This document lists specific practices and citations for them that can help create more inclusive communities. The suggestions are targeted towards instructors in computer science, but can be adapted for other fields and for the research environment.

"A letter of recommendation for an academic position or promotion provides an overall assessment of the candidate’s potential to excel in the new position: the professional promise and evidence to support
that assessment."

"For science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) graduate students from underrepresented groups, such as racial and ethnic minorities and women, a sense of belonging—or lack thereof—can have a concrete effect on a crucial career component: their publication records. "

"Mentorship is [...] a set of skills that can and should be learned, practiced, and improved upon with self-reflection and feedback."

"It is paramount that all fieldworkers be informed of the risks some colleagues may face, so that they can define best practice together: here we recommend strategies to minimize risk for all individuals conducting fieldwork."

"recommendations to prepare faculty and students for discrimination and racialized violence before traveling and to protect them once in the field."

"Here we present 10 rules to help labs develop antiracists policies and action in an effort to promote racial and ethnic diversity, equity, and inclusion in science."

"Suggestions on this list come from a variety of sources (e.g. HLAA employment toolkit) but primarily our own experiences. This list isn’t comprehensive but provides some guidelines for common scenarios with academia. "

"The purpose of this work was to provide tools, resources, and other materials necessary for non-Native scholars, researchers, faculty members, and government employees to better understand, reach out to, and build collaborative relationships with those who share an affiliation with Oklahoma Indian Country."

"This guide was developed in response to librarians fielding multiple requests from UMN researchers looking to incorporate anti-racism into their research practices."

"Twelve ways that white faculty members can better support Black academics in their department and across the campus."

Requires OU 4x4 login via LinkedIn Learning (formerly Lynda.com). "Empathy at work is crucial to [...] success. When you and your coworkers feel comfortable and confident speaking openly to each other, you're able to develop better relationships. As a result, you feel like you matter and you feel safe enough in your environment to speak up and to allow others to do the same."

This article is focused towards secondary education but the principles should be applicable to post-secondary teaching as well.

"Teaching While White (TWW) seeks to move the conversation forward on how to be consciously, intentionally, anti-racist in the classroom. Because "white" does not mean a blank slate. It is a set of assumptions that is the baseline from which everything is judged; it is what passes for normal. "

"Using someone’s correct personal pronouns is a way to respect them and create an inclusive environment, just as using a person’s name can be a way to respect them."

"Pronouns are hard! There is a reason for that (the reason is… linguistics), but the fact of the matter is, many people find it very difficult to switch pronouns for a person, or to use certain pronouns at all. This post isn’t about getting into the why, but more going about the how to get better."

"This is a fairly common thing to hear, and it’s pretty clear those saying it think they’re paying you a compliment. But “don’t worry, I don’t see you as…” never ends with a positive statement."

"my prayer is that when someone asks you the question, “how can I be a stronger ally?” you might choose to save your breath/energy and send this in its place. "

"Within the humanities and social sciences, a growing recognition of this issue has led to calls to “decolonize” research practice by interrogating and seeking to move away from European modes of knowledge production (see, e.g., Radcliffe, 2017). "

"crucial that male mentors go the extra mile to engage in mentorships of women that help to dismantle the deeply embedded patriarchal structures that have created such hurdles for women in political science as well as other disciplines."

"This article describes an ongoing initiative of the Department of Chemistry (Chem. Dept.) at the University of Minnesota (UMN) to support the mental health of graduate students. With the increasing pressure on students to carry out novel research, publish articles, learn a broad range of skills, and look for career opportunities, the levels of stress, anxiety, and depression among graduate students are on the rise. "

"We’re biting our tongues, swallowing our rage and fighting back tears to remain professional because expressing that hurt caused by witnessing black death is considered more unprofessional, than black men and women actually being killed. So if you can, please, be mindful. Your black employees are dealing with a lot."

"Williams [...] studies the link between racism and post-traumatic stress disorder, which is known as race-based traumatic stress injury, or the emotional distress a person may feel after encountering racial harassment or hostility. [...] she says race-based stress reactions can be triggered by events that are experienced vicariously, or externally, through a third party — like social media or national news events."

