This is the story of how I was failed and discriminated against by the institution I was pursuing my PhD at. The summer after I finished my third year, I decided to leave the program for the sake of my well-being and Peace.
As the title states, it’s a long story. So if you feel so inclined, you can go ahead and listen to this in the background while engaging in another task – podcast style.
Below is an image of the comments I received from my advisor on my last departmental review. Like I mentioned in the recording, I was getting accommodations for extra time on exams and assignments in my courses due to the [documented] difficulty I have with meeting deadlines (since it sometimes takes me longer than what is considered “normal” to complete tasks).
Instead of trying to force neurotypical expectations – such as ‘faster progress’ or ‘strict adherence to deadlines’ – on neurodivergent individuals, why not release unrealistic expectations that do not consider our unique ways of thinking and working? Why not be understanding and accepting of the ways in which society has made it difficult for us to function within its strict [and restricting] bounds? Why not find ways to nurture our innate gifts and abilities by accommodating and helping to compensate for the barriers built into institutions like academia?
The sad reality, however, is that:
“The university was not created to save my life. The university is not about the
ALEXIS PAULINE GUMBS
preservation of a bright brown body. The university will use me alive and use
me dead. The university does not intend to love me. The university does not
know how to love me. The university in fact, does not love me. But the
universe does.”
