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Happy Ramadan: This year, Ramadan is from March 10 - April 9 with Eid-al-Fitr taking place on April 10. We are re-sharing correspondence sent to our faculty and staff earlier this week (below). 

Imposter Syndrome

Have you ever felt like you’re not good enough for academia?

Do you ever feel like you’re a fraud, and that others will eventually realize that you don’t deserve to be in your role within CU?

You’re not alone! This is called imposter syndrome and commonly impacts people in all ranks within academia.

Imposter syndrome can affect anyone – especially high-functioning and high-achieving individuals, and it can have a disproportionately negative impact on marginalized and underrepresented groups due to the scarcity of representation and systemic barriers. The absence of relatable role models can intensify feelings of isolation and inadequacy, as individuals struggle to envision themselves succeeding in an environment where they often are made to feel like outsiders. Systemic biases and unconscious prejudices further contribute to this phenomenon, creating a culture that reinforces imposter syndrome, especially among marginalized individuals - issues that the CEAE department is seeking to change.

As a department, we can also break down imposter syndrome by sharing our common but under-discussed experiences with challenges in academia (a rejected paper, failed exam, declined research proposal), and how you may have experienced and ultimately survived a similar situation. You can help others to see that they are not alone, and help them see this short-term hurdle as a bump on the road that ultimately leads to success!

Best,
CEAE JEDI Committee

Ramadan, March 10 - April 9 

We are sharing a reminder that Ramadan starts this week and provide additional information about this religious observance and considerations to help support our Muslim students. This year, Ramadan is from March 10 - April 9 with Eid-al-Fitr taking place on April 10. Students observing Ramadan will be fasting (will not consume any food or water) from sunrise to sunset every day.

Please be mindful of fasting. Fasting during Ramadan can be physically and emotionally demanding. You may notice your Muslim students experiencing tiredness, low energy levels, and difficulty focusing. Consider providing more flexible office hours, assignments, or exams to accommodate their religious practice and support their success.

If you have midterms or other class activities in the 5-8p.m. range, this tends to be the hardest time of day for students who are fasting. Here are a few accommodations that you might consider regarding exams: 

• If food and drink are generally discouraged during your exams, you might consider making an exception for students who are fasting so that they can eat at sunset.

• If you already have students with extended time accommodations for midterms, that could be an opportunity to allow students observing Ramadan to flex their exam time so that they can either start the exam late or finish early. For example, starting a 7-9p.m. midterm an hour late so that it starts after sunset and runs from 8-10p.m.

• Offer additional testing times if possible, preferably in the morning as students will begin fasting pre-dawn. Offering students additional testing times without having them ask first removes the barrier that comes from having to request an accommodation.

• Acknowledge the upcoming religious observance through an announcement in class and encourage students to plan ahead and inform you if any accommodation would be helpful during this month. 

More information is available at:  

Thank you for supporting our students!

CEAE JEDI Committee

This email is adapted from an announcement by ME's JEDI Committee.