Academic Workplace Research Articles

Examining the Prevalence and Effects of Gender-based Violence in Academic Settings: A Systematic Review and Meta-analyses.

Gender-based violence (GBV) in the academic job sector is a critical issue that intersects with broader systemic and structural inequities, but research is limited. To study the prevalence, effects, and prevention measures of interpersonal GBV within the academic job sector, a meta-analysis and systematic review was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis protocol. Rigorous searches were conducted across the databases PubMed, OVID, Scopus, Web of Science, and CINAHL, using specific keywords related to GBV, workplace, and virtual work environments, identifying papers published between January 2013 and February 2023. Studies were evaluated based on the Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcomes framework. Data from papers were extracted and grouped by reported instances, and prevalence data for interpersonal GBV were reported in university settings, including in-person, hybrid, and virtual environments, and among men, women, and those who identify as 2SLGBTQ+. A random effects meta-analysis of proportions was conducted to evaluate the reported point prevalence rates of interpersonal GBV in academia between 2012 and 2015. Subgroup analyses were performed for university staff only, females only, and males only. Out of the 1,290 records, 16 studies met the inclusion criteria. The types of violence identified include sexual harassment, workplace bullying and online harassment, which affects career advancement, and employee well-being. The meta-analyses, conducted with a 95% confidence interval [CI], identified that 51.4% (95% CI [39.9%, 63.0%]) of university staff members experience GBV, with females, 59.3% [38.1%, 80.5%], experiencing greater rates than males, 44% [28.1%, 44.1%]. The findings underscore the need for institutional interventions to address interpersonal GBV in academic workplaces.

The power of researcher communities: actions towards better mental well-being in academic workplaces

This article delves into the mental health crisis in academia, highlighting the challenges associated with the growing cases of psychological problems among academic employees and Early-Career Researchers (ECRs). We demonstrate how the Researcher Mental Health Observatory (ReMO) community addressed these issues through networking, awareness raising, and advocating for actions to nurture a supportive work environment and remove stigma from mental health problems. Moreover, we highlight the role of institutions in promoting mental health, showcase instruments to collect data on academic working conditions, and discuss initiatives like the well-being ambassador programme aimed at supporting ECRs in their career development and mental well-being. Additionally, we touch upon the importance of self-care behaviours and peer support in academia. We conclude by highlighting the ongoing discussions on mental health, well-being, and healthy academic working environments, underscoring the long-lasting impact of the ReMO community’s efforts in the European academic world.

On (Trying to) Work With a Nonapparent Disability in the Academic Workplace: Toward a True Inclusivity for Disabled Workers in Higher Education

On (Trying to) Work With a Nonapparent Disability in the Academic Workplace: Toward a True Inclusivity for Disabled Workers in Higher Education

Continuous briefing for the future university campus: an evidence-based approach to match spatial supply and demand

PurposeTo plan the future university campus, campus executives need decision-making support from theory and practice. Matching the static campus (supply) with the dynamic (demand) - while safeguarding spatial quality and sustainability - requires management information from similar organizations. This study presents an evidence-based briefing approach to support decision-makers of individual universities with management information when making decisions for their future campus.Design/methodology/approachFor the proposed evidence-based briefing approach, the continuous Designing an Accommodation Strategy (DAS) framework is used in a mixed-method research design to evaluate the past to plan for the future. Five campus themes and three campus models (solid, liquid, and gas) are introduced to describe the development and diversification of university campuses and their impact across different university building types. Based on this theoretical framework, first, qualitative interview data are analyzed to understand which standards campus managers expect; second, a quantitative project database is used to demonstrate what is actually realized.FindingsThe findings demonstrate that remote working and online education will become more common. Academic workplaces and learning environments are more adaptive to changes than laboratory spaces. The analyses reveal different effective space use strategies to meet the current demand: they include space-efficient mixed-use buildings, and mono-functional generic educational and office spaces. These results show that operationalized evidence-based briefing can help design the future campus.Originality/valueThe study adds knowledge during a critical (post-COVID) period when decision-makers need evidence from others to adapt their campus management strategies to hybrid and sustainable ambitions.

