While women faculty in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) have made significant strides in the last several decades, gender discrepancies still exist in these disciplines. The strategies and programs for institutional transformation created by the first two rounds of ADVANCE schools to support the advancement of women faculty in STEM have gone far beyond administrative rhetoric. They have challenged and redefined the status quo and have benefited not only women faculty, but also the faculty at large.
In general, at many universities and colleges, faculty professional development is not explicitly addressed. While research, and increasingly teaching, support has been available on campuses, other areas of faculty work (service, leadership, networking, etc.) have received very little attention. Yet these areas are critical to success of the faculty overall, and play an important role in the likelihood of advancement, particularly for women faculty.
Academic leaders, and particularly department chairs, carry considerable responsibility for departmental faculty recruitment, advancement, and retention. In this respect, they are key players in the institutional transformation process and in setting the climate of their departments. Few resources are available to support this role, however, and many chairs have little regular access to other department chairs, who could provide peer mentoring. The goal of this ADVANCE PAID proposal is to provide department chairs with the resources, skill development, and peer networks that will support more effective department leadership and governance, and contribute to a more positive department culture for all faculty.
The University of Washington will implement a series of two-day national leadership workshops over a three-year period for department chairs, deans, and emerging leaders in STEM. One workshop will be held each year at the University of Washington (UW), and in two of the three years, a second workshop will be held at an alternate regional site. These workshops are based on the UW ADVANCE program's quarterly leadership workshop series and two national pilot workshops. A pre-workshop mentoring-for-leadership event will be offered to women faculty at each workshop.
Intellectual Merit: The intellectual merit of this proposal is the creation of leadership and professional development opportunities for STEM department chairs and emerging leaders, particularly women faculty. The workshops will provide opportunities for academic leaders to address issues of gender equity, leadership, faculty recruitment, faculty professional development, family-friendly policies, and policy implementation. Each workshop will result in the creation of resources to support and advance issues relevant to the success of all faculty, and women faculty in particular.
Broader Impact: The national scope of the workshop allows the impact to be far reaching. The University of Washington will collaborate with historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and other institutions to include department chairs and faculty of color, particularly women. Holding workshops at regional locations will increase participation and ideally create local communities of department chairs who can continue to network and learn from each other, and potentially replicate parts of the workshops at their own institutions. The national workshops provide a venue for STEM department chairs from around the country to exchange best practices and strategies. Up to 250 department chairs and emerging leaders are expected to attend the workshops. The project team will also be available for consultation with institutions interested in hosting local, campus-based workshops. All workshop materials will be widely distributed via websites, presentations, papers, etc.
