Following a four-year self-study to explore equity, diversity, and inclusiveness, UNC Charlotte is poised for transformation into an institution where all faculty perceive that access to power, rewards, promotions, and leadership opportunities are equitably distributed.
Project goals are focused on the recruitment, retention, and advancement of women in STEM faculty positions and women in university-wide leadership positions. Strategies for change focus on structural reform, broad faculty awareness and engagement, and decision-maker accountability. A Faculty Affairs Office (FAO) will serve as a sustainable structural focal point for policy revision and a portfolio of programs designed to foster awareness, seek solutions, and disseminate project actions and outcomes. A competitive awards program will engage academic units to examine the status of women, including women faculty of color, and develop creative approaches for the specific needs of the unit. The FAO will be located in the Provost's Office to facilitate administrative accountability for making gains towards ADVANCE goals.
The UNC Charlotte ADVANCE Office, begun in 2006, now the Faculty Affairs and Diversity Office (ADVANCE FADO) has served a pivotal role in efforts to create an inclusive university climate. Through five-year grant period and no-cost extensions, the FADO has completed important initiatives and transitioned from a grant-funded to institution-funded office. The institutionalization of the UNC Charlotte ADVANCE FADO will continue facilitating recruitment and growth of UNC Charlotte’s diverse faculty. The focus of UNC Charlotte ADVANCE FADO is based on five primary goals: Goal 1: Recruitment: To increase the number of female faculty - including women of color - interviewed and hired in STEM disciplines at all ranks. Goal 2: Retention and Advancement: To increase the number of female faculty, including women of color, retained and promoted in STEM disciplines at all ranks. Goal 3: Climate: To improve and ensure gender equity in salary, workload, resource allocations, and recognition at the university. Goal 4: Institutional Transformation: To catalyze organizational change that will intentionally attract, retain, support and advance women in STEM disciplines. Goal 5: Dissemination: To communicate resources, findings and best practices of gender equity recruiting, retention, and climate initiatives, particularly among STEM disciplines Programming to produce positive changes in line with these goals have included: Program Participants since beginning Faculty Recruitment Training (2007 Present) 342 New Faculty Mentoring Initiative (2007 – Present) 125 Mid-Career Mentoring Initiative (2008-Present) 69 associate professors Faculty Forum (2008 to present) 86 associate professors New Faculty Orientation (2012 – Present) 43 New Faculty Transitions (2009 - Present) 81 COACh Workshops (2009 – Present) 166 Leadership (2007 - Present) 137 New Chairs Orientation (2009 – Present) 44 Chair Development Programs (2009 - present) 133 Bonnie Cone Fellowships (2007-2012) 2006-2008: 18 grants to female junior STEM faculty 2008-2009: 6 grants 2009-2010: 7 grants 2010-2011: 6 grants to female junior STEM faculty Solutions Team Awards (2007 – 2009) 2 awards Climate Survey Alternate years ADVANCE FADO programming has positively impacted culture and climate for women at UNCC. In a 2013 climate survey, gender differences in job satisfaction and mentoring were no longer reported. Numerous individuals, who participated in mentoring programs as mentees, have since received tenure and now serve as mentors. The Future of the Faculty Committee, the policy arm of the office, has affected the climate for women and under-represented minorities on campus. The committee reviews processes at UNC Charlotte that might impede the recruitment, retention, and development of faculty members, particularly women. Progress includes broadening promotional pathways, adding rationales for stopping tenure clocks, and implementation of a faculty ombudsperson office. In addition, it has made work-life issues prominent in the faculty consciousness, evident from Faculty Council’s decision to create a Committee on Faculty Welfare. Attendance at ADVANCE initiatives has grown dramatically and feedback from participants has been positive. Participants have advanced in rank, to titled administrative positions, and taken strong leadership roles in their own units or departments. UNC Charlotte ADVANCE FADO has hosted three conferences, attended by faculty from North Carolina. A number of institutions around the state have sought our guidance regarding implementing mentoring programs at their institutions. UNC Charlotte ADVANCE FADO has fostered partnerships with many institutions, culminating in the submission of a PAID proposal around mid-career mentoring and collaboration in organizing mid-career conferences. UNC Charlotte ADVANCE FADO’s most recent regional conference focused on translating intellectual into entrepreneurial capital. As a result, a number of new partnerships have been fostered with local entrepreneurial entities and will be leveraged to continue expansion of ADVANCE programming both in and outside the institution. Assumptions and attitudes of individuals of influence can significantly influence faculty success. With this in mind, we have directed efforts to educate ALL faculty around issues of diversity. For example, Faculty Recruitment Training Workshops are designed to help faculty search committees share best search practices, including diversity strategies, so searches can be conducted fairly and effectively, consistent with university goals. Highlighting the Universities commitment to promoting a diverse faculty, Recruitment Training Session is required every 5 years, and all search committee members complete online training prior to serving on every search committee. The institutionalization of the UNC Charlotte ADVANCE FADO Office clearly underscores the commitment of UNC Charlotte to issues of gender equity and diversity in the academic community. Uninterrupted funding of the office has allowed it to continue its work to build faculty diversity and promote faculty success through research and programming. Significant gains have been achieved since the grants beginning in 2006, but clearly issues related recruitment and retention still remain. Figure 1 outlines the research plans UNC Charlotte ADVANCE FADO plans to undertake, and the programs and initiatives the office will offer to move forward with its mission. All initiatives will continue to be rigorously evaluated to assess program impact and identify the need for modifications in strategy as needed.
