornell University. Rubric Assessing Candidate on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Office of Faculty Development and Diversity. Retrieved from https://facultydevelopment.cornell.edu/rubric-assessing-candidate-on-diversity-equity-and-inclusion/

Man, J. (n.d.) How to write a Diversity Statement & Samples. Diversity for Social Impact. https://diversity.social/diversity-statement/#7-diversity-statement-research

University of California Berkeley (n.d.) Rubric for Assessing Candidate Contributions to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging. Office for Faculty Equity & Welfare. Retrieved from https://ofew.berkeley.edu/recruitment/contributions-diversity/rubric-assessing-candidate-contributions-diversity-equity

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (n.d.) Diversity Statements. The Writing Center. Retrieved from https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/diversity-statements/

Crafting Your Teaching Statement

A teaching portfolio is a compilation of artifacts that communicate evidence of your teaching philosophies and abilities (just as a dissertation communicates research abilities). An increasing number of institutions request a teaching portfolio or individual components of a teaching portfolio to demonstrate teaching experience throughout the academic job search as well as part of tenure and promotion dossiers. A teaching portfolio should encompass a set of accomplishments that you have attained over an extended period. It should be an ongoing process conducted in the company of mentors and colleagues (Wolf, 1996).

So you want to create a teaching portfolio. But what goes into it? Well, this varies across disciplines and universities. However, here are some universal items to include: 

1. Curriculum Vitae 

2. Teaching Philosophy

3. Diversity Statement

4. Teaching Reflection

5. Teaching Development

6. Course Development 

7. Mentor Feedback

Curriculum Vitae: If you are applying for a teaching specific job, your CV should be teaching focused. Really highlight your teaching experiences whether you were an Adjunct Professor, Teaching Assistant, Guest Lecturer, etc. Add what classes, workshops, or activities you have participated in to strengthen your teaching skills. You can have a teaching-specific CV and a general CV. Either way, you should have a clear section that highlights your teaching experience and professional development as a teacher. 

Teaching Philosophy: A Statement of Teaching Philosophy or Teaching Statement generally attempts to convey what you teach; how you teach; and why you teach the way you do. It is a written product, reflective of a critical thinking process. Your perspectives on teaching and learning will evolve throughout your career and inform your teaching practices; therefore, as you evolve so too does your philosophy. The writing process should cultivate the habit of critical reflection and articulation of your teaching philosophy.  The reflective practice of articulating a Statement of Teaching Philosophy will be a useful tool for centering and sharing your teaching practices throughout your teaching career.  It is important to reflect on your plans as a teacher and update your philosophy after you have teaching experience. As a student, it can be beneficial to discuss your teaching philosophy with your mentor. 

Diversity Statement: Through talks with students who are on the job market, more and more institutions are requesting a Diversity Statement from applicants. So, what is a diversity statement? According to the Office of Graduate Studies at University of Nebraska-Lincoln, a diversity statement is a “one-page document explaining your experiences and commitments to diversity.” The purpose is to identify candidates who have professional skills, experience and/or willingness to engage in activities that would enhance campus diversity and equity efforts (Golash-Boza, 2016).  For more information on diversity statements, look at our article “Diversity Statements: Demonstrating Commitment to Anti-Racist Practices on the Job Market”.

Course Development: Sample course materials are an important component of any Teaching Portfolio. Whether you are teaching during your time as a doctoral student or a teaching assistant for a course, it is important that you get the experience of designing course materials. Completing the Course Development requires you to create course materials for a course you have taught or will teach in the future. Specifically, you can create a course syllabus, exam, and assignment. Creating sample course materials will help you to apply many teaching concepts you have learned from your courses.  This process will also help you to imagine ways to make your Teaching Philosophy – and the learning you are doing in your own field – come to life in the context of a discipline-specific course. You can update these materials and tailor it to the course you plan on teaching in the future and institution you are interviewing with while on the job market. Feel free to add a variety of materials to show viewers your versatility as a teacher. 

Teaching Reflection:  One important aspect of your development as a teacher is the critical consideration of feedback you receive about your teaching. This feedback should come from a variety of sources, including your faculty mentor, your peers, and others who have observed you in the classroom. You can also provide your own feedback by observing yourself teach via video recording. The purpose of teaching feedback is to help cultivate the habit of critical reflection as a teacher by writing about the feedback you have received on your teaching thus far. The process of taking time to reflect on the feedback you have received is an important part of your development, and can provide insight to your strengths, weaknesses, and future directions for development as a teacher. Writing a reflection on your teaching feedback can also be the basis for later documents used in the faculty review process

Teaching Development: Reflection is essential to one’s development as a teacher, and it is integral in the context of education. You should reflect critically on what you have learned about teaching, what you have learned about yourself as a teacher, how you have developed through the overall experience of teaching, and how creating a teaching portfolio demonstrates your growth. In your writing, you should draw connections between, and articulate the significance of, the various teaching related activities you have engaged in the classroom. Reflecting on your actions and learning activities will provide insight to your strengths, weaknesses, and future directions as a teacher. Writing a reflection on your teaching development can also be the basis for later documents used in the faculty review process.

Mentor Feedback: Having a mentor that supports you during your teaching journey can be helpful. You should select a mentor (ideally from your department) who can help guide you as you develop your teaching skills. You can ask the mentor to assist you in reviewing your teaching philosophy and teaching portfolio. Some universities have students who are teaching record one of their courses. Then they watch the video back with the mentor. Though it can feel awkward watching yourself teach, it can be helpful to get adequate feedback on what can be improved upon on-the-spot. Use these opportunities to evaluate yourself and identify your strengths and weaknesses as a teacher.  

The purpose of having a faculty mentor is to help you learn discipline-specific pedagogical information and best practices in your field. Additionally, having a faculty mentor allows you to have a designated person with whom to discuss teaching-related topics as they arise. Having a faculty mentor to discuss teaching-related topics is a good practice to keep when transitioning to academic employment positions. A mentor can assist with the transition and continue to provide guidance on teaching and pedagogy. 

Putting Your Portfolio Together 

Now that you have learned the basics of creating a teaching portfolio, how do you assemble it? The best way to create your portfolio is digitally. There are various free online sites that you can use to create your digital teaching portfolio. You can use these various platforms: Wordpress, Google sites, Google Blogger, Weebly, etc. and find what best suits your needs. 

When thinking about your digital portfolio, there are a few things to consider. Your portfolio should be professional in appearance. Your introduction page should clearly guide the reader to find components of the portfolio. It should provide a structure for the elements of the portfolio that evidences a rationale for how the pieces fit together. The format should give a compelling sense of who you are as a teacher and explain the purpose of the portfolio. All site links should be intact. All attached documents should be in PDF format and, when possible, be embedded within the site. Your writing should be free of grammatical and spelling errors and with correct citations. Be sure to have your mentor or someone you trust to review your portfolio before sharing. Another option to consider is limiting access to certain documents. You might be showing examples of course material from a course that you are currently teaching. If you do not want a student to stumble on an assignment, answer key, etc, you can look at the functions of your site and restrict access to certain documents. 

Finally, if you have teaching services on your campus, take advantage of them! Try to attend some helpful workshops, conferences, etc. Begin early. Development is ongoing; identify what areas you want to grow as a teacher and find resources to assist you.  Best of luck to all who are beginning and cultivating their teaching journey!

Resources

Saint Louis University, Reinert Center for Transformative Teaching and Learning: www.slu.edu/cttl 

Washington University of Saint Louis: http://teachingcenter.wustl.edu/creating-teaching-portfolio 

Preparing a Teaching Portfolio: Fran Mues and Mary Deane Sorcinelli The Center for Teaching, University of Massachusetts Amherst:  https://www.slu.edu/cttl/docs/cuts-forms/preparing-a-teaching-portfolio.pdf

University of Nebraska; Writing a Diversity Statement: Writing a Diversity Statement | Graduate Connections | Nebraska (unl.edu)

UC Chicago Diversity Statement: DiversityStatementPresentation.pdf (uchicago.edu)

References

Wolf, K.(1996). Developing an Effective Teaching Portfolio. Improving Professional Practice, 53(6),34-37.

Golash-Boza, T. (2016, June 10). How to write an effective diversity statement (essay). Inside Higher Ed. https://www.insidehighered.com/advice/2016/06/10/how-write-effective-diversity-statement-essay 

Remembering Yourself During Exam Season

I am a survivor of doctoral-level Qualifying and Comprehensive exams. While I am not an expert, I can provide you with survival tips!

As we enter the examination season, it is okay to have feelings of anxiety and nervousness. They are natural and  may linger after you have submitted your exam. In preparation, consider the following tips and tricks:

• Create a structured (and intentional) study schedule

  • Designate days for topic area coverage

  • Work backwards from your exam date to ensure you are giving each topic area its necessary attention

• SLEEP!

