Draft of the ADVANCE Proposal Overview to be Presented at Faculty Senate

The Current Face of the ‘You of A’• Diversity in most STEM departments at the UA is

far below national levels– Current faculty and leadership representation – Applicant pools do not reflect the number of

available PhDs in STEM fields nor national applicant pool percentages of underrepresented groups

• Gender and racial inclusion levels of faculty and administrators affect the future UofA population– Faculty who apply and/or accept employment– Students who attend

An Opportunity• National Science Foundation ADVANCE Program

– Increase awareness and create an environment that can help us recruit, retain, and promote outstanding colleagues from diverse backgrounds

– Funding can provide up to $5 million to implement initiatives designed to create an environment that will benefit all faculty, staff, students, and administrators at the UofA

• Examples of ADVANCE Universities: Kansas State University Georgia Tech UniversityIowa State University Utah State UniversityUniversity of Nebraska University of MichiganUniversity of Washington University of Wisconsin

Ideal Time for Transition

• New leadership with a focus on excellence and implementation of diversity initiatives

• We have model departments in STEM fields that we can build on

• Achievement of top Carnegie distinction provides an increased opportunity to attract outstanding faculty and administrators in STEM fields

AIMS of ADVANCE Proposal

• Increase awareness of the need to transform the UofA culture

• Increase the representation of diverse STEM faculty at all levels

• Implement UofA policies that build an environment that maximizes the professional success of all faculty, staff, and leaders