ADVANCE Catalyst: An Institutional Self-Study of STEM Faculty Equity at Clark Atlanta University

Clark Atlanta University (CAU) will undertake an institutional self-assessment to identify potential gender-based equity issues for their STEM faculty. The project will result in a five-year STEM faculty equity plan that will guide actions to address any issues identified during the grant. CAU is a HBCU and United Methodist Church-affiliated institution that has strong roots in African-American southern culture.

Traditionally held beliefs about gender roles are theorized by the proposers to curtail the advancement of women through academic ranks and into senior leadership positions at CAU. Preliminary assessments indicate that inequality appears in several areas among CAU STEM faculty, including attainment of tenure and positions in senior leadership. To guide the institutional self-assessment, CAU will follow an intersectional framework that aims to identify how African-American and academic cultures interact with each other and with gender and other social categories.

The institutional self-assessment and five-year strategic plan will set a foundation to improve equity on campus, from entry-level faculty positions to the president’s office. This will benefit STEM disciplines as well as non-STEM disciplines due to the interconnected nature of university policy. Results of the Catalyst project will be regularly communicated with the CAU community and more broadly through the Atlanta University Consortium.

The catalyst project at CAU will examine STEM faculty equity through the lens of intersectionality within a unique institutional culture that is influenced by many strong factors. The project is expected to add to our understanding of STEM faculty equity and intersectionality.

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.