  • I cannot stress this enough; you have to go to sleep! If your brain likes to continue the study party when you are attempting to sleep, might I suggest the following: 

    • Meditation (Peloton has great options, the Calm app, and additional free apps you can find in the App Store or Google Play Store)

    • Melatonin (I am a strong advocate for wild berry liquid drops, yum!)

    • Power naps 

    • Setting a sleep schedule and turning on your Do Not Disturb (DND) feature on your cellular device. Our screen time consumption has increased due to the pandemic, so be sure to give your eyes and brain a break. 

• Organization

  • Be sure to take time to organize your notes (tab your books; this was a life saver for both my exams) 

  • Take a moment to organize your desk space/area

  • Take time to electronically organize your files and notes. Create folders for each of your semesters and within the folder add folders for your courses taken during that semester. This has been a life saver for myself and many of my colleagues.

• WALK AWAY!

  • Take a moment to walk away from the computer, notes, and books

    • Take a walk, jog, or run. If you are addicted to Peloton (like me), take a ride (Tunde’s 20-min EDM ride always does the trick!)

  • In your study schedule, be sure to schedule downtime! 

• Lastly, please EAT! 

  • Junk food is easily accessible during this time, but remember what you are putting in your body. Having a sugar craving? Try fruit instead. Feeling the need for a soft drink (or a soda pop as we refer to them in the south)? Try carbonated mineral waters that have assorted flavors.  

  • Drink lots of water and stay hydrated!

While these are just a couple of tips and tricks that assisted me in my success with my doctoral exams, be sure to know yourself and respect your needs! As always, stay POSITIVE! 

Social Work Snippets

Resources, updates, and job postings

Job Postings: 

• The UW Department of Pediatrics and the SCRI Center for Child Health, Behavior & Development is hiring an Assistant Professor on the faculty-scientist track: https://apply.interfolio.com/83063

• There are two open rank, fixed-term faculty positions available at UNC-Chapel Hill. The primary duties of both positions includes working in the field program and teaching. They are specifically looking for individuals with 1.) Child and Families/School Social Work Experience and 2.) Mental Health (adults, children, and their families) direct practice/teaching experience. The link to apply for both positions is here: https://unc.peopleadmin.com/postings/189435

• Director of Education Policy, Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families: This position will advocate for state and local education policies that improve equity in resources, opportunities, and outcomes for children, particularly for families of color and families that live in poverty. Candidates should have experience in analysis of education policy; knowledge of local, state, and federal education policy; and advocacy. Candidates should also have experience working in coalitions and with diverse groups and populations. Experience in analysis of education finance is a plus. Salary range is $65,000 to $80,000, depending on qualifications and experience. People of color and other applicants with lived experience in the issues we champion are encouraged to apply. Our office is currently working remotely because of COVID, but we plan to return to the office later this year.     Job Description & How to Apply

• Research Fellow, Arlington Thrive: The Research Fellow position at Arlington Thrive is a position responsible for supporting the Community Innovative Strategist with carrying out the research agenda, specifically with conducting research into causes of and solutions to evictions, systemic poverty and wealth gaps in Arlington County, Virginia. Arlington Thrive is a growing and innovative nonprofit that is seeking an employee with a social justice mindset and a background in social sciences.    Job Description & How to Apply

Conferences/CFPs: 

• Register for the NASW National Virtual Conference from June 22-24, 2021: https://naswvirtual.socialworkers.org/nasw-national2021 

• The Power of MACRO Social Work: Forging Pathways, Virtual Conference, June 3, 10, and 17

Let's Change the World. We will grapple with complex social problems, share our policy and practice research and projects, and build social work partnerships to advance social justice and social change in these challenging times. Come ONE Come ALL. If you are a social work educator, student, and/or practitioner (micro and macro) this groundbreaking virtual event is for you. View Event Details and Register.

• REGISTER NOW FOR NSWM’S FORWARD THINKING SUMMIT (JUNE 7-11) AND SAVE - EXCLUSIVE STUDENT OPPORTUNITY - https://mailchi.mp/.../register-now-and-save-exclusive...

