NSF ADVANCE Catalyst: A Data Driven Critical Needs Assessment of STEM Faculty Recruitment, Retention, and Promotion for George Mason University

The diversity of George Mason University (Mason) faculty, including science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) faculty, lags well behind that of the student body, both in terms of the representation of women and of people from underrepresented racial/ethnic minority (URM) groups. The Mason ADVANCE Catalyst team will undertake a significant, systematic collection and evaluation of quantitative and qualitative data for STEM tenure-track and full-time term (contingent) faculty with attention to intersectional analyses to pinpoint where change efforts are needed.

The focus will be on recruitment and hiring, and renewal/reappointment, promotion, and tenure (RPT). This systematic analysis will inform meaningful, sustained institutional change. Moreover, it will lay the foundation for significant, generalizable results for peer institutions striving for demographic diversity amongst their faculty on par with that of the undergraduate student body those faculty educate.

Specific goals of this project are to (1) explore whether there are racial/ethnic and gender disparities across STEM faculty types and ranks with respect to recruitment, retention, promotion, and tenure; (2) learn about the reasons why these disparities may exist, including any policies, practices, and cultural norms that may contribute to these outcomes; and (3) identify successful strategies from prior ADVANCE work to create a STEM Equity Strategic Plan to improve recruitment and retention of diverse faculty at Mason. To accomplish these goals, the team will analyze College of Engineering and Computing and College of Science data sets that capture themes related to institutional culture; recruitment and hiring; retention; and equity.

The team will utilize an intersectionality lens to better understand the particularities of why certain demographics are over- or underrepresented among Mason faculty. Through this project, Mason will be able to identify and make plans to mitigate organizational barriers that impede the full participation and advancement of diverse faculty. It will lay the foundation for an equity assessment and the development of a STEM Equity Strategic Plan that will foster a more inclusive culture and climate for faculty success.

Thus, the project will contribute to broader conversations about success for faculty underrepresented in STEM, as defined by NCSES. The Catalyst Team will produce: (i) a comprehensive report, (ii) a communication plan to educate our campus community on any identified racial/gender disparities, and (iii) a virtual conference with relevant experts to share findings and knowledge of effective practices for planning of specific interventions to address project findings.

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 academic, non-profit institutions 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.