Telling It Like It Is: The World Of Academia

" I strive to do everything I undertake competently , and that is my secret weapon."

Dr Olufemi Sallyanne Decker is a woman who has been in academia for a significant part of her life, and has been able to articulate an insightful view into the world of Academia, including some of the experiences of women, and what it takes to succeed in this industry.

In the final part of our 2-part interview, Dr Decker gives a revealing account into the world of Academia, what she likes best about being a Lecturer, and the where she sees herself going next in her career.

Click here to read Part 1.

And so the conversation begins …

Yaaya:

The world of academia is known as being typically male, middle class and white. What’s it like to work in a profession where you are (for all intents and purposes) an anomaly?

Olufemi S D:

You might be an anomaly in terms of the typical face of the average academic. But I’m lucky to be an academic in London, because London is such a cosmopolitan place that attracts people from all walks of life and different countries in the world. As a result you find that you do not feel as much as an anomaly in the university context, because you are very much like a lot of people who come to London to study, who you’re likely to meet in the classroom.

With regards to not being the average looking academic, you then you serve as a role model, and get to be involved in interesting discussions and debates in relation to issues such as diversity and gender in the academic community. You are asked for your opinion, you contribute, and you are there as someone people always turn to as an example, or come to ask for some sort of input. So it is a useful place to be at times, and causes you to reflect on your position and how you got to that position, and what the pros and cons of it are. But I don’t think its something that should enable you to feel isolated. You have to work against that, and use it as something as a confidence booster, something that allows you to reflect on what your strengths are and how you managed to get there.

Yaaya:

What challenges have had to deal with as a result of your minority status?

Olufemi S D:

The typical challenges that any woman would face in a male dominated environment! I think these are things that people talk about generally, such as not feeling like your voice is not heard, and that the same thing could be said by a male counterpart and then it would be heard. That’s something that people generally refer to.

Also I think that you may feel challenged in the sense that you may not have the same social capital as your colleagues, especially by virtue of the fact that number 1 you are from a different country, so you may not have gone to the same schools or have the same sort of experiences. I didn’t go to school in the U.K. You might also have to develop those sort of interpersonal skills that will enable you to build the same networks and connections that other people may find easier to make, and will definitely help you to further your career faster. I think that is something that you have to think about.

Yaaya:

How have you managed to overcome these challenges?

Olufemi S D:

I strive to do everything I undertake competently, and that is my secret weapon. Being good at what you do gives you confidence and provides platform from which you can begin to reach out, and develop further.

Yaaya:

Why do you think that ethnic minorities and women are underrepresented in academia?

Olufemi S D:

I think we have to look at the reasons why women are generally underrepresented in academia. Women tend to do different things or pursue other careers. For example, they may not have gone as far as to gain a PhD which is what you need to pursue an academic career.

Also some women go off to have families which reduces the amount of time they spend in academia, or they chose another career. So I think that some women may feel, the longer they stay in the profession, that they become less relevant and are affected by both gender and age discrimination. They may find it difficult to see a clear career path after a certain age.

Yaaya:

Why do you think ethnic minorities are underrepresented in academia?

Olufemi S D:

Why are ethnic minorities under-represented in academia? Well I mean maybe taking the time to study for the qualifications that are needed for you to become an academic takes time and resources, and maybe they may not be in a position to want to do that or they find attractive options much sooner outside of academia. I think to be able to stay in academia there has to be a real genuine love of learning and a real desire to want to communicate that, and maybe they find other ways of doing that rather than in academia.

Yaaya:

What do you think can be done to reverse this trend?

Olufemi S D:

I have a lot of colleagues here who are ethnic minorities so it’s not a clear cut case of saying that ethnic minorities are underrepresented in Academia. It may not be a career of choice as maybe they (ethnic minorities) have not seen a lot of people doing it, and there might be some misconceptions about whether it’s a difficult career to access.

