SSciencecience and and TTechnology echnology RecruitingRecruiting to to IImprove mprove

DDiversity and iversity and EExcellencexcellence

(STRIDE)(STRIDE)

Mission StatementMission Statement

"The STRIDE committee provides "The STRIDE committee provides information and advice about practices information and advice about practices that will maximize the likelihood that well-that will maximize the likelihood that well-qualified female and minority candidates qualified female and minority candidates for faculty positions will be identified, and, for faculty positions will be identified, and, if selected for offers, recruited, retained, if selected for offers, recruited, retained, and promoted at the University of and promoted at the University of Michigan. The committee works with Michigan. The committee works with departments by meeting with chairs, departments by meeting with chairs, faculty search committees, and other faculty search committees, and other departmental leaders involved with departmental leaders involved with recruitment and retention."recruitment and retention."

The STRIDE Committee and The STRIDE Committee and What They LearnedWhat They Learned

John Vandermeer, Samuel Mukasa, Pamela Raymond, John Vandermeer, Samuel Mukasa, Pamela Raymond, Carol Fierke, Anthony EnglandCarol Fierke, Anthony England

Michael Savageau, Martha Pollack, Abigail Stewart, Michael Savageau, Martha Pollack, Abigail Stewart, Melvin HochsterMelvin Hochster

Five Myths and Five Myths and Partial TruthsPartial Truths

Myths and Partial Truths #1Myths and Partial Truths #1

There just aren’t enough female Ph.D.’s – the problem is the pipeline

True, but only in some disciplines…the proportion of female faculty in science and engineering overall is much smaller than the proportion of female Ph.D.’s

National Percentages of Female Faculty in the Social Sciences, Sciences, and Engineering: 1987-1997*

0

10

20

30

40

50

1987

1997

* Source: NSF Report on Women, Minorities, and Persons With Disabilities in Science and Engineering, 2000

SOURCE: National Science Foundation/Division of Science Resources Studies, Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering.

Science and engineering

total

Physical sciences

Earth, atmosphericand ocean sciences

Math Computer science

Agricultural sciences

Biological sciences

Psychology Social sciences

Engineering

100

90

8070

6050

40

302010

0

Percent

Pipeline Leakage: Women as a Percentage of Pipeline Leakage: Women as a Percentage of Science and Engineering Graduate Students, Science and Engineering Graduate Students,

by Field in 1980 and 1997by Field in 1980 and 1997

Percent of Female Faculty in the Social Sciences, Sciences and Engineering at University of Michigan:

1980, 1990, and 1995*

0

10

20

30

40

50

SocialSciences

Sciences Engineering

1980

1990

1995

** Source: UM CEW Report, 1996

Percent of UM Instructional Track Faculty in Engineering, LSA Science Departments, and Medicine Who are Women, by Rank, 2000-01

0

10

20

30

40

50

Medicine LSA Sciences Engineering

Assistant

Associate

Full

Progress has been especially slow at the highest ranks, which hold the most faculty

93-94 94-95 95-96 96-97 97-98 98-99 99-00 00-010

10

20

30% PhD's awarded% Hired to Tenure Track% Asst Professor% Assoc Professor% Professor

UM

Taulbee Data on CS/CE Production and Hiring

Year

Pe

rce

nt

Wo

me

n

Why This Problem MattersWhy This Problem Matters

Faculty demographics that differ significantly from student Faculty demographics that differ significantly from student demographics carry implicit and unwelcome messages demographics carry implicit and unwelcome messages that discourage women from entering the academy. that discourage women from entering the academy. Unhappy women faculty further exacerbate this effect.Unhappy women faculty further exacerbate this effect.

FairnessFairness

LegitimacyLegitimacy

QualityQuality

We claim to be a meritocracy but when we fail to We claim to be a meritocracy but when we fail to recognize women’s talents and energies we are practicing recognize women’s talents and energies we are practicing another form of inherited privilege.another form of inherited privilege.

Denying the talents and energies of half our population Denying the talents and energies of half our population negatively affects the potential quality of our future negatively affects the potential quality of our future faculty.faculty.

Discrimination is only practiced by a small set of ignorant people.

False! Research shows that everyone —males and females alike — perceive and treat women differently from men.

