Greetings REDF Members,

We hope that this correspondence finds you well. We wanted to update you on a few things:

• Currently we are working hard to prepare for NCFR 2022 (Nov. 16-19, 2022, Minneapolis, MN, at the Hilton Minneapolis). We hope to see you there!

• As it relates to the conference, we are planning to hold another mentoring session during our Oral History Session, like we did way back in 2019 in Fort Worth (see below for the topics from that session).

• We continue to work on ways to enhance the preservation of the section’s history and culture. Please stay tuned for more information in future correspondence.

• We are planning a T-shirt fundraiser to celebrate our coming back together and to raise funds for the section. At the end of the summer, keep an eye out for information on how to order your T-shirt so that you can have it well before the conference.

• We will have a special election this summer for the position of Secretary/Treasurer.

Thanks for your attention. Have a wonderful rest of your summer, and we hope to see you in a few short months.

Sincerely,

REDF Leadership Team

Anthony James, Chair (2020–2022)

Shardé McNeil Smith, Chair-elect (2020–2022)

Sarai Coba-Rodriguez, CFLE, Secretary/Treasurer (2020–2022)

Sadguna Anasuri, CFLE, Communication Specialist (2020–2022)

Ijeoma Opara, Students & New Professionals Representative (2020–2022)

Lorena Aceves, Students & New Professionals Representative (2020–2022)

Yolanda Mitchell, Past Chair (2020–2022)

Topics From Fort Worth

1. Being intentional with your time in graduate school

   1. This discussion is designed for beginning graduate students. As a graduate student, it can be difficult to decide which activities are most helpful in successfully advancing through graduate school and making oneself marketable when it comes time to go on the job market. Possible discussion points can include but aren’t limited to: different types of publications (and their weight in tenure and promotion decisions), the importance of conference attendance and presentations, tips for receiving internal grants, effective teaching practices, and helpful advice from former graduate students or advice one would give their own graduate students or mentees.

2. Job negotiation and career mapping

   1. This discussion is designed for advanced graduate students who will soon enter the academic job market. Possible discussion points can include, but aren’t limited to:  things to consider when negotiating new job terms (e.g., what to ask for, how to ask), helpful tips for intentionally mapping your career to create a clear path to navigate your new position, considerations about lifestyle options where the job is located, how to gauge the culture of the department, and advances to help with moving and research expenses.

3. How to navigate spaces as a faculty member of color in academia

   1. This discussion is designed for new professionals and may be of interest to advanced graduate students. Possible discussion points can include, but aren’t limited to:  personal experiences (if comfortable sharing), how to locate and access resources designated for certain groups, and strategies used to navigate being a person of color in a department, college, or town.

4. Tips for tenure success

   1. This discussion is designed for new professionals. Possible discussion points can include, but aren’t limited to: tips from one’s own journey to tenure, being intentional in engaging in activities important for obtaining tenure, self-care strategies, the role of mentoring for the tenure and promotion journey, understanding the different “players” (i.e., the people within the institution who are important to know for the tenure track), protection of time, developing a continuous program of research, and the importance of understanding the tenure process at a given institution.