And I think that some of the things that you are doing here at Yaaya are getting people to know that it is a profession that people from ethnic minorities are involved in, and I think that it might inspire and encourage people. I don’t think that there is a bias which is in place to stop ethnic minorities from becoming academics. It just might be something that they have not chosen. There might be some issues to look at, such as the choices in which people feel they can make, or what is attractive to people. Academia is not well paid also, so if people are looking to become rich and become well paid quickly, Academia may not be the profession for them and may put people off.

Yaaya:

So it’s about individual choice?

Olufemi S D:

To a certain extent I feel it has to do with individual choices, and maybe balancing the demands of an academic life with other demands they might have.

Yaaya:

What advice would you give to young black women that are currently considering a career in academia, and to those who at the beginning of a career in this field?

Olufemi S D:

One of the things I would say to somebody who is looking to enter an academic career or who has just started one is to really understand what is required to have a successful academic career, and take time to understand how you can progress in an academic career. And actually have a plan of how you would like to make a successful career. Sometimes there is a tendency for people to start working without having a clear idea of milestones and goals, and how they would like to progress.

I think well developed communication skills do help for you to have a successful academic career, and building networks with other academics are really important things that you need to do, because in this way you can exchange ideas, keep your ideas fresh. You can also improve your mobility by working as a visiting academic in different universities and broadening your experiences by doing this. All of these things keep an academic mind fertile, which I think are important as well as really having a conscious idea of how you are going to progress in the career

Yaaya:

What’s the best thing about being a Lecturer?

Olufemi S D:

For me personally, the best thing about being a Lecturer is meeting people from all parts of the world, and being able to interact with them, and share my experiences from my own part of the world in the way I teach, and also being able to learn continuously. It’s great to be able to share knowledge and yet keep your knowledge, so I think that that's a beautiful thing about being a Lecturer. You give, but you also do not lose out by giving. That’s great.

Yaaya:

For a busy woman such as yourself, I imagine that Time is quite a luxury. How do you find time to recharge your batteries?

Olufemi S D:

I think that’s something that I’m working on, trying to find time to recharge my batteries. One of the things I really like to do is to be in touch with nature. So going for long walks in the countryside is really one of the things I love doing, and also having spa days, little pamper treats and massages. I find these things de-stressing, and really give me time to keep on going in my profession.

Yaaya:

Where do you see yourself going next in your career?

Olufemi S D:

Well I've just given advice about people being conscious in how they develop their careers. For me, my passion at the moment is actually building bridges between academia and industry. So what I’m really trying to do is work in areas where I can transfer the knowledge which we have at the University, and which I have personally, to businesses which can use that in industry.

I have been working with and researching credit unions- these are the financial cooperatives/community type banks. They are committed to promoting financial inclusion. I have worked with credit unions on a number of business development and financial inclusion projects to raise public awareness of credit unions and develop new products that would enable people who may find it difficult to open accounts with banks to access financial services.

I am also keen to develop policies which can help businesses to grow and economies to develop their financial sector. So for me, my direction is in terms of how I use the knowledge. That’s what I’m looking to do.

Yaaya:

We'd like you to complete the following sentences. I have managed to achieve successes in my career because ...

Olufemi S D:

I am determined and I try to learn from failure.

Yaaya:

I am aiming to be ...

Olufemi S D:

A decent human being who continues to share knowledge and make the world a simple place for younger people.

Yaaya:

I still find it a challenge to ...

Olufemi S D:

Manage my time effectively (laughs).

Yaaya:

Yaaya for me represents ...

Olufemi S D:

A forum where people can express views. Yaaya for me represents an opportunity for people to develop networks. Yaaya for me represents an opportunity for people to see that there are other people out there who have tried to achieve things, and that achieving your goal is possible no matter what. Yaaya for me represents the fact that it is ok to talk, to share your experiences and hopefully people will learn from what people have to say.

Yaaya:

That was very beautiful Dr Decker. Thank you very much!

This post concludes the final part of our 2-part interview with Dr Olufemi Sallyanne Decker. Catch up on the earlier part of our conversation.

Part 1: Olufemi Sallyanne Decker, A Journey into Academia