Engineering & Science Careers in Academia,

Learning from ADVANCE & Translating EffectivelyNSF#0620013 Social, Behavioral, & Economic Sciences

ADVANCE-PAID: Partnerships for Adaptation, Implementation, & Dissemination

Interdisciplinary Project Team

Overview

How do women’s numbers in science and engineering vary?

What do studies of women suggest?

What have NSF ADVANCE grantees found effective for institutional climate change and support of women faculty?

What are Project ESCALATE’s plans and goals?

WOMEN’S NUMBERS IN ACADEMIC CAREERS IN

SCIENCE & ENGINEERING

Women’s Degrees, % of total

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

Engr'g Phys'l Sci Earth Sci CSI/Math Biol'l Sci Psych'y Soc'l Sci

Bachelors Masters Doctorate

Women’s Engineering Degrees, %

0

10

20

30

AerospaceChem'l

CivilElect'l Indust'lMaterials

Mech'l Other

Bachelors Masters Doctorate

Women's PhDs by Field, %

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000

Physical Earth Biol'l Math/CS Engr'g

Women's Engineering Doctorates Earned, %

5

10

15

20

25

30

1996 1998 2000 2002

Total Chemical Civil Electrical Industrial Mechanical

Women Profs w/in Disciplines by Rank, %

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

Chemistry

MathCS

Astron'y Physics Biolog'l Engr'g

Ass't Assoc Full Total

STUDIES OF WOMEN IN ACADEMIC CAREERS IN

SCIENCE & ENGINEERING

Men|Mars:Women|Venus?

Widely believed that men faculty are one way and women another, and all women’s experiences are similar.Research contradicts this:

Considerable variation exists andRelates to the proportion of women in a particular department, and to the era when one entered academia (Etzkowitz et al., 2000; Kulis, 1998).

The “Dream” of a Critical Mass

Dream: Circumstances will improve when a “critical mass” (women > 15%) accumulated (Kanter, 1977).

Reality: Three divisions emerged: “Token” (<15%),

“Minority” (from 15-60%),

“Majority” (>60%) (Etzkowitz et al., 2000).

Women’s parity point is 60% of total.

“Key Barriers” Research

Sue Rosser & Eliesh Lane (2002, JWMSE)

Surveyed 1997-2000 NSF POWRE awardees, all NSF Directorates

(398 academic faculty, assistant profs, 67% response rate)

Significant Challenges

Balancing work/family (70%)

Low numbers, isolation (22%)

Gaining credibility (20%)

2-career problems (18%)

Time management (14%)

Backlash & discrimination (12%)

Rosser & Lane Policy Suggestions

Balancing career & familyStop the tenure clock for family leaveProvide on-site day-careDual-career hires

Low numbers & “stereotyping” (acting as if women are of a “type”)

Focus on differences among women, and different situations faced in different disciplinesImprove access to networks of professional informationLimit demands for extra service and teaching

Rosser & Lane Policy Suggestions

Funding & TenureDevelop grant-writing workshops

Recognize changes in funding practices and women’s increased challenges

Overt DiscriminationEstablish [and enforce] policies against sexual harassment and other discrimination

Train all faculty and administration in these policies, as well as in cultural and national differences w.r.t. U.S. expectations

Summary

Improving underrepresented faculty’s experiences suggest the importance of:

Diminishing isolation, and expanding connections to networks within their discipline,

Not merely teaching these faculty how to survive in the situations, but

Helping colleagues develop a keener sense of the complexity of their colleagues’ circumstances, and

Changing academic cultures and climates to better support all faculty’s scientific and engineering productivity.

NSF ADVANCE INITIATIVES

ADVANCE Initiatives

Institutional Transformation (IT)Innovative systemic organizational approaches to transform institutions of higher education

Institutional Transformation Catalyst (IT-Catalyst)

Support institutional self-assessment activities prior to IT grant

Partnerships for Adaptation, Implementation, and Dissemination (PAID)

Extend earlier IT findings to new circumstances

ESCALATE: ADVANCE-PAID at WSU

ESCALATE Goals

Address two issues interfering with building a faculty representative of society:

Women’s isolation from information & collegiality networks needed for success in academic science and engineeringLack of awareness about how cultures of academic science and engineering impact women and about ways to better account for women’s needs and interests

Initiatives Reducing Isolation

Women’s Career Development Initiatives

Annual Career Symposium

Career Networking Meetings

Web Resource for Career Advancement

Wider Horizons (connecting with women from other institutions)

and..

Career Development Grants$80,000 spread over 4 years

$500-2000 each - To pay expenses related to critical career steps: meet with mentor, bring in expert (e.g., colloquium), add resources for research, & visit funding agencies

Selection CriteriaSolicit applications via email

Staged deadlines for fall, winter, and spring/summer

Justify amount, dates, & purpose, relate to critical career steps and to potential for dept. funding

Chair’s brief recommendation

(Initiatives Reducing Isolation, cont’d)

Institutional Change Initiatives

Institutional TransformationResource Team (did not take hold)

UM Theater Group (well attended and seen as helpful)

Urban Presence (a hit with CC students and their families)

Departmental TransformationSelf-study and change in two engineering departments (did not take root, instead sponsored a University of Wisconsin workshop “Searching for Excellence and Diversity”)

Administrative Support

High-level administrative support ensured: Helping ESCALATE team better understand WSU, by providing institutional data (necessary to understand faculty numbers, as well as to field Climate Surveys)

Participation in ESCALATE activities

Awareness of, and skill practicing, subtle ways to encourage women faculty

Thank you.

Email: escalate@wayne.edu

Website: escalate.wayne.edu