Exploring Collaboration and Individual Research Experience among Ghanaian Academics: A Qualitative Research

Background: This study seeks to understand collaborative and individual research among academics in higher education institutions (HEIs) in Ghana, what that means to them, and the challenges they face. Internal and external research collaboration is seen as the driving force behind teaching and learning in HEIs. In Ghana, both collaborative and individual research comes with power dynamics among academics, yet they also present unique opportunities to enhance their well-being and professional careers. Methods: This study employed a qualitative research approach to gather the experiences, views, and stories of 10 academics from Ghanaian HEIs. The data were analysed using an interpretative phenomenology approach (IPA). This method focused on understanding the lived experiences of the academics to interpret their stories and experiences regarding their involvement in collaborative and individual research, as well as the meanings and challenges. Results: The results positioned individual research ahead of collaborative research. Monetary rewards were the primary motivation for collaborative research regarding grant applications. In contrast, for most academics in Ghana's HEIs, collaboration for research publications was driven by the quest for promotion, recognition, self-actualisation, and respect among colleagues. Conclusion: This study is the first to explore the impacts of collaborative and individual research among Ghanaian academics in HEIs. The results suggest that individual and collaborative research exists among Ghanaian academics in HEIs. However, individual research is driven by monetary gain. In contrast, collaborative research is driven by publications and citation rates, the pursuit of promotion, recognition, self-actualisation, and respect among most academics in Ghana's HEIs. The study highlights the importance of individual and collaborative research in the context of Ghanaian academic workplace well-being. The study recommends a mindset change regarding collaborative research among academics in HEIs in Ghana. This way, the most experienced and elite researchers could share and guide early researchers to bridge the research knowledge gap. Also, leadership roles could be established to ensure effective research collaboration through mentorship and training programs that align with academic career growth. This initiative could foster relationship-building and increase collaboration to reduce the monetary-driven and individualistic mindset.

“The changing same” of whiteness in the US LIS academy: a cathartic testimonial from BIPOC faculty scholars

PurposeThere is little to no empirical research on the phenomenon of ways in which the racism of whiteness transpires within the faculties and classrooms of US-based ALA-accredited library and information science (LIS) education programs. We do have scholars publishing meaningful work exploring diversity-equity-inclusion topics and initiatives to evolve the LIS discourse on these issues (Honma, 2005; Chancellor, 2019; De LaRosa et al., 2021; Gibson, 2019; Mehra et al., 2023; Colón-Aguirre et al., 2022; Hands, 2022). This research substantiates the conceptual research that exists by empirically exposing the ways in which the racism of whiteness functions at the interpersonal level of work culture in LIS programs (i.e. the academy) in the US.Design/methodology/approachAdapting Baima and Sude’s (2020) modified Delphi Method, a focus group of 13 BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) library and information science faculty members in the United States were recruited to participate in a one-time 60-min virtual Zoom session. Participants were engaged in three iterative rounds of reflective inquiry to reach a consensus of experience. The study design was embedded with critical race theory-based (CRT) ethnographic methods such as testimony (counterstorytelling), collective affirmation (shared narratives), and silence.FindingsBIPOC LIS faculty (tenure-track and tenured) have similar ideas about whiteness and how it is operationalized as micro- and macro-aggressions in the LIS academic workplace, most significantly inside the classroom. The experience of whiteness was prevalent among all study participants in two areas: workplace meetings with faculty colleagues and classroom sessions (face-to-face and online) with students.Originality/valueThe findings offer empirical evidence to support the prolific conceptual literature in LIS discourse concerning ways in which critical race theory (CRT) interrogates LIS’s socio-professional injustices and inequities (e.g. Gibson et al., 2018; Stauffer, 2020; Leung and Lopez-McKnight, 2021; Jennings and Kinzer, 2022; Snow and Dunbar, 2022). There remains a dearth of empirical research that reports how whiteness is reproduced in the practices, knowledge, and resources that make up the ethos of the LIS faculty meeting and classroom. Documenting the testimonies of BIPOC LIS faculty solidifies the existence of whiteness as a toxic reality in the LIS academy.

