Thread by @saragoldrickrab

Speaking out while working for a #university ?

Some tips to protect your career— cuz neither tenure nor the union will be enough.

(1) Put a copy of every file & email you care about your *own* computer or cloud. Do not leave anything valuable solely on university computing.

(2) Gather all written correspondence you have about your employment- offer/ accept etc- and put it with those other valuable files. Maybe you don’t have a formal contract? Still find all that other informal stuff now.

(3) Connect with your network to find names of local employment attorneys, preferably experienced with your university, and check their references now.

Frankly you need that list handy every damn day you work for a university.

(4) Put all convos you have with anyone in admin - about anything related to your public voice- in writing. Do not handle any of that by phone or in person without a witness. Write it all down.

(5) No one who works at your university and has any power over your life is a true friend. I don’t care how much you think they are or want them to be. They are not. So don’t have any casual conversations with them.

(6) If you think you may want— ever— to go out on your own, outside academia, then start an LLC immediately.

Put your honoraria, speaking fees, whatever you’ve got through that. Establish a practice of that thing having income- so it can help you get benefits.

(7) Take walks. Get sleep. Feed yourself. Do not speak out when you are hurting or otherwise not yourself.

Breathe.

(8) Set a Google alert on your name so you’ll know promptly if people are talking shit. Keep records/copies of all that, even if it’s anonymous.

(9) Keep doing your actual academic work- what you are expert in— especially if it is NOT in the field you’re speaking out about.

Don’t let them say you weren’t doing your job.

(10) Talk to your loved ones about what you are doing. Make sure they understand why- and the risk involved.

You will need them.