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Recruiting and Retaining Women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)

THE ADVANCE PROGRAM AT URI: AN INSTITUTION TRANSFORMED?

(in alphabetical order)Faye Boudreaux-Bartels, Laura Gostin, Lisa Harlow, Helen Mederer,

Nancy Neff, Joan Peckham, Mercedes Rivero-Hudec, Marimer Santiago, Barbara

Silver, Ashima Singh, Karen Stamm, Judith Swift, Nancy Fey Yensan, &

Karen Wishner

October 3, 2008University of Rhode Island

Thanks to: National Science Foundation Grant 0245039 and Students and Faculty at University of Rhode Island

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1. Background

2. Survey Findings

3. Recruitment

4. Retention

5. Summary

Overview

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Background

20% of STEM faculty are women and minorities

• percentage is misleading - includes social sciences

• 9.5 % Physics, 13.7% Chemistry, 11% Engineering

Imbalance creates retention problems

(Rosser, 2003)

Programs are needed to transform institutions

(Niemeier & Smith, 2005)

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STEM Faculty?

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Academic Work Environment Survey

Some Resistance to Change shown in 2004 & 2007 surveys:

Compared to Men’s Work-Interpersonal Relationships:

Women still report more work-life conflict

Women still report receiving less respect and collegiality

Compared to Attitudes in Men:

Women still report less perceived gender equity

Women still report greater experience of discrimination

Survey Highlights

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Some Gender Attitudes Not Changed across 2004 & 2007 surveys:

More so than Men,

Women still delay having children

Women still believe in both career and parent-child relationships

Women still will give their male partner career priority in a move

More so than Women,

Men still see stronger separation of roles between genders

Survey Highlights . . .

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Positive Career Attitude Changes between 2004 & 2007 surveys:

Men reported greater influence & satisfaction in 2004

No gender differences reported on these constructs in 2007

Positive Perceived Changes Attributed to Advance in 2007:

STEM faculty see more mentoring & resources than non-STEM

Women see more faculty development & work-life influence than men

Survey Highlights

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Faculty Fellows Recruitment Program

Recruitment Efforts

Best Practices Search Presentations,

Recruitment Manual, On-Line Web Tutorial

Guidelines for Dual Career Hires developed

• Work with president, provost, union and AA

• Developed and distributed to departments

Recruitment Efforts

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Faculty Recruitment HandbookA Research-Based Guide for Active Diversity Recruitment Practices

See: www.uri.edu/advance/recruitment.html

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FACULTY DEVELOPMENT

• Career Workshops

• Topical Lunches

• Incentive Fund for Women STEM Researchers

• Faculty Mentoring Program

Retention Efforts

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Retention EffortsWORK-LIFE BALANCE EFFORTS

Benefit all URI employees

• Paid Parental Leave Policy

• Dual Career Policy

• Work-Life Website(www.uri.edu/wlfc)

• Lactation Program

• State Senate Resolution

• Workshops, presentations, literature, AWARENESS !!!

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Mark Wood, Professor of Psychology, Grace's Dad and first faculty member to utilize URI's Parental Leave Policy

Many visible products,

but

An Institution Transformed?

Summary