Black History as Living Legacy

Hello all,

February is Black History Month and there is a lot to celebrate in Black History—and important contributions in the now.

Chancellor King and the SUNY Trustees published a statement that you can read online, including this excerpt:

"The history of African Americans is the history of America. It is a history of struggles and successes, of unspeakable injustice and joyous triumph, of the fight for freedom and equality, and of the quest to build a truly just nation where all can thrive.

Access to education is a foundational necessity if we are to learn the lessons of the past and take the steps necessary to build a society that empowers and uplifts us all. That is core to SUNY's mission, and it is enshrined in our history. Our founding statute directs us: ‘to provide to the people of New York educational services of the highest quality, with the broadest possible access, fully representative of all segments of the population.'"

I also want to share a wonderful blog post with you from an American Library Association library newsletter Towards Inclusive Excellence, that I receive titled Black History as Living Legacy: Education, Story, and Joy.

You'll find an insightful short essay from the author Dr. Marlee Bunch who is according to the blog post "an interdisciplinary educator, author, researcher, and lifelong learner. Her research examines the oral histories of Black female educators in Hattiesburg, Mississippi who taught between 1954 and 1971."

The essay concludes with a list of recommended readings and resources that I'm sure you will find useful.

What's happening on your campuses to celebrate Black History Month? Share the joy by posting those celebrations to this list so you can inspire others.

All the best,
Holly

Shifting Perceptions: Small Language Changes Can Make a Big Impact

Hello all,

Language matters! The words we choose have substantial influence over how information and actions are understood by others. Saying something is red when it's clearly green can generate confusion or worse. Calling something deviant when it's simply an alternative can hinder use. And language usage and meanings shift through time, so what was once acceptable or reasonable can become problematic.

I know we are all working on improving the digital accessibility of resources on our campus, and perhaps we are thinking we have little time for other considerations—but I want to highlight a step SUNY Plattsburgh just took to make another change. In the process of converting more fillable documents into smarter, contextual, and auto-routed e-forms, the college decided to update the language as well.

This is part of the campus announcement email from our Academic Provost's Office: "Moving toward an electronic solution provides the opportunity to reconsider the process and to ensure that clear and inclusive language is used. Hence the title of the Deviation Form has been updated to be the Exception Request Form. This language has a more positive perspective and communicates a higher level of support. The ‘form’ continues to be an electronic approval process and is accessed from the Registration Dates & Forms page managed by the Registrar’s Office."

A simple change, and one that has the power to shift perceptions.

If you are involved in the technical aspects of accessibility, or are responsible for updating information to be more fully compliant and have influence on the content as well, this is a good opportunity to do more than one thing at a time!

All the best,
Holly

Beyond the Numbers: Supporting Women and Families in Higher Ed

Hello all,

Our economy is not getting better for women and our families—and it might be getting worse. That's the big takeaway from recent labor reports and organizational analysis.

Women Made Up Nearly All The Job Losses Last Month. Here’s Why is a January 14, 2026 newsletter article by Holly Corbett for Forbes.

"A thriving economy is partly reflected by a labor force that represents the demographics of our population. The latest Bureau of Labor Statistics’ jobs report shows some striking disparities: 91,000 women left the labor force last month, compared to 10,000 men who joined the labor force last month. If we zoom out to look at all of 2025, men’s labor force size grew by 572,000, while women’s grew by only 184,000. That means men joined the labor market at a rate three times greater than women."

There are many reasons behind the growing gender divide in the labor market. Here are some, but not all, of the factors contributing to this trend.

Lack Of Other Support Structures And Affordable Childcare

Women didn’t suddenly stop wanting to work; they were forced out, says Reshma Saujani, founder and CEO of Moms First. She believes this isn’t a personal problem, but rather it’s a business problem and a policy failure. One solution is to treat child care like an economic imperative.

Job Losses In Sectors Where Women Are Highly Represented

Tucker (Jasmine Tucker, vice president for research at the National Women’s Law Center) points to a broader rollback of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives and cuts to federal jobs as a significant driver of fewer women in the workforce in 2025. Many federal positions, known for better pay equity and benefits, are being cut—jobs where women and Black women are highly represented.