Challenging Gaslighting of Women in Academia: A Call for Gender Equality and Inclusive Environment

Gaslighting is a pervasive form of manipulation that psychologically dents its victims. In the context of academia, women frequently face gaslighting. Unfortunately, only a few women are cognizant of this psychological abuse. This research explored the concept of gaslighting, its manifestations in academic settings, and its detrimental impact on women's experiences along with the possible solutions. Therefore, this research emphasizes the importance of challenging gaslighting behaviors, fostering gender equality, and creating inclusive environments that empower women in academia. During the research mostly primary data along with secondary data were used, because the actual victims can more effectively describe the issues. Therefore, it includes interviews with working women in academia from sampled institutions. Findings showed that, 33% of participants reported direct experiences or witnessing instances of gaslighting in the academic workplace, with an additional 21% admitting to experiencing gaslighting to varying degrees, while a notable proportion of participants (32%) reported challenges in accessing equitable resources, opportunities, or support compared to male colleagues, highlighting systemic gender disparities in academia. This research has recommended that the vicious circle of gaslighting can be controlled if academic institutions prioritize the creation of supportive and empowering spaces that value and amplify women's contributions. Keywords: Gaslighting, Women’s Empowerment, Women’s Rights, Psychology, Gender inequality

A Continuum of Actions You Can Take Now to ADVANCE Disability Equity: A Report from the Field

In this article we discuss workplace contexts for post-secondary STEM faculty and staff with disabilities and provide pragmatic and immediate steps we can all take to advance equitable disability-informed policies and practices. Findings: Faculty with apparent and/or unseen disabilities experience myriad barriers in their academic workplaces, barriers that always intersect with gendered and racialized (etcetera) identities that may either amplify or diminish the experience of disability discrimination. To respond to these inequities, we blend priorities created by disability scholars and activists—combined with participant input collected during national conversations hosted over the past two years through AccessADVANCE, a project designed to increase the engagement of individuals with disabilities in academic STEM careers—to yield suggestions for individual, collaborative, and institutional approaches to furthering disability equity. Conclusions: When all colleagues work together, developing a durable and responsive praxis of disability equity in post-secondary and STEM workplaces is possible.

“Why not the thoub and the abaya?”An interactional sociolinguistic approach to the interplay between nationality, gender, and professional identity in the Qatari academic workplace

Although identity is recognized as an important topic in Arabic sociolinguistics, little attention has been paid to how major structural changes impact different forms of identity, especially in professional and workplace contexts. In this article we tackle this gap to investigate how Qatari junior academics give meaning to their professional identities as they negotiate the roles they claim to fulfil vis-à-vis their students in a particularly complex workplace context characterized by processes of internationalization and nationalization. More specifically, we work from a social constructionist perspective and adopt the “narrative as social practice” approach ( De Fina & Georgakopoulou 2008 ) to carry out micro-oriented linguistic analyses of research interviews with female Qatari junior academics. Our findings indicate that the interviewees often present themselves in their stories as “role-models,” not only as and vis-à-vis women but also, and even more importantly, as and vis-à-vis Qataris. This invocation of the intersectionality of their identities reflects the complexity of this changing academic workplace. Finally, this article points at the importance of investigating identities of people who are directly affected by organizational change, as it uncovers the in situ effects on the micro-level of processes on the macro-level.

Workplace cyberbullying and social capital among Jordanian university academic staff: a cross-sectional study

Workplace cyberbullying has harmful psychological, social, and behavioral consequences for employees and employers. This study investigates workplace cyberbullying among academic staff of both sexes at Jordanian universities, to explore their exposure to workplace cyberbullying by colleagues and employers and its correlation with social capital and self-esteem. Data were collected through an anonymous online survey involving Jordanian academic staff. The findings revealed that workplace cyberbullying reduces with increasing social capital. No relationship was detected between workplace cyberbullying and self-esteem. A positive correlation was found between self-esteem and structural social capital. Age, sex, and university sector do not predict academic workplace cyberbullying levels. The results indicate that administrators and policymakers in the Jordanian higher education sector should improve social capital among academics, given its positive implications for self-esteem, organizational life, and the prevention of distress. This strategy is appropriate in the turbulent conditions confronting academics working in a context with an increasingly dominant digital culture.

International Graduate Student Parenthood: Engaging in Closeting Labor to Constitute Productive Work-Family Negotiation During Transitions to Parenthood

ABSTRACT Guided by the Intersectional Theory of Closeting (ITC), our study analyzed in-depth interviews of how international graduate student-parents (IGSPs) negotiate their new parental identity, which was considered as deviating from the ideal graduate student norms at a U.S. public research university. Findings revealed that IGSPs enacted various closeting configurations— fully closeting, involuntary uncloseting, and coming out of the closet— to conceal and/or disclose their parental identity to workplace contacts. We developed the concept of closeting labor to capture IGSPs’ efforts to achieve work and family goals including labor outside the closet to “pass” as “normal” graduate students; inside the closet as IGSPs engaged in privatized work-family negotiations often without institutional support, and inbetween the closet door as IGSPs constantly assessed the necessity to (un)closet and crafting strategies to minimize negative career impact. Our analysis captures the adaptive and transformative negotiations with normative structuring of academic workplaces and advocates for systematic changes to queer ideal graduate student norms.

