How have you responded to critical conversations in the past?
We recognize that many people will, at some point during the upcoming break, be visiting family of some sort. While family can be an important source of comfort (particularly during the pandemic), we know that social justice is a conversation with loved ones that can be very tense, particularly if our family has not taken the time to examine their privileges.
What are our societal perspectives of addiction?
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the specter of isolation and suffering has caused mental health to worsen for many people around the world.
What kind of representation do you see of Black women in your field?
Take a moment and think about who you see reflected in your field. How many Black women do you see in your classroom(s)? How many Black women do you see at the top/as an “expert” in your field? In what ways are Black women present in the data used by your field?
Religious Pluralism & Religious Discrimination
We are discussing a personal topic for many: religion/spirituality and religious discrimination.
Laurie Burns McRobbie Awarded Prestigious Sagamore of the Wabash
During this year’s Indiana Conference for Women on November 3, Laurie Burns McRobbie, Indiana University’s First Lady Emerita, co-founder of the Center of Excellence for Women & Technology, and current staff of the Center, received the Sagamore of the Wabash award.
Center featured in news articles and blogs
Our Center is proud to have been featured and/or mentioned in these published news articles and blog posts.
Implicit and explicit devaluation of women’s accomplishments and competence
For this week's Ally Tips, we take a deep dive into a very common form of gender bias – the implicit and explicit devaluation of women’s accomplishments and competence.
What is the Purpose of a Land Acknowledgement
It’s hard to believe that there are only a few months left in the semester! This month is Native American Heritage Month, so we wanted to start off with a conversation about one of the most underrepresented communities in higher education - particularly Native women who are simultaneously marginalized by sexism and colonialism.
is it really a leaky pipeline?
For the last week of October, we turn our attention to sexism in STEM, taking a look at the interpersonal and structural issues that face women students and faculty in male-dominated fields. Women are nearly half of all US workers, but only make up 27% of all STEM workers according to a 2021 Census Bureau report. Within these environments, women experience large amounts of stress and negative interactions because of the overwhelming dominance of men in their field. Read more about women’s experiences in STEM, outcomes from these experiences, and how you can better support women in STEM. P.S. Alyssa Denneler, a Scholars’ Common librarian, let our team know that last week’s recommended book, A Field Guide to Grad School: Uncovering the Hidden Curriculum by Dr. Calarco, is available for free here. Thanks for sharing, Alyssa!
How do we talk about (and through) our social class?
This week, we thought that it would be a good idea to discuss a topic that is less visible in our conversations about equity and social justice: social class. Higher education has been valorized as a way to equalize the playing field for people of all class backgrounds – but does it? We take time to unpack how classism manifests within higher education and how we can do better by our students, peers, and beyond when it comes to social class equity. P.S. Throughout this set of tips, we use a variety of language to describe social class. This reflects the diversity of elements that constitute social class (and our collective difficulty with talking about it). Check out Bourdieu’s (1987) theoretical perspective or this short article by Lumen for more info.
How do you think about disability?
For this Ally Tips, we’re taking a look at Neurodiversity (or Neurodivergence) and how we can create work/learning environments that are conducive to all ways of thinking! Neurodiversity was coined in 1998 by Judy Singer (and recently updated) to recognize that there are many ways that people’s brains can be “wired” (such as people with dyslexia, autism, and ADHD) that produce different ways of thinking, problem solving, and learning. Part of this recognition is that there isn’t a single “normal” way of thinking. A history of ableism, however, has taught us to believe that there is one kind of body and, by extension, one kind of brain that is normal and that produces normal behavior. Rather than being viewed as simply different, neurodivergent people are often viewed as less intelligent, less competent, and less capable of functioning. Of course, they are trying to function in a world that was built according to the needs of a “normal” body. Read more below about how disabilities have been framed, experiences of neurodiverse people, and changes we can make to our everyday behavior to include neurodiversity!
Language Within the LGBTQ+ Community
As we finish our first full month of the semester, we are starting October (LGBTQ+ History Month) by talking about supporting LGBTQ+ people in your office/department. Millions of people in the United States belong to the LGBTQ+ community (Gallup, 2021), which means that even if you don’t consciously know it, there’s probably at least one person around you who is LGBTQ+. Visit the LGBTQ+ Culture Center’s website for more information about ongoing events and trainings that can help you grow as an ally for gender and sexuality equity.
This week, we wanted to talk about an issue that not many people talk about but is seen widely throughout our society – weight stigma or “fatphobia.” Weight bias is a negative/stereotypical attitude, belief, and judgement about people because of their weight. While weight bias exists on a spectrum that can include people who are underweight, we are covering biases against plus-sized people because this group predominantly experiences negative attitudes and discriminatory practices.
Do you know someone experiencing mental health issues?
We all know that the pandemic has caused suffering for billions of people around the world, isolating us from each other in our greatest time of need. In recognition of this, we thought it would be important to talk about mental health and how to better support people who are dealing with mental illness.
e-Merse Yourself. Get the Digital Survival Skills e-Badge!
Our e-Badge for Digital Survival Skills will help you tell a convincing story to future employers about your digital competencies.
Do you know the difference between Hispanic and Latino?
We know that Hispanic Heritage Month kicks off tomorrow, so we thought we would talk about the experiences of those who are recognized during this month. We talk language, institutional experiences, and how to combat anti-Hispanic/Latinx/Chicanx/etc. bias. Don’t forget to check out La Casa’s website for information on campus programming and services dedicated to Latinx students and culture!
How has your work environment contributed to sexism?
The pandemic has reminded us that gender equity is far from achieved in the workforce. We wanted to revisit a few ideas about how work environments stop people from calling out sexism, the kinds of sexism that appear in the workplace, and how you can disrupt sexism on multiple levels.
Center to Collaborate on $20 million NSF Grant
The IU Center of Excellence for Women & Technology will collaborate on a new $20 million National Science Foundation grant.
Former Center Intern Named Miss Indiana
Former Center Black Women & Technology Intern A'Niyah Birdsong has been named the 2021 Miss Indiana.
Former Center Intern Wins Pulitzer
Former Center Writing Intern Ellen Glover, BAJ'18, is among this year’s Pulitzer Prize-winning team members.
Congratulations to the 2021 Women's Research Hackathon Winners
Congratulations to these 3 winning teams of the 2021 Women's Research Hackathon.
2021 Statewide Summit on Women & Tech: Empower, Engage, Educate
We are proud to announce our 8th Annual 2021 Statewide Summit on Women & Tech: Empower, Engage, Educate will take place completely online Thursday, March 4, Friday, March 5, Saturday, March 6, and Monday, March 8, 2021.
