Feedback needed: meeting times, program ideas, issues to share

High on the list of the recently published Ten simple rules for women principal investigators during a pandemic, authors suggest Find a peer group of women to provide professional support. This is not new advice.  We’ve long argued that women generally benefit from networking and group mentoring, that stress responses are moderated by social supports, and also that short breaks help individuals regroup and gain fresh perspectives.

I’m looking forward to re-convening monthly “coffee breaks” for peer support and to discuss ways to better recruit, retain, and advance women.  Let us know what times could work for you, and if so inclined, a little bit about you, any program ideas, and/or what you think decision makers should know about women working/studying at ESF at:  https://forms.gle/ffX1cnUgQn6gYn7q6

I anticipate being virtual for a while, so that we don’t need to pivot should numbers or space constraints worsen (at least 3 conference rooms are offline this semester); so folks at our remote campuses, working from home, or in isolation can participate; and because the nature of masking makes more difficult both hearing and enjoying that beverage.

Please note that you don’t need to wait for those monthly breaks to ask questions or share resources!

·         ESFWomen is configured as a discussion forum.  You can use it to communicate with each other  (about 100 people strong, some still on campus, some that have graduated or gone to other institutions) as well as receiving announcements like these.

·         FamilyResources is a separate list.  Child- and elder-care impact lots of folks regardless of gender/gender identity, and not all women have an interest in those resources.  By spinning off those discussions, we hope to make them more accessible to those who need them (ATM or for the future), unclutter the inboxes of those who don’t, and underscore “balancing work and family” as universal workplace concerns.

You subscribe yourself to either listserv right away by following the instructions at the links above! You may also save yourself those steps and instead check the “please add me links” while responding to the survey (https://forms.gle/ffX1cnUgQn6gYn7q6) and you'll be manually added when we look at responses.

Also save these dates:

·         Women’s Empowerment Brunch, Saturday, November 7 (for all, with Baobab Society and others)

·         CNY Girls’ Summit, Saturday, April 2 (for 5^th-10^th graders, with OELO, OIDE, YWCA and others. Will be seeking workshop leaders, group guides, and other volunteers)

·         Take our Kids to Work Day, Thursday, April 28 (for 8-11 yr olds with an adult that works or studies at ESF.  Will be seeking workshop leaders, group guides, and other volunteers)