Rebuild the Academy: Supporting academic mothers during COVID-19 and beyond

Abstract

The issues facing academic mothers have been discussed for decades. Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is further exposing these inequalities as womxn scientists who are parenting while also engaging in a combination of academic related duties are falling behind. These inequities can be solved by investing strategically in solutions. Here we describe strategies that would ensure a more equitable academy for working mothers now and in the future. While the data are clear that mothers are being disproportionately impacted by COVID-19, many groups could benefit from these strategies. Rather than rebuilding what we once knew, let us be the architects of a new world.

The Pandemic Penalty: The Gendered Effects of COVID-19 on Scientific Productivity

“…Universities that expect professors to return to work need to be sure that their employees have access to adequate, safe childcare. Institutions should invest in high-quality, on-campus childcare (with appropriate safety measures) and offer small-group childcare not only for infants and preschoolers but for school-aged children in areas where schools continue to be closed (Fulweiler et al 2021). Universities should also prioritize mothers for returning to offices and labs; space can be an issue for those in small homes, especially if children are being cared for at home.…”

How to Optimize Your Research During a Pandemic – A Summary of Discussions From the Association for Academic Surgery Town Hall and Lessons Learned From 2020

“…23 , 24 Most recently, Fulweiler et al proposed various strategies and recommendations to support academic mothers during the COVID-19 and beyond, including a call for a universal infrastructure of having an affordable childcare and institutions and funding agencies to incorporate a "COVID-19 Disruptions" statement in tenure and promotion files. 25…”

Asking Big: Creating a Culture of Support for Academic Mothers’ Advocating in Times of Crisis

“…Almost one year to the day that the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic, a group of biologists collaboratively authored an article focused on exposing how the academy disproportionately underserves academic mothers, and they offer advice to faculty mentors, university administrators, scientific societies, publishers, and funding agencies on how to better support women in STEM fields (Fulweiler et al, 2021). This article comes on the heels of other scholars who voiced similar concerns in the ADVANCE Journal first, including Carrie N. Baker (2020), who has documented the structural inequities women with dependent children have faced during the pandemic as childcare demands increased and scholarly productivity 2 "Motherscholar" is a term coined by Cheryl E. Matias in 2011 and "refers to the inseparable identities of being both mother and scholar; both-and and not, either-or" (Matias and Nishi, 2017).…”

“…Recent research conducted at a large public research university in the American Southwest shows that Black first-generation women students struggle to persist in their STEM studies more than their White and Asian counterparts (Suárez et al, 2021). And for those who do persist and go on to pursue advanced degrees in STEM fields to become full-time faculty, they are met with regular microaggressions from White and male colleagues on top of additional responsibilities as a result of the pandemic and the Black Lives Matter Movement (Fulweiler et al, 2021;Suárez et al, 2021). Tenisha Tevis (2021) calls attention to these circumstances in her recent article touching on the invisible labor of othermothering that has reached unmanageable levels over the last year.…”

“…Tenisha Tevis (2021) calls attention to these circumstances in her recent article touching on the invisible labor of othermothering that has reached unmanageable levels over the last year. Tevis discusses othermothering largely as the concept pertains to teaching, mentoring, or advising students, but we would be remiss if we did not acknowledge the fact that our BIPOC colleagues are also being unfairly tasked with "emotionally charged service activities to confront systemic racism in academia," such as membership on newly formed diversity task forces (Fulweiler et al, 2021). Pre-tenure BIPOC academic mothers face grueling uphill challenges as they encounter additional forms of inequity, including the systemic racism that runs throughout academic systems, a marginalization tied to higher rates of imposter syndrome (Ahmed et al, 2020).…”