Invisible, unmanageable, and inevitable: Online abuse as inequality in the academic workplace.

Invisible, unmanageable, and inevitable: Online abuse as inequality in the academic workplace.

Academic Workplace Inclusivity Through the Prism of Microvalidations Among Male LGBTQIA+ Faculty Members

This research explored the lived experiences of male LGBTQIA+ faculty members at a local university in Cabuyao City, Laguna. It focused on understanding how inclusivity in the academic workplace, viewed through microvalidations, impacts these individuals. The study employed a qualitative research design with a phenomenological approach. Ten male LGBTQIA+ faculty members were interviewed to gather data on their experiences. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was used to analyze the data, resulting in thirty superordinate themes. The analysis revealed the following themes: Inclusive Environment; Restrictive Environment; Establishing Respectful Treatment and Boundaries; Discrimination Concerns; Interaction and Perception; Self-Expression Struggles; Acceptance through Positive Actions and Interactions; Colleagues as Source of Motivation and Appreciation; Students as Source of Motivation and Appreciation; Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging; Personal Enhancements; Culture of Appreciation and Understanding; Professionalism; Personal Coping Mechanisms; Interpersonal Dynamics; Boosting One’s Confidence; Fostering One’s Authenticity; Valuing One’s Worth; Improving One’s Capability; Professional Growth and Confidence; Professional Performance; Positive Work Environment; Emotional Well-being; Job Potential Attainment; Job Satisfaction Fulfillment; Job Performance Improvement; Need for Clear Rules and Guidelines; Inclusive Facility Accommodation; Importance of Gender and Development Functions; Need for Full Acceptance. The study highlighted the crucial role of micro validations in promoting inclusivity and empowerment among male LGBTQIA+ faculty members. Affirmations significantly enhanced confidence, performance, and well-being in academic workplaces. The research emphasized the need to reassess existing norms to create fair and empowering environments for all. It called for fostering spaces where individuals feel valued, respected, and able to thrive professionally.

An Online Cross-Sectional Study of Nursing Students' Perceptions of Workplace Incivility in Nursing Schools During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Despite a growing body of evidence on academic incivility, limited information exists on workplace incivility perceived by nursing students in nursing schools. This study, conducted amid the COVID-19 pandemic, explores nursing students' perceptions of workplace incivility in Jordanian nursing schools and investigates demographic-based differences. This study employed a descriptive cross-sectional design, using an online survey for data collection. A convenience sample of 104 nursing students from diverse backgrounds and various Jordanian universities participated, allowing for a comprehensive examination of workplace incivility perceptions at a specific point in time. The online survey ensured efficient data collection, enhancing accessibility and ease of participation. This approach aimed to capture a snapshot of nursing students' perspectives on workplace incivility within a given time frame and across multiple educational institutions, efficiently gathering data from a geographically dispersed and demographically varied sample. Students perceived workplace incivility in nursing schools as "mild," with moderate confidence in schools' ability to address it. Workplace civility was rated between 60.00% and 70.00% on a 0-100 scale. The overall mean for uncivil behaviors was "sometimes," with criticism of expertise as the most common. Incivility in the past year was seen as "rare," with misusing authority being the most frequent. Male and low-GPA students reported higher perceptions of incivility. Stress was the most perceived contributing factor, and a lack of administrative support was the main barrier. Establishing codes of conduct was considered the key strategy for fostering workplace civility. Workplace civility is prevalent in Jordanian nursing schools, even amid the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the occasional occurrence of incivility behaviors should be approached with caution. To enhance perceptions of workplace civility, nursing schools should prioritize effective teaching, a friendly environment, and respectful relationships. Encouraging faculty members to reassess their performance, starting with identifying academic workplace incivility, is crucial.

An ‘Academic Workplace’ on Deinstitutionalization. Partnering practice, policy, and academia to radicalise De-Institutionalization and inclusion as a socio-spatial and cross-policy issue.

