Hey Professors,
What kind of support systems do you have to lean on right now?
I think this is a really important question to ask yourself and to answer. In an earlier episode of the Rise with Clarity Podcast, I shared some ways that you can better identify your support systems within and beyond higher education.
In that episode—which was number 40—I take you through a kind of brainstorming exercise so that you can better identify and articulate what types of support you may actually need and then I ask you to think of possible next steps to move towards getting that support.
In this 51st episode of the Rise with Clarity Podcast, I’m going to be doing kind of a follow up to that earlier episode—which I encourage you to listen to or re-listen to. I want to go ahead and share with you several resources that some of you might not know about and that you may find helpful as you try to navigate the remainder of this already disruptive academic year.
Using the GROW Model to Identify What Support You May Need
OK, so in Episode 40, which was released in late June 2025, I mentioned that many of my clients and faculty friends were really struggling and that they were in need of various forms of support. I wanted to share with you a tool called the GROW model—which is something that is used in both coaching and mentoring—as a way to help you brainstorm ways to identify what types of support you may need.
Just as a reminder, the GROW model is a 4-part framework that is question-driven, and you can use it to actually coach yourself. You first start out by asking yourself:
G: What is your goal?
And then R, which is the second part of the framework
R: What is the reality of your situation? This is when you can start to think about the different challenges that you are running up against, especially in relation to your goal.
O: What are your options? This is part 3. What are some systems of support that can you put into place so that you can help to mitigate some of your challenges and eventually reach your goal?
And the last part of the framework, is the W. And this is when you ask yourself:
W: What is the way forward? What are some tangible next steps you can take to move towards your goal?
Okay, so say you’ve gone through the first 2 parts of the GROW model by identifying your goal of surviving the remainder of the semester. And the second part has uncovered that you are running up against numerous challenges in the classroom and also in your research life as a result of having scholarly expertise on topics related to issues like racism, ethnic studies, and/or gender.
So with part 3 of the model, you’re kind of stuck now, thinking through what could be some of your options in terms of getting support individually or in terms of setting up systems of support.
And unfortunately, there are no go-to support systems that are being offered by your institution. In fact, your institution may even be directing you to pivot your research agenda or to outright cancel it.
Just as a side note, if that is the case, I am really sorry and also angered that you are going through this.
What I’d like to do now is just share some resources for you that may go beyond your faculty association or union, and that you may be unaware of.
As always, you can feel free to check the written transcript for the links to any of these resources.
Groups Helping Faculty Deal with Issues Related to the Current Moment
For the sake of time, I’ve chosen to focus on groups or organizations that are actively helping faculty who are dealing with issues related to the current political climate in the United States.
The first one I wanted to mention is called:
For those of you who may be dealing with issues related to academic freedom, politically motivated harassment, doxxing, or employer retaliation, there is now a peer-to-peer support group called Faculty First Responders. According to their website, they aim to:
- Monitor right-wing online news coverage of higher education and proactively reach out to targeted faculty to share resources and support.
- Offer peer-to-peer counseling and advice to academic workers experiencing media attacks, campaigns of harassment, doxxing, or other threats to academic freedom and free speech.
- They also present webinars and workshops about academic freedom and digital security. They offer practical advice and facilitate important conversations for collectives of academic workers.
They have also partnered with the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) to provide resources and counseling for any faculty who may be experiencing harassment or retaliation.
And if you’re interested in listening to an interview with Dr. Heather Steffen, the Director of Faculty First Responders to learn more about what they do, please check out Episode 93 of Dr. Leslie Wang’s Your Words Unleashed Podcast.
The second organization that I wanted to let you know about is called:
is a recently formed coalition of educators and allies driven by a belief that democracy is only as strong as its commitments to academic freedom, intellectual integrity, human diversity, and individual dignity.
Similar to Faculty First Responders, We are Higher Ed also monitors and tracks violations or threats to academic freedom, in addition to organizing various types of events, webinars, protests, and also petitions.
They are also encouraging faculty to start their own We are Higher Ed chapters on their campuses. More information can be found on their website, which is wearehighered.org.
The third one that I wanted to let you know about is called:
The Scholars at Risk Network, which has been around since 1999, is an international network of institutions and individuals whose mission it is to protect threatened scholars and promote academic freedom. Their network comprises over 600 institutions in over 45 countries that are committed to protecting scholars.
They provide advisory services for scholars, in addition to arranging temporary academic positions for scholars who may be facing threats or imprisonment in their home countries. They also monitor attacks on higher ed communities globally.
From what I understand, most of the scholars who consult and engage with this network for advisory services are from countries other than the United States. So it makes me wonder whether there is another newer organization or group, aside from the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) that is currently supporting international scholars who are based in the United States who are now in a very precarious situation due to VISA revocations, processing delays, or even threats of deportations.
If you happen to know about a newer group or organization that exists to specifically support international scholars in the United States at this moment, please do let me know and I will make sure to include that information in the updated “Additional Resources” part of the written transcript for this episode.
Those are three groups or organizations that are actively helping faculty who are facing challenges or threats in relation to academic freedom and/or politically motivated harassment.
So, lastly, I did want to acknowledge the fact that many faculty are currently leaving higher education due to a number of different reasons. But it’s certainly exacerbated by the current moment. I know that this departure and transition can be very stressful, confusing, and traumatic.
The Compassionate Cohort: A Free Peer-Support Group for Current and Former Academics
So I wanted to mention the free peer-support group that I co-facilitate with Dr. Jodie Mader called the Compassionate Cohort. I’ve talked about this before on the podcast. This is a supportive and nonjudgmental online gathering space for current and former faculty who are navigating the logistics and the emotional landscape of leaving academia. We meet twice a month on Zoom for one hour.
The Compassionate Cohort really started with the intention of helping to build community and support, and cultivating connection in an isolating and confusing time for academics, and also being a place where they can share resources, stories, and wisdom with one another. And do this confidentially.
I know that for some faculty—gaining some insights into the realities of what an academic exit looks like—before going through with that exit is a very important step for them in the process. So if this is of interest to you, please check out our website, which you can find on the transcript for this episode.
So I hope that I shared some resources that you might not have been aware of. If you know of other resources, individuals or groups that could be helpful, please feel free to send me an e-mail. I will make sure to include it in the transcript.