More Companies Are Scaling Back Programs That Benefit Women

The 2025 Women in the Workplace annual report, the largest study of corporate women in America, finds that women are getting less support in the workplace and fewer opportunities for advancement.

Women Are Penalized More For Working Remotely

Research shows remote work hurts women’s chances of being promoted more than it does men’s. Remote work became the norm for a much larger segment of the workforce after the pandemic, and it contributed to a record for women’s labor force participation by 2023. Yet increasing return-to-office mandates in 2024 and 2025 may be disproportionately impacting women. This is due to the fact that the majority of caregiving responsibilities are still shouldered by women, as well as gender biases and the motherhood penalty.

“2025 has been a tumultuous year for companies, not just for employees,” says Thomas. (Rachel Thomas, co-founder and CEO of LeanIn.org) “The economy is changing quickly, AI is disrupting things, companies are trying to respond to a changing legal landscape. There is a lot going on, but we’re at an important crossroads when it comes to women’s progress. My hope is that leaders read this, see it as a wakeup call, and understand that doubling down on women’s career advancement is the only thing to do.”

So, what can we do in SUNY?

Certainly we can make sure that our organizations don't exacerbate these trends, that our educational programming improves awareness of the trends, and that our support mechanisms work to help mitigate these impacts. Whether it's providing counseling, career support, retooling educationally, flexible work schedules, campus food pantries, or community resource referrals—do what you can.

As we start out our spring semesters, let's keep women and families on our minds, and work towards better outcomes for everyone in this economy.

All the best,
Holly

Commemorating MLK

Hello all,

This coming Monday, January 19th, is the annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and the national theme set by the King Center in Atlanta is Mission Possible: Building Community, Uniting a Nation the Nonviolent Way. You can also access their website on the specifics of Dr. King's philosophy of nonviolence.

NYS also has a celebration planned in Albany; the schedule is online.

My local committee is also using that theme and planning our annual community celebration with songs, dancing, speeches, and readings on this theme. Our committee is made up of college and community members, making it a truly collaborative event. I hope that your community will offer you some way to celebrate the legacy of Dr. King, a legacy committed to a more fair, free, and equitable world with opportunities for all. Our SUNY mission fits perfectly with this vision, even as our realization of the vision can sometimes fall short of the goals.

However you spend your January 19th holiday, I hope it's a good one!

Finally, a heads up that this weekly email will be transitioning this spring to a more structured newsletter format that will better reflect the growth of SUNY WIT with campus chapters. I'm looking forward to bringing you additional information and helping more people connect as time goes on.

All the best,
Holly

Navigating 2026: 4 Ways to Support Your Team This Year

Hello all,

Welcome to 2026! I hope this is the year that your career and life goals align beautifully in the patterns you want, and I hope that SUNY WIT will continue to be a part of your ecosystem.

This week I'm sharing a recent set of suggestions from the Harvard Business Review—I'm regularly impressed with their tips.

4 Ways to Address Employee Discontent

"Your team’s performance depends on how they feel at work—and right now, many employees feel burned out, disconnected, and underappreciated. If you want to reverse that trend, start by addressing the root causes."

• Remove the biggest frustrations. Ask yourself what makes work harder than it should be. Whether it’s an unmanageable workload or inefficient processes, focus on removing friction and protecting people’s time. Clarify priorities and cut what isn’t essential.
• Delegate decisions. If you’re holding onto choices your team could be making, you’re slowing them down. Be clear about what they own—and step out of the way. Invite input on decisions that impact them and explain your reasoning when you go another direction.
• Offer flexibility. Autonomy is a powerful motivator. Wherever possible, give people control over how, when, and where they work. What matters will vary by role and individual—but offering a choice is key.
• Foster real connection. Prioritize one-on-one conversations that go beyond task updates. Give your team space to connect with each other through shared projects, not forced activities.

This tip is adapted from “Employee Discontent Is on the Rise. Here’s What to Do About It.” by Rebecca Knight. The full article is subscriber only—but in case you have access,I have included the link.

All the best,
Holly