"While researchers have begun to examine the experiences of working class students in undergraduate education more closely, we know less about the experiences of working class students in graduate school. Through a nationwide survey of graduate students enrolled in Ph.D. programs in Sociology, we examined the extent to which working class students face greater challenges or barriers in completing their degrees compared to their middle class peers."

Focusing on medical school matching - "Improving the experiences of Black applicants will be a first step toward increasing the diversity of programs and subsequently addressing the unmet needs of the diverse patient populations they serve."

"The first step in addressing implicit biases and microaggressions is to recognize that they exist." Written about medicine, but the lessons from this article can be applied in many fields.

"When you know someone is autistic and you’re interacting with them, remember that many of us cannot modulate our tone of voice and are not trying to send you any social signals with our timbre or pitch. And remember, not everyone you interact with will be openly autistic or know they are autistic."

"a few granules of wisdom about racism in higher education. May they help you survive and thrive in a system that is structurally designed to cast a shadow on your bright and luminous mind."

A first-generation student, now a faculty member, "describes the barriers he faced as a first-generation graduate student and shares some lessons for other students as well as faculty members."

OU graduate student Montrai Spikes describes his experiences teaching and working as a biology graduate student.

"Small moments of support go a long way in showing the trans community that you see us; you value us; and you’re here for us. Since there aren’t a ton of other trans people in STEM fields, make us feel like we’re a part of the family. It will go a long way into helping us succeed and overcome our own imposter syndrome."

"Recounts her time as a corporate research scientist at a drug company in western New York—a job she left in 2017 in part because of its toxic culture. Afterward, she went into academia as an assistant professor of biology at a community college, also in western New York, where on her first day a white co-worker threatened to call the police on her. "

"The BLM movement has spotlighted many issues with systematic racism and the underlying principles that unify marginalized communities especially in regards to stereotyping and exclusion from the system. People with disabilities are often one marginalized group that is overlooked."

"I worry that others, facing the stresses and sadness of the pandemic, may be starting down a similar path. Here’s my cautionary tale."

"I'm still navigating my path forward. But I will never regret my decision to come out. I'm constantly learning how to exist in this world as my true self, and I know I'm not on this journey alone. Many friends and colleagues—both cis-gender and transgender, queer and straight—are standing by me every step of the way. "

"The difficulty of this task has real consequences for autistic people and contributes to our high unemployment rate, including autistic people with high educational backgrounds. We often undersell ourselves, but only because many neurotypical people have no problem embellishing their traits."

"Making it as a deaf/hard of hearing (HoH) academic can often feel like a game of whack-a-mole. Between research activities, teaching duties, and that large nebulous category ‘service,’ communication challenges lurk around every corner. "

"To see a face like mine represented in science requires intentional action to turn a system not initially built to include all into a community that reflects, embraces, and celebrates people from all demographics."

"Schell, who joined UW Tacoma last year as an assistant professor, is determined to use the charismatic species he studies to deliver a message about racism and inequality. As his work and interests have evolved, Schell says he finds it harder to ignore that everything is connected"

"geographical thinking frequently ignores how geographies enact violence, create spaces of belonging, reproduce systematic equalities, and codify race. Yet for Black People, geography operates across multiple sites and multiple planes, and it is all-encompassing, frequently defining the outcomes of our lives."

Includes a helpful infographic summarizing how to email professors about research opportunities.

"Reading underserved learners’ applications to grad school: we need to stop failing them"

From UC Davis - some answers are program-specific but others can be generalized.

Check out the Career Communities for both undergraduate and graduate students (and alumni). O*NET and the Occupational Handbook linked from the "Online Resources" button on the "Resources" page are especially helpful to determine potential career paths for students and alumni from undergraduate and graduate degrees.

Use your OU email address to access jobs in the US and internationally located, as well as advice for international students seeking jobs in the US.

"Resources for graduate students exploring careers in higher education other than teaching faculty"

"Laziness is usually a warning sign from our bodies and our minds that something is not working"