Myths and Partial Truths #2Myths and Partial Truths #2

How It HappensHow It Happens

Virginia Valian (CUNY) speaking at Rice Virginia Valian (CUNY) speaking at Rice University, March 2000* **University, March 2000* **

video: gender schemas

video: fellowship applications******

** Webcast : www.rice.edu/webcast/speeches/20010329valian.htmlWebcast : www.rice.edu/webcast/speeches/20010329valian.html

** ** Based on findings reported in her book: Based on findings reported in her book: Why So Slow: The Why So Slow: The Advancement of Women. Advancement of Women. Boston: MIT Press, 1999.Boston: MIT Press, 1999.

****** See also Wenneras, C. & Wold, A. (1997). “Nepotism and sexism in See also Wenneras, C. & Wold, A. (1997). “Nepotism and sexism in peer-review.”peer-review.” NatureNature, 387, 341-343., 387, 341-343.

The problems will all be solved if we just recruit more women.

False… although we must recruit more female faculty to increase the numbers, we also need to be concerned with retention to avoid continued leakage in the pipeline.

Myths and Partial Truths #3Myths and Partial Truths #3

Since many of the problems encountered by female faculty are minor, this emphasis on remedies to improve retention of women is an over-reaction.

Myths and Partial Truths #4Myths and Partial Truths #4

False ... over time, small disadvantages accumulate into significant ones that have large impacts on career success and satisfaction.

Accumulation of advantage and disadvantage

““Like interest on capital, advantages accrue. Like Like interest on capital, advantages accrue. Like interest on debt, disadvantages also accumulate. Very interest on debt, disadvantages also accumulate. Very small differences in treatment can, as they pile up, small differences in treatment can, as they pile up, result in large disparities in salary, promotion, and result in large disparities in salary, promotion, and prestige.”prestige.” (Valian, 1999)(Valian, 1999)

video: mountains out of molehills

These data give us a better These data give us a better understanding and an explanation of understanding and an explanation of

‘How it Happens’ ‘How it Happens’

Evaluation biasEvaluation bias

Lack of Critical MassLack of Critical Mass

Gender schemasGender schemas

Accumulation of disadvantageAccumulation of disadvantage

Career successCareer success

PerformancePerformance

We believe the academy functions as We believe the academy functions as a meritocracy based on peer reviewa meritocracy based on peer review

Lowered career success rateLowered career success rate

Gender Gender schemasschemas

Lack of Lack of critical masscritical mass

Accumulation of disadvantageAccumulation of disadvantage

EvaluationEvaluation biasbias

Performance is underestimatedPerformance is underestimated

There’s nothing I or my department can do about the under-representation of women in the science and engineering faculty.

False! There are lots of steps you can take to increase the likelihood of successfully recruiting and retaining highly qualified women.

Myths and Partial Truths #5Myths and Partial Truths #5

Some Solutions — Search Some Solutions — Search Committee Practices (1)Committee Practices (1)**

RecruitmentRecruitment

• Personal contacts with potential candidatesPersonal contacts with potential candidates

• Email groups of women in the fieldEmail groups of women in the field

• Job postings targeted at women and minoritiesJob postings targeted at women and minorities

Active recruiting for a diverse applicant poolActive recruiting for a diverse applicant pool

Think about implications of position descriptionThink about implications of position description

Discuss potential role of evaluation biasDiscuss potential role of evaluation bias

** This presentation includes only a subset of the strategies This presentation includes only a subset of the strategies described in the described in the Faculty Recruitment HandbookFaculty Recruitment Handbook..

Some Solutions – Search Some Solutions – Search Committee Practices (2)Committee Practices (2)

Widen the range of institutions from which the Widen the range of institutions from which the top candidates are selectedtop candidates are selected

Consider women and minorities who are Consider women and minorities who are ‘underplaced’ (at lower-ranked institutions)‘underplaced’ (at lower-ranked institutions)

Revisit applicant pool if no women or Revisit applicant pool if no women or minorities are on the final short listminorities are on the final short list

Make multiple short lists using multiple criteria Make multiple short lists using multiple criteria of quality (research grants, publication impact, of quality (research grants, publication impact, teaching)teaching)

Some Solutions — Visits (1) Some Solutions — Visits (1)

Campus VisitsCampus Visits

Interview more than one woman Interview more than one woman (Research (Research shows that a woman is much more likely to be shows that a woman is much more likely to be selected as the top candidate if she is not the only selected as the top candidate if she is not the only woman interviewed.)woman interviewed.)

