Women-Space launches agony aunt column with an academic twist

Women-Space has launched an academic answer to the Cathy and Claire column popular with Jackie readers in the 1970s or Just 17 in the 1990s.

For those seeking advice beyond issues when your parents didn’t really understand you or dysfunctional sibling relationships or that first love, the Women-Space variant addresses burning issues faced by women in their academic lives.

‘Dear Boudicca’ (Boudicca being some of the Women-Space associates) will offer their advice to troubled readers.

Women-Space CEO Prof Christina Hughes explains the thinking behind the idea: “My teenage years were spent reading Agony Aunt columns as I grappled with all that stuff that happens in adolescence. Years later I was delighted to come across a book called Ms Mentor’s Impeccable Advice for Women in Academia by Emily Toth. It is sadly out of print now though you can buy second hand copies. Whilst focused on the North American system, it is full of wit, pithiness and a joy to read. It contains great advice as well!

“This love for Ms Mentor is shared by Women-Space Associate Linda Perriton and we got chatting. Emily’s book is the inspiration for Dear Boudicca. We hope, like Ms Mentor, we can answer the questions you are almost afraid to ask out loud.”

Christina is inviting ‘Dear Boudicca’ questions here.

Boudicca responds below to two common concerns.

The one about teaching the large, generalist first year modules

Dear Boudicca, I find myself, along with other women in my department, teaching the large, generalist first year modules while my male colleagues teach the more specialist option modules in the final year (i.e. smaller classes and based around their research interests). Students, I am told, need lecturers and tutors with great pedagogical skills in that crucial first transition year and that it is a compliment to my skills as an educator that I am teaching these large classes. I smell BS. Am I right to do so?

Boudicca replies:

· Don’t worry – there’s nothing wrong with your sense of smell. There is something awry with your long range planning though. The answer to this one is to send the dates you’re available to teach at least one academic year in advance to the relevant administrator, then book tickets to as many conferences as possible during the time you would rather not teach. If this fails, drag out the data and present it as evidence to the academic lead for EDI.

· Yes  - this sounds like BS to me too. Get a commitment as to when you can teach your specialism but more importantly, ask what is being done about colleagues whose skills aren’t good enough to teach first years.

The one about being found ‘insufficiently nurturing’

Dear Boudicca, One of my (male) PhD students asked to change supervisors because they found me 'insufficiently nurturing'. While he acknowledged that the academic support and feedback he received was excellent, he felt he needed more from me as a cheerleader and as a member of his personal support team. Has PhD supervision always been this gendered? (His new all-male supervision team is a model of benign neglect on all fronts and the student doesn't seem to notice). Or is PhD supervision a newly opened front in the 'You're a woman, why aren't you nicer to me?' wars?

Boudicca replies:

· His loss – I’ve not come across this in 30 years of  supervision, so suspect it’s this chap.

· It’s time to drag out the dull document your department wrote about DPhil supervision, no doubt outlining your role as academic advisor.  Perhaps also suggest he names the person he’d like to be supervised by and send him in their direction. He could just be a long term drag on your time and your self esteem. Wave bye bye while you still can.