Chronicle of Higher Education

   Don't Go It Alone

   By ELLEN OSTROW

More years ago than I like to admit, I interviewed
for my
   first faculty job. I'd anticipated being asked about my
   research program and my teaching interests. But several female
   graduate students asked me a question I hadn't expected: What
   kind of a role model would I be?

   I was completely thrown by the question. There were four women
   in the entire -- and very large -- psychology department. I
   would be the fifth -- and the first woman to join the
   department's clinical faculty. Back when I was a graduate
   student, there had been no women on the clinical faculty of
   the department where I'd earned my degree and only a couple of
   women in the department as a whole. My mother hadn't worked
   outside the home until after I left for college. It hadn't
   occurred to me to want a role model, much less to become one.
   Just what were the students expecting of me? And how could I
   be a role model when I was consumed with my own insecurity
   about succeeding?

   Ample psychological research documents that the transition
   from graduate school to a faculty position is highly
   stressful. Gone is the mentor or adviser who'd guided your
   dissertation. Now it's up to you to design and execute your
   own program of research. The comforting structure of graduate
   school is replaced by ambiguous expectations. Studying for
   comps is easy compared with learning the ropes with so much at
   stake. According to some research, simply deciphering the
   reward system is the most difficult adjustment for new faculty
   members.

   If you're a woman, you're faced with even more challenges.
   Data indicate that female faculty members face negative bias
   in the evaluations of students as well as senior colleagues.
   Many of them will hold you to a higher standard while others
   -- consciously or not -- will simply expect you to fail. Throw
   in the fact that women still carry the bulk of responsibility
   for family and home in their personal lives, and you've got a
   pretty daunting situation.

   Certain characteristics of academic culture heighten the
   pressure on female faculty members. Individual achievement is
   valued above all else. Competition is fierce. In this context,
   you're likely to feel quite vulnerable. But the idea of your
   vulnerability being detected can be threatening. And since
   women are stereotyped as less "tough," you need to be
   particularly careful about self-revelation.

   All of this sets the stage for the thing you most need to
   avoid in order to succeed: isolation. One of the most
   well-documented realities is the protective function of social
   support. People with strong personal connections fare better
   both physically and psychologically. We are more resilient,
   accomplish more, and feel more confident when we have close,
   supportive relationships. Studies of graduate students
   indicate that the highest predictor of career commitment is a
   strong academic self-concept which, in turn, is dependent upon
   support from mentors, family members, and colleagues. Having a
   strong network of supporters characterizes women who have
   succeeded in a variety of male-dominated work environments.

   The hard part is building that network. The new academic,
   looking to senior colleagues for information and advice,
   encouragement and feedback, is likely to come away
   disappointed. The overemphasis on individual achievement in a
   highly competitive environment makes scholars focus on their
   personal productivity. Getting your head out of your work long
   enough to notice the needs of others isn't typically high on
   an academic's priority list.

   And if you're a woman or a person of color, you have the
   additional problem of the scarcity of others like you. In
   spite of the limitations of time and numbers, if you follow
   the right strategy, you can construct a network that will
   temper even the chilliest of climates:

   Commit Time and Energy

   With all of the other demands on your time, the easiest thing
   to postpone is building relationships. But the time investment
   is crucial for the success of your academic career. As a
   minority member in what can feel like a hostile environment,
   you'll need the support of others who feel similarly. Shared
   experiences relieve feelings of strangeness, craziness, and
   inadequacy. A sense of belonging -- of being part of a
   community -- can moderate the stress of adjusting to a new
   environment. Supportive relationships can affirm your
   competence, acknowledge your efforts when the outcome is less
   than you'd hoped, and rally behind you in times of crisis.

   Schedule relationship-building time into every day. It's just
   as essential as getting published.

   Assess Your Current Network

   Evaluate the connections you already have. Are there
   dimensions of your life where good relationships are lacking?
   Consider what makes each relationship important. What do you
   need: information about campus resources; advice about your
   research; tips on how to balance work and family; emotional
   support? Reflect on who might potentially fill these needs.
   Determine what's required to build the new connections you
   want and who might help you.

