Catalyzing STEM Gender Equity at Drexel: Building a Foundation for Systemic Transformation

确保科学、技术、工程和数学(STEM)教师职业生涯的多样性和公平性至关重要。在这一核心租户和德雷克塞尔大学优先事项的推动下，该项目团队的长期目标是在德雷克塞尔培养一批杰出的、多元化的女性领导者。然而，这只能通过留住和提拔该机构的女教员来实现。德雷克塞尔在招聘助理教授级别的有才华的女性教员方面有着悠久的历史，然后她们被提升为副教授。然而，最近的一次内部审计发现，在全面晋升方面存在持续的差距。对于代表不足的少数族裔女性来说，这一差距尤为明显。这项研究旨在评估德莱士目前针对教师从副教授过渡到正教授的政策、程序和实践，确定通过其他高级计划制定的最佳实践，并利用这一洞察力制定基于证据的公平和公平的促进政策、程序和实践，以便在校园范围内使用。认识到有必要消除阻碍整个学术生涯取得进展的系统性性别和种族障碍，该项目将侧重于性别和种族/族裔的交集，同时也关注性别认同和表达、出生国、不同能力、家庭状况以及教职任命类型和级别。德雷克塞尔重视大学领导层的多样性和公平性。该项目的三个目标是：1)了解负面影响或促进女性留任和晋升为全职教授的政策、程序和做法；2)确定其他先进机构制定的、可能适合德雷克塞尔背景的最佳实践战略；以及3)利用调查结果，制定全面的战略行动计划，以发展德雷克塞尔大学包容和多样化的领导力。这项为期两年的混合方法研究将为德雷克塞尔未来收集和分析教师公平的数据做好准备，机构领导层可以使用这些数据来为决策提供信息。先期的“催化剂”工作还将使该机构做好准备，以实施以证据为基础的战略，以加强对所有教师的保留和晋升，这将在作为该项目一部分的五年教师公平战略计划中概述。结果将通过会议、同行评议出版物、行业媒体、大众媒体传播，并与其他先进机构分享。NSF高级方案旨在通过重点确定和消除阻碍学术机构中不同教员充分参与和进步的组织障碍来促进性别平等。阻碍公平的组织障碍可能存在于政策、流程、实践以及组织文化和氛围中。先期“催化剂”奖为学术、非营利性高等教育机构的机构公平评估和五年教师公平战略计划的制定提供支持。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

It is fundamentally important to ensure diversity and equity across the career lifespan of faculty in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Motivated by this core tenant and priority for Drexel University, the long-term goal for this project team is to create a pipeline of outstanding, diverse women leaders at Drexel. However, this can only be accomplished through the retention and promotion of women faculty at the institution. Drexel has a long history of recruiting talented women faculty at the Assistant Professor level, who are then promoted to Associate Professor. However, a recent internal audit identified a consistent and persistent gap in promotion to Full. The gap is particularly stark for underrepresented minority women. This study is designed to evaluate the current policies, procedures, and practices at Drexel for faculty transitioning from Associate to Full Professor, identify best practices developed through other ADVANCE programs, and to use this insight to develop an evidence-based fair and equitable promotion policies, procedures, and practices for use campus-wide. Recognizing the need to eliminate systemic gender and race barriers impeding progress across the academic lifespan, this project will focus on the intersections of gender and race/ethnicity, while also paying attention to gender identity and expression, country of origin, different abilities, family status, and faculty appointment type and rank. Drexel prioritizes diversity and equity for university leadership. This project aims to develop a transparent and sustainable professional “roadmap” to Professor, which is essential for attaining gender parity and diversity at that rank.The three goals of this project are: 1) understand the policies, procedures, and practices that negatively impact or facilitate women’s retention and promotion to Full Professor; 2) identify best-practice strategies developed by other ADVANCE institutions that might be tailored to fit Drexel’s context; and 3) utilize findings to create a comprehensive strategic action plan for developing inclusive and diverse leadership at Drexel University. This two-year mixed-method study will prepare Drexel for future data collection and data analyses of faculty equity which can be used by institutional leadership to inform decision-making. The ADVANCE “Catalyst” work will also prepare the institution to implement evidence-based strategies to enhance retention and promotion for all faculty which will be outlined in a five-year faculty equity strategic plan that will be produced as part of this project. Results will be disseminated via conferences, peer-review publications, industry press, popular media, and shared with other ADVANCE institutions. The NSF ADVANCE program is designed to foster gender equity through a focus on the identification and elimination of organizational barriers that impede the full participation and advancement of diverse faculty in academic institutions. Organizational barriers that inhibit equity may exist in policies, processes, practices, and the organizational culture and climate. ADVANCE "Catalyst" awards provide support for institutional equity assessments and the development of five-year faculty equity strategic plans at an academic, non-profit institution of higher education.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.