De-institutionalization (DI) is framed and recognized internationally as a lever for the realisation of inclusion for citizens with disabilities. In international research, policy and practice, DI is predominantly framed as the dismantling of institutional care to pursue inclusive living, housing, and working in the community. We can hereby, among others, refer to the checklist recently developed by the European Expert Group on the Transition from Institutional to Community-based Care (2019) or the Guidelines on Deinstitutionalization as described by the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (2022). The renewed emphasis on DI is also promoted in Flanders (the Dutch-speaking region of Belgium), which has a very slow response to DI compared to a.o. the Nordic countries. 
 Although DI is widely promoted, there is no consensus as to how to conceptualise and address DI. Quite recently, sharp critiques are formulated as ambiguities and complexities can be seen both in th goals and implementation process 
 (https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/documents/hrbodies/crpd/cfi-deinstitutionalization/submissions/2022-07-06/Academic_W_Ghent_Uni-06-07-2022.docx). 
 Research shows that persons with disabilities who are physically integrated in the community do not necessarily have the experience of belonging in society; that repressive institutional cultures continue to come into play when people with disabilities live in the community; that there is a risk of not having access to (specialised) care and support; and that they risk lacking social and financial benefits or meaningful interactions and relationships in society. This phenomenon is referred to in international research as 'institutionalisation at home', 'community institutions', ‘extitutions’ or 'asylums without walls'. DI thus refers not only to the location and nature of the architectural and spatial embedding, but also to an institutional culture/professionalism and autonomy.
 Therefore, there is an urgency in Flanders to support innovation in policy and practice and to gather knowledge on conceptions and strategies of DI. In that spirit, the Flemish Agency for People with Disabilities provided funds to establish the Academic Workplace De-Institutionalization (AWDI) at Ghent University. In this lecture we provide an insight in this unique collaboration between practice, policy and academia to tackle the challenges mentioned before, to inspire policy and generate new insights with regard to DI. In the coming years, the AWDI is committed to connecting the experiential knowledge of people with disabilities, their networks, professionals, policymakers but also architects and urban planners to stimulate innovation in the field and policy and create qualitative living environments. The AWDI will do so by conducting a variety of action research projects, setting up learning networks in which all relevant voices are involved and building up and disseminating knowledge. Thus, this lecture refers to the central theme “Engaging everybody: caring neighbourhoods and compassionate communities” “but it also tackles the topics described under "Change management implementation: macro, meso and micro level”. 

Sustainable Higher Education Management: Career Drivers of Academic Staff

Abstract The quality of higher education (HE) is dependent on many factors, including the quality of teaching. As any profession, teaching is based on internal values and motives of individuals. The goal of the research is to identify the most dominant career drivers of academic staff based on their career motives and values in order to provide HE managers with information relevant to academic staff engagement policies to enable shaping of sustainable education policies at higher education institutions (HEIs). The research goal is grounded in the purpose of human resource management that is designed to stimulate certain employee behavior so that employee actions and intentions could be aligned with corporate strategic goals. If there is a wide gap between the needs and interests of employees and their employer, employee productivity gradually declines, thus decreasing the competitiveness of an organization. The following research question has been formulated: Is there a discrepancy in values between academic staff and managers of HE, who create the work environment for the academic staff? To attain the goal of the research, university lecturers from Ukraine completed Schein’s questionnaire online in 2021, while in 2023 middle- and senior managers of universities from Ukraine, Latvia, and Lithuania were asked to prioritize career drivers for academic staff. Both groups ranked technical / professional competence and service / dedication to a cause as primary priorities. However, the value of security / stability was prioritized only by academic staff, while autonomy / independence and entrepreneurial creativity were selected by HE managers. The research outcomes indicate converging and diverging points in opinions on the career drivers of academic staff. Having this knowledge, HE managers are in a better position to modify the academic workplace to stimulate academic productivity, and enhance business models and quality assurance policies at their institutions on the path towards Sustainable Development Goal 4 “Quality Education”. The diversity of opinions both within and between the groups of academic staff and HE managers supports the need to design human resource management policies consistent with the theory of personalized human resource management for higher productivity. The findings of the study contribute to the global discussion of career drivers of teachers by providing evidence in support of the increasing importance of professional (technical) competences and creative abilities for quality education.

