Many academic employees have responsibilities for students and PhD research fellows through teaching and supervision roles. More established researchers also serve as role models for younger researchers, students and new employees, and therefore hold informal power. What they say and do, what they encourage, and their patterns of response therefore have influence.

This applies both in larger contexts and in small interactions in everyday working life.

This can be negative in the form of microaggressions – i.e., small comments, snide remarks and stereotypes, sometimes expressed as humour (Gressgård, 2013), but also positive in the form of microaffirmations (Powell, Demetriou & Fisher, 2013). Both small and large interactions from individuals in formal or informal positions of power can contribute to whether students and PhD research fellows feel a sense of belonging or a lack of belonging in academic spaces.

The provision of adaptation for students’ and researchers’ disabilities can be a relevant topic to observe. International research shows that students with various disabilities often downplay these out of fear of not living up to academic work ideals (Yerbury & Yerbury). 

Supervision and teaching are embedded in local culture and expectations and can therefore be observed, discussed and potentially changed. Here are some of the things that can be observed:

• What type of culture is in place for the supervision of students and PhD research fellows? What expectations are there, and what type of training, if any, is provided?
• Is there a difference in the type of support PhD research fellows receive for attending conferences, being invited to co-author articles, receiving teaching assignments, etc?
• What type of routines are there for inclusive teaching in your academic community? What resources and support are given to teaching staff? Here, it is important that responsibility and resources are allocated appropriately – something universities must also support. Many people wish to carry out inclusive teaching and supervision but do not receive the resources needed to do so.
• What type of training is provided in adapting physical spaces, accommodating students with disabilities, using digital support materials, and accessing local resources at the university and national levels?