I’ve been watching the women academics around me with children and without tenure struggle so hard during this pandemic with trying to juggle work/life responsibilities. This article sheds light on some of this. A thread 1/10 https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/06/science/covid-universities-women.html?referringSource=articleShare

But I want to say the struggle also exists for academics who have elderly parents they care for, or other family. It is magnified by the fact that many academics take jobs far away from their support networks. 2/10

I don’t have small children, or a family, and I’m tenured, so I face different issues. Yes my research is stalled (ethnography=being among people. Can’t do it) but my job isn’t on the line because of that. And that makes me lucky, I know that. 3/10

I have an autoimmune disease and can’t catch this virus. So in my case I have to remain locked down at home in a strict way, even when others are loosening up. I can’t even think of doing “flex” or being on campus right now. 4/10

I also spend a lot of time trying to keep students on track, mentoring and reassuring them and doing a lot of service, like so many WOC. Everything takes twice as long these days. 5/10

But again, I’m privileged. I will ride this out alone and lonely, somewhat miserable, overwhelmed by work, but my job isn’t on the line. A lot of women academics have jobs on the line. 6/10

We have to come up with an equitable way to help early career faculty get through this crisis and achieve tenure. I know more time on the clock is the common response but as this virus continues, research will be affected for years. 7/10

And we have to recognize that. Requirements for tenure likely need to be adjusted to account for however long the virus goes on. Or we stand to lose a generation of young academics. 8/10

And we also have to think about how to support contingent and contract faculty. They also need support for childcare/elder care, etc and many are facing this pandemic without proper health insurance or any support at all from institutions. 9/10

Academia is a mess I know. But if you can stand and fight for your people in your little corner of the world, do it. Do it. We need creative approaches to these problems. The pandemic has only magnified all of this. 10/10