Sticking to My Values and Possibly Burning Academic Bridges

Sticking to My Values

I have a bit of a reputation for sticking to my values (one I am super proud to have), sometimes at the expense of actually getting the things I want because I jump too soon. For example, I was about to be invited to an entrepreneurship TV show that had a fee for participating. When asked if I could pay it, I said, “I just paid that amount to a Black women entrepreneur I align with but I’m not sure I’m willing to pay that to a company run by a white man without knowing that we are values aligned.” I never heard back from them again. When brands contact me for paid collaborations, I send them to my brand page and form so I can learn about their business and how/whether they are doing anything to address oppression within their company - very few choose to fill it out. When interviewing for a documentary on women’s pleasure, I asked how trans women’s experiences would be incorporated – that wasn’t what they wanted to focus on and I wasn’t invited to move forward with the project. Sure, I could get my foot in the door and ask my questions once inside but it feels icky to be in the door due to my silence.

Recently, though, I had a multi-week internal (and external because I had hella conversations) debate. I’ve been in the process of applying to post-docs and it’s a lot of work. However, sometimes it’s more work than is appropriate. One application asked that we produce a syllabus for a course they offer. Of the many conversations I had, almost everyone blurted out the same thing - “That sounds exploitative.”

It was a great opportunity that paid better than most others out there. I thought about applying and just putting copyright and usage guidelines all over the place so they wouldn’t attempt to use pieces of my work. I thought well, if I get it, I could tell them how fucked up it is to have people who are in the first round of applications doing ludicrous amounts of labor for them. But then I realized (a) postdocs are hella competitive and I might not get it, and (b) I want to tell them now because I’m hot-headed. 

Below is the email I sent. It was scary to put to paper opinions that could possibly get me put on a do-not-hire list but I remembered I have a lot of privilege. I am desperate for a post-doc position but if I don’t get one, I’m positive I will figure something else out. My mind and body need me to live in alignment or they start to complain. I invite you, for as far as your privilege will take you, to live in alignment, too.

(Transcription of the image is immediately below the image)

To whom it may concern,

The postdoctoral associate position with the [redacted] is an incredible opportunity for recent graduates to have the intellectual space to do our work and contribute to the larger research (and general) community. This is why I have spent weeks debating internally, and through conversations with others, whether to apply. Ultimately, I have decided not to apply and would like to share the reasons as I believe they align with the Center's mission to "to make a better world by promoting critical knowledge and relationships with communities..." and therefore may support decision-making for future applications.

My ethical concern with the application stems directly from the requirement of a sample syllabus for the following reasons:

1. There is no assurance that materials submitted for this application will not be used by the department hosting this course. As a professional curriculum developer and educator, I am thoughtful of how my work might be used by others and would have included copyright information and terms of usage had I applied. However, not all applicants have my professional background and even if there is no intention to adopt ideas (which I assume is the case) from the submitted syllabi, there is no language ensuring that no exploitation will occur. Transparency is a tool against white supremacist culture and is lacking in this situation.

2. The goals of the sample syllabus can be met in other ways. I requested more information and was told, "a sample syllabus lets us see the kinds of readings or other resources a person chooses, and the kinds of assignments they value. It can also convey the tone the person takes with students." This is all valuable. However, it can be fulfilled through other means, including:

a. requesting a syllabus that applicants have already taught (with assurance that it will not be shared or used without their explicit consent outside of evaluation)

b. requesting a sample module given a particular topic (and how grading, lateness, incompletes, etc. would be handled)

c. a teaching philosophy with example assignments, methodologies, and, if the applicant has experience, student evaluations

3. This is an initial application. The development of a 14-week course is a labor-intensive endeavor that, if requested, would be better reserved for those who have been short-listed. I am basing this assessment off the following description I received, "we would prefer an actual syllabus just as one would expect to see one as a student, though it is not necessary to plan every single day. [Redacted] has a 14-week semester. We would like at a minimum a list of readings etc. and a list of assignments."

In addition to my work as a curriculum developer, I work and consult with organizations to create liberation and care-based cultures through dismantling oppressive and white supremacist value tendencies and patterns. Despite my sincere desire to apply for this position with the belief that I would be an excellent candidate for this excellent opportunity, I cannot get past my concerns about the requirement of the sample syllabus as described.

Thank you for your time and consideration in reading this email. I hope it creates space for further conversations amongst your team.

Sincerely,

Yael R. Rosenstock Gonzalez

Yael R. Rosenstock Gonzalez (she, her)

Doctoral Candidate, Indiana University, School of Public Health - Bloomington

Research Coordinator, Center for Sexual Health Promotion

Founder, Kaleidoscope Vibrations, LLC

Founder, Sex Positive You

In a time of destruction, create something - Maxine Hong Kingston