The University of California, Hastings College of the Law ADVANCE PAID project is a partnership with the Association for Women in Science (AWIS) that focuses on the development and dissemination of workshop tools and modules to institutions of higher education. These tools are expected to accomplish several critical objectives including, providing institutions with economic data that builds the case for gender equity policies; development and dissemination of knowledge associated with underrepresented minority women; implementation of user friendly workshops-in-a-box; improvement and dissemination of survey protocols and related products; and, leveraging of multiple and easily accessible outlets for dissemination of relevant information.
Intellectual Merit. The UC Hastings project is a strategic partnership with a national organization that has a complementary focus on enhancing the representation of women in the academic STEM disciplines. With the broad network of AWIS and the expertise of the PIs, this partnership will utilize a train-the-trainer model to provides workshops-in-a-box, develop a rigorous economic analysis of retaining women in the academy, determine mechanisms for disaggregating gender bias by race and/or ethnicity and provide meaningful tools for change dissemination.
Broader Impact. The proposed project is expected to reach beyond higher education to include other AWIS chapters and non-profit STEM organizations. As such, there are significant broader impacts associated with the workshops. Additionally, by utilizing the national platform of AWIS, traditional means of dissemination are broadened to the greatest extent possible. Thus, the outcomes of the project that are related to women in STEM will easily reach a broad audience and contribute to engaging both institutions of higher education and STEM organizations in best practices related to promoting gender equity.
Two factors which have stalled women’s advancement in science include implicit bias and lack of family friendly policies. Mary Ann Mason of the University of California, Berkeley, and Joan C. Williams of the University of California, Hastings, have engaged in more than 20 years of original research to determine when and why women drop out of the pipeline. Mason and Williams have partnered with the Association for Women in Science (AWIS) to develop their research into tools to help universities retain women scientists. The Tools: "Level the Playing Field" Workshops Workshops-in-a-Box (Facilitator’s Toolkit) Cost Simulator & Economic Analysis Report New Research: Double Jeopardy? Gender Bias Against Women of Color in Science Tools for Change Website (www.toolsforchangeinstem.org) The content developed for this project will continue to be a valuable resource for institutions and individuals going forward. Based on the feedback received from surveys included at the end of each workshop, our website analytics, and data gathered from webinar participants, we are able to conclude that the information created for this project is useful, well received, and being implemented. "Steps are being taken by some universities to make the situation regarding family friendly policies better, but much remains to be done!" - Workshop Participant The workshops we developed were effective in promoting best practices and new strategies. In addition to our online workshop dedicated to best practices, we also delivered webinars targeted toward institutional administrators. We also extensively disseminated copies of the Effective Policies and Programs for Retention and advancement of Women in Academia report created by the Center for WorkLife Law and the Creating a Family Friendly Department: Chairs and Deans Toolkit created by the UC Family Edge website at conferences and speaking engagements over the duration of the grant. We found the use of online tools very helpful in disseminating content quickly and efficiently. With automation tools in place to deliver content to users on-demand, very little maintenance is required once content has been created and added to the website. Focus can then be placed on promotion of the content to targeted audiences. As webinars, video conferencing, and online videos becomes more commonly used mediums for delivering professional development and training, our tools will become more popular and continue to provide value to individuals and institutions. Tools for Change Website (www.toolsforchangeinstem.org) The Tools for Change website was launched in July 2013. It is the main deliver platform for the content and tools produced for this project. Both AWIS and WorkLife Law share in the effort to promote the website.