The gender gap in PhD entrepreneurship: Why balancing employment in academia really matters

We use original data from a questionnaire survey of 9062 individuals enrolled in PhD programmes in Italy between 2008 and 2014 to conduct an empirical investigation of gender issues in PhD entrepreneurship. The analysis focuses on the influence of the gender balance among academics at the parent university, to measure the opportunities available to female students to engage with same-sex role models and the effect of such engagement on female students' attitudes to applied research and entrepreneurship. Our evidence shows that there is a gender gap in PhD student entrepreneurship and suggests that the gender composition of the academic faculty has a significant impact on female students' attitudes to business-oriented research and its commercialisation, which, in turn, affects their entrepreneurial intention and probability of starting a business. Our results indicate that female students' entrepreneurship would benefit from the opportunities offered by a more gender-balanced work environment and reinforces arguments calling for equality in the academic workplace.

Microaggressions in European versus American Workplace Environments of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery.

To compare the workplace experience of European and U.S. members of the otolaryngology community. European and U.S. otolaryngologists-head and neck surgeons (OTO-HNS) were surveyed through three otorhinolaryngological societies. We inquired about personal and observed experiences of differential treatment in the workplace related to age, biological sex, ethnicity, disability, gender identity, political belief, and sexual orientation. Results were compared according to the world region. Differential treatment was used as a proxy for microaggressions. A total of 348 practitioners participated in the survey: 148 American and 230 European OTO-HNS. European OTO-HNS reported significantly higher proportions of observed or personal experiences of differential treatment based on age (p = .049), language proficiency (p = .027), citizenship (p = .001), hair texture (p = .017), height/weight (p = .002), clothing (p = .011), and professionalism (p = .002) compared with U.S. OTO-HNS. Differential treatment related to political belief (p = .043), socioeconomic status (p = .018), and ethnicity (p = .001) were higher in the United States compared with Europe. Feelings of exclusion (p = .027) and consideration of leaving their position (p = .001) were significantly higher in the United States compared with Europe. In both the United States and Europe, female OTO-HNS reported more frequent differential treatment related to biological sex than males. Differential treatment, or microaggressions, related to personal characteristics or behavior varied in the United States and Europe with more ethnicity-based microaggressions in the United States and physical characteristic-based microaggressions in Europe. In both regions, females were more subject to microaggressions than males. More efforts are needed to tackle microaggressions and discrimination in the clinical and academic workplace of the Western otolaryngology community. 4.

Academic work – something else?

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to map and describe the activities taking place in the academic workplace. It considers whether academic work is something completely different from traditional knowledge work and identifies differences and similarities between the two.Design/methodology/approachThe data was collected through in-depth interviews with thirteen academics from different disciplines at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology within a case study approach. A document analysis of the university’s disciplines was carried out in advance of the interviews.FindingsFour important similarities between knowledge work and academic work and three distinctive features of academic work were identified. Balancing the need for interaction and concentration is most important for both knowledge work and academic work, and the most prominent differences are the academics’ constant alternation between supervision, teaching, concentration work and administrative tasks, as well as some academics’ close links to practice. Academic work is not completely different from knowledge work, and learning from experiences from other sectors can be valuable when designing workplaces for academic staff. It is necessary to understand the activities taking place in the academic workplace and at the same time plan for future flexibility.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the research on workplace design for academic staff to better understand the characteristics and variations of academic work and differences in academic cultures and traditions. This will contribute to a better understanding of how workplace design, work processes, technology and how the institution is organised can support the university’s visions and goals.

Academic women’s silences in Iran: exploring with positioning theory

ABSTRACT In this paper, we seek to understand the complexity of women outside ‘the centre’ of scholarship by exploring women’s silences in an Iranian University. Building on a framework of external and internal silencing and positioning theory, we analyse in-depth interviews with 15 women and five men from an Iranian University. Using inductive and deductive approaches to data analysis, we find that women's silences are influenced by their positioning due to constraining forces stemming from the political and societal environment as well as their own perceptions of self. We find prevalent storylines rooted in the broader patriarchal Muslim society, sexist cultural norms and unjust laws in Iran that reify women’s oppressed position, exclusion, and silence within the academic workplace. Manifesting through socialization processes and stereotypical perceptions of gender roles, these prevalent storylines silence academic women and position them to be silent. We identify emerging emancipatory storylines that foster women’s positioning from being silenced to being heard.