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<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:150%;color:black">Findings from gwaMIT’s 2021 Focus Group Initiative<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:150%;color:black">June 21<sup>st</sup>, 2021<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:150%;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:150%;color:black">Presentation link <u><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/19uHRaLnCVnTG5O7pBXGlbol7f27aVSE7/view?usp=sharing"><span style="color:black">here</span></a></u></span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:150%;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:150%;color:black">Interest form <u><a href="https://forms.gle/C6C4xEvcWDXdG2XS7"><span style="color:black">here</span></a></u></span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:150%;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:150%;color:black"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:150%;color:black">gwaMIT organized a series of focus groups in Spring 2021 to better understand the experiences of MIT’s graduate womxn and to contextualize the differences
seen in graduate student experiences across genders in multiple administrative surveys. Across 9 different hour-long focus groups, each with 6-8 participants, the following themes emerged:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<ol style="margin-top:0in" start="1" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color:black;line-height:150%;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">
<span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:150%">Students lack career guidance from their departments and advisors<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="color:black;line-height:150%;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">
<span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:150%">Graduate womxn experience an inequitable burden of administrative labor <o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="color:black;line-height:150%;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">
<span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:150%">Gender impacts graduate womxn’s relationships with their advisors, collaborators and peers<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="color:black;line-height:150%;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">
<span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:150%">There is a lack of accountability with advisor relations<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="color:black;line-height:150%;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">
<span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:150%">The impact of COVID-19 has led to isolation from department and feelings of lack of understanding from administration<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="color:black;line-height:150%;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">
<span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:150%">Graduate womxn expressed doubt and disillusionment while considering an academic career<o:p></o:p></span></li></ol>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:150%;color:black">Check out our <u><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/19uHRaLnCVnTG5O7pBXGlbol7f27aVSE7/view?usp=sharing"><span style="color:black">presentation</span></a></u> for
details regarding our methodology and further discussions about our findings! <br>
We would be happy to present to the departments, committees or groups who may benefit from a greater awareness of the experiences of MIT’s graduate womxn. Please fill in this <u><a href="https://forms.gle/ViZV7cSuJNWCfHocA"><span style="color:black">form</span></a></u> or
reach out to <u><a href="mailto:gwamitexec@mit.edu"><span style="color:black">gwamit-exec@mit.edu</span></a></u> if you would like us to present to your group or would like to collaborate or if you have any questions or concerns! The form will be accepting
responses until <b>July 5, 2021</b>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:150%;color:black"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:150%;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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