Invite women for informal visits (seminar Invite women for informal visits (seminar presentations) before officially recruiting thempresentations) before officially recruiting them

Address climate issues in the department Address climate issues in the department prior toprior to recruitment recruitment

Some Solutions — Visits (2)Some Solutions — Visits (2)

Don’t let dual career issues eliminate a good Don’t let dual career issues eliminate a good candidatecandidate

Recruit women as scientists, not as Recruit women as scientists, not as “women”“women”

Provide an opportunity for women to talk to Provide an opportunity for women to talk to another woman another woman — — but not the search but not the search committee committee — — about gender and climate issuesabout gender and climate issues

Campus VisitsCampus Visits

Some Retention Strategies (1)Some Retention Strategies (1)

Develop transparent policies and Develop transparent policies and promotion criteriapromotion criteria

Reach critical mass (Reach critical mass (break the ‘evaluation break the ‘evaluation bias-gender schema loop’)bias-gender schema loop’)

Support collaborations among women Support collaborations among women scientists/engineers across departments at scientists/engineers across departments at UM, and nationally/internationallyUM, and nationally/internationally

Improve mentoring of women facultyImprove mentoring of women faculty

Some Retention Strategies (2)Some Retention Strategies (2)

Encourage inclusion of women in the Encourage inclusion of women in the academic life and decision-making of the academic life and decision-making of the departmentdepartment

Recognize and compensate women’s extra Recognize and compensate women’s extra serviceservice

The UM Climate Survey found thatThe UM Climate Survey found that women faculty women faculty serve on more committees than men but do not chair serve on more committees than men but do not chair more; women’s higher rate of service is not rewarded more; women’s higher rate of service is not rewarded with a similar rate of opportunity for leadership.with a similar rate of opportunity for leadership.

Some Retention Strategies (3)Some Retention Strategies (3)

The ADVANCE 2001 climate survey revealed The ADVANCE 2001 climate survey revealed high rates (41% and 20%, respectively, in last 5 high rates (41% and 20%, respectively, in last 5 years) among women science and engineering years) among women science and engineering faculty at UMfaculty at UM

Ensure that faculty, students and staff know Ensure that faculty, students and staff know how to recognize and discourage gender how to recognize and discourage gender discrimination and sexual harassmentdiscrimination and sexual harassment

Appoint Women to Leadership RolesAppoint Women to Leadership Roles

Consider making senior hires - identify Consider making senior hires - identify female candidates who may currently be female candidates who may currently be underplaced (resources to assist can be underplaced (resources to assist can be requested from your Dean and from the requested from your Dean and from the Provost’s Office)Provost’s Office)

Invite women to chair important committees Invite women to chair important committees and provide women with academic and provide women with academic leadership positionsleadership positions

UM Resources – College LevelUM Resources – College Level

College of EngineeringCollege of Engineering

Dean’s Advisory Committee on the Status of Female Dean’s Advisory Committee on the Status of Female FacultyFaculty

College of Literature, Sciences, and the ArtsCollege of Literature, Sciences, and the Arts

Discretionary Budget for ADVANCE in Dean’s OfficeDiscretionary Budget for ADVANCE in Dean’s Office

Dual Career Support Program in Dean’s OfficeDual Career Support Program in Dean’s Office

School of MedicineSchool of Medicine

Sponsors participation of women faculty in Executive Sponsors participation of women faculty in Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine (ELAM)Leadership in Academic Medicine (ELAM)

University ResourcesUniversity Resources

Discretionary funds to assist in diversifying the facultyDiscretionary funds to assist in diversifying the faculty

Dual career programDual career program

Can provide specific pipeline and other data for Can provide specific pipeline and other data for disciplinesdisciplines

Available for consultation on climate and retention Available for consultation on climate and retention

Provost’s Faculty Initiative Program (PFIP)Provost’s Faculty Initiative Program (PFIP)

ADVANCEADVANCE

http://www.umich.edu/~provost/programs/fcltinit.htmlhttp://www.umich.edu/~provost/programs/fcltinit.html

http://www.umich.edu/~advproj/ http://www.umich.edu/~advproj/

We Are Available to:We Are Available to:

Advise chairs on search committee Advise chairs on search committee composition and search practicescomposition and search practices

Work with search committees throughout Work with search committees throughout the processthe process

Contact us via advanceproject@umich.edu Contact us via advanceproject@umich.edu or 647-9357or 647-9357