   Look in Unexpected Places

   Many new faculty members fail to look beyond their departments
   for potential support. But you have many other options.
   Explore relationships with women on the nonacademic staff and
   in local women's networks. On most campuses you can find an
   organization of women who work together across job titles and
   levels to create supportive networks. Pursue relationships
   with women in your field at other institutions, faculty
   associations, and the women's section of your professional
   association.

   There is evidence that it's not the gender of a mentor but the
   balance of faculty members that most influences the confidence
   and commitment of female graduate students in male-dominated
   departments. So, seek connections with individuals of both
   genders within and outside of your discipline, department,
   institution, and academe.

   Identify Potential Allies

   Do this on the basis of the help and advice they provide
   rather than their positions. Early in my academic career I ran
   a workshop on assertiveness for the department's support staff
   -- all of whom were women. The alliances that resulted proved
   invaluable to me. These women were often the best source of
   information about what was really going on in the department.
   They knew the procedures and norms, what to avoid saying to
   whom, and where and to whom to go when I needed help on
   details like how to get business cards. And of course, when I
   needed documents copied, my work didn't fall down to the
   bottom of the priority list.

   Determine What Information You Need to Be Successful

   All too often, your new colleagues will show you where to buy
   a house, but not how to get technical support for your
   lectures. New faculty members need good information about
   departmental protocol -- the written rules and unwritten
   guidelines for merit increases, promotion, and tenure. Find
   allies who can tell you about resources you can expect the
   institution to make available. Reflect on who can demystify
   the grant-application process, as well as who can advise you
   about good channels for publication and about what to do if
   ever you feel you've been treated unfairly.

   Seek Out Mentors and Role Models

   These days it's unrealistic to expect any one person to take
   you on as a protege. There simply aren't enough senior women
   or people of color to serve the needs of younger colleagues.
   Instead, try to negotiate mentor relationships with a few
   people. Consider what you hope to gain from each relationship,
   as well as what you can offer in return. Be specific about the
   kind of assistance you hope each mentor can provide.

   A good mentor is someone who can promote your professional
   productivity, foster confidence in your abilities, and help
   you build enthusiasm for your field. Your relationship should
   be a source of acceptance and personal support as well as
   information about how to be successful. Particularly for new
   female faculty members, an effective mentor is sensitive to,
   and supportive of, your nonwork responsibilities.

   Reach out to women who are already achieving the goals you
   hope to accomplish. They may not have the time to be your
   mentor but they can be a role model. Ask them what they wish
   they had known, what worked, what they would do differently.
   Seek their advice about how to juggle your various job
   responsibilities and how to navigate between work and family
   demands.

   Request Help From Colleagues

   Try to get a read on the reactions of senior colleagues and
   your department head to your planned research program.
   Recruiting their support from the beginning can ease things at
   evaluation time.

   Ask your senior colleagues what they found to be useful
   activities and what were time-consuming and unproductive
   drains on their energy. Having them look at drafts of papers
   before you submit them for publication can be extremely
   helpful. You can rehearse oral presentations in front of
   colleagues and students and benefit from their feedback.

   Enlist Partners and Family

   Obviously, what you don't need are family members who are
   threatened by your success. Tell your most intimate sources of
   support what you need from them. Research indicates that only
   a minority of graduate students experience their family as
   supportive and that female students report less support from
   family than do their male counterparts. Family counseling may
   be an effective antidote to a partner who seems to undermine
   your work.

   Give Yourself Permission to Ask for Help

   Don't confuse your lack of confidence with a lack of ability.
   There's no shame in asking for help. You initially feel
   embarrassed, but remind yourself that turning to others for
   help is the most effective way to cope with the stress of
   being a new faculty member.

   Keep in mind all that you have to offer. It's gratifying to
   know that you're admired and respected and that you can be
   helpful. No one is so sure of themselves that they won't
   benefit from the mutual sharing that normalizes everyone's
   experience.

   The best resource you have for building supportive ties is
   you. Show your genuine interest and caring. Help others
   accomplish their goals. Introduce people to each other -- help
   them make connections. Most importantly, give credit to those
   who have helped and supported you.
 
 

   Ellen Ostrow is a clinical psychologist and founder of Lawyers
   Life Coach, which provides coaching services to female lawyers
   trying to balance professional success and personal lives. She
   has served on the psychology faculties of three universities
   and as a staff psychologist at several university counseling
   centers.
 
 
 
 

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