• Behavioral Sciences is calling for papers for their special issue "Culturally Responsive Trauma-Informed Care." Deadline to submit is November 21, 2021. For more information: https://www.mdpi.com/…/…/special_issues/Trauma-Informed_Care

• Call for Papers on COVID-19- Global Social Welfare: Research, Policy and Practice Global Social Welfare brings together research that informs the fields of global social work, social development, and social welfare policy and practice. It serves as an outlet for manuscripts and brief reports of interdisciplinary applied research that advance knowledge about global threats to the well - being of individuals, groups, families, and communities. Submissions will be accepted on a rolling basis and reviewed by experts in the field. Rapid but thorough peer review and prompt editorial decisions will ensure that quality manuscripts are published in a timely manner and disseminated widely to inform additional research and policymaking on COVID - 19 - related issues: https://files.constantcontact.com/.../e0f33974-d610-4a75…

Grants/Fellowships: 

Community Mental Health Centers Grant Program Department of Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

Deadline: May 21, 2021

The purpose of this program is to enable community mental health centers to support and restore the delivery of clinical services that were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and effectively address the needs of individuals with serious emotional disturbance (SED), serious mental illness (SMI), and individuals with SMI or SED and substance use disorders, referred to as co-occurring disorder (COD). SAMHSA recognizes the needs of individuals with behavioral health conditions, including minority populations and economically disadvantaged communities, have not been met during the pandemic and that CMHC staff and other caregivers have been impacted.

**NCID Postdoctoral Fellowship

Deadline: May 28, 2021

The NCID Postdoctoral Fellowship is aimed at promoting and supporting the work of outstanding early career diversity scholars. This program provides the opportunity of protected time for focused scholarship, as well as to engage with the rich intellectual community at the University of Michigan.

For the 2021-2022 year, NCID’s Anti-Racism Collaborative will partner with the Stepping uP Against Racism and Xenophobia (SPARX) Project to offer a unique postdoctoral fellowship opportunity. SPARX is a new and exciting global network of scholars committed to a) integrating and expanding the existing empirical and theoretical evidence base to explain how children and adolescents learn to recognize, respond to, and resist interpersonal and structural racism as well as xenophobia and b) distilling and communicating existing knowledge on these processes in ways that engage and promote uptake and translation by practitioners, parents, and policymakers. 

Postdoctoral Fellowship in Maternal and Child Health

Deadline: Open Until Filled

The Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health is pleased to announce a postdoctoral fellowship in Maternal and Child Health (MCH). This postdoctoral training program provides mentorship and support to enhance fellows’ skills in research, teaching, and curriculum development and prepare fellows for excellence in MCH research and leadership positions in academic institutions. The fellowship offers opportunities for quantitative and qualitative research on domestic MCH topics and programs, such as maternal and early home visiting. We welcome applicants from varied disciplines including, but not limited to public health, social work, psychology, nursing, and medicine. Applicants must be US citizens or hold a permanent resident visa. Applicants should send a cover letter, CV, graduate transcript(s), writing sample, personal statement, and names and contact information for three references to Kristen McCormick at kmccor14@jhu.edu.

• Check out this grant opportunity to assist community mental health centers in supporting and restoring the delivery of clinical services that were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and effectively address the needs of individuals: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=332338&utm_campaign=fyi_newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery 

Resources: 

• Are you interested in mixed-methods research? Register for the University of Michigan's online certificate in mixed methods research on Mondays and Wednesdays in June 2021 from 6-8pm EST: https://ssw.umich.edu/…/certificate-…/mixed-methods-research

• Trying to write a diversity statement? Check out this workshop recording out of West Virginia University: https://youtu.be/mNu7hrDNNZ0

• Statistics or your dissertation got you stressed? Need a little statistical or dissertation self-care? Check out Statistics Solutions' Free Webinars! https://www.statisticssolutions.com/webinars/?fbclid=IwAR10M5-N-c5BFuvZYZlq_E1tyR7U36AFwHQ5tciRiSgRsavXJ3AdbgtmvQM 

• Check out these resources for PhD students for writing job materials, manuscripts, and other scholarly works. Shared by Dr. Natasha Mendoza, Associate Professor in the School of Social Work at Arizona State University. The resource is on Open Academics, a community developed to share resources for Academia: https://www.oacommunity.org/resources

• The Center for Applied Transgender Studies has recently launched! The Center is based out of Chicago, Illinois and is dedicated to scholarship on the social, cultural, and political conditions of transgender life: https://www.appliedtransstudies.org/

• Take a break from your research and listen to some podcasts from prominent social workers! Here are 25 podcasts that discuss a wide array of issues that are relevant for today’s social workers. Enjoy! https://www.bestmswprograms.com/best-social-work-podcasts/

Disclaimer: This newsletter is created as free service by SSWR Doctoral Student Committee Communications Subcommittee members: 

• Pari Shah

• Alberto Cifuentes, Jr.

• Veronica Timbers

• Latoya Hogg

• Durrell Malik Washington, Sr.

• Agnès Nzomene Kahouo Foda

• Victoria Carter

• Tasha Childs

• Riley Hostetter

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.