INTERVENTIONS TO ADDRESS UNIVERSITY-WIDE STRUCTURE ISSUES

Most of this project's restructuring goals will require leadership from administrative offices above the departmental level. Thus, in addition to department-level actions, the Associate Provost for Faculty Advancement and Diversity (PI Carlson) and college-designated representatives will play key roles in assessments and interventions that involve structural issues, including many already identified in the last three years. Existing ADVANCE programs at Georgia Tech, Utah State, and Michigan show that assessment of current practices and change of policies are important to institutional change (National ADVANCE PI Meeting Abstract, 2005).

Create transparency: Public documentation of evaluative standards in university decision-making/routine practices (e.g., committee assignments, salary increases, lab space, etc.).

Combat isolation: Program will ameliorate the negative effects of isolation by capitalizing on existing diversity.



STEM Retreats


ISU-ADVANCE TEAM will continue to hold semi-annual cross-disciplinary STEM retreats. Retreats will include men and women, as well as non-tenure-track faculty, and will focus on sharing research in progress, pedagogical strategies for making teaching more enjoyable/efficient, professional development, and social connections. These retreats will facilitate changes in department, college and university culture and practice for women as well as men by increasing networking opportunities, illuminating subtle and persistent barriers to inclusion, and educating faculty about new and on-going policies and programs.



Networking Meetings


Twice a semester we will also hold networking meetings for women STEM faculty at socially pleasing venues and offer a speaker or activity related to professional development. Retreats and meetings that include information on career building skills have been well received in ADVANCE programs such as U-Texas El Paso, Utah State and Colorado (National ADVANCE PI Meeting Abstract, 2005).

Mentoring: Equity Advisors in conjunction with the Associate Provost for Faculty Advancement and Diversity will overhaul the university mentoring program, building on the successful "circle of advisors" concept (National ADVANCE PI Meeting Abstract, 2005). This program will target incoming faculty and faculty career transitions. The goals of this program are to sustain interventions in culture and practice, and to lay a foundation for expanding these changes beyond focal departments by initiating women and men into a culture and practice of gender equity.

Mentoring at transitions between career stages is designed to facilitate advancement of faculty up promotion ladders, with special attention to women. Provost-level funding for this program will continue. Mentoring projects have been successful also at U-Texas El Paso and Utah State (National. ADVANCE PI Meeting Abstract, 2005).



External Mentoring Program


Because of the extremely low numbers of women from underrepresented race/ethnic groups in STEM fields at ISU we will also develop an external mentoring program to encourage connections between underrepresented female faculty of color at ISU and at other institutions. This innovative program is intended to enhance the recruitment, retention and advancement of minority women. Individual faculty who desire external mentoring will have the option to apply for an external mentor, a senior faculty member in the faculty member's research area. The program will support tele-conferencing and campus visits for both mentee and mentor. ADVANCE funds will be available to fly external mentors or mentees to visit once per year for consultation. Our External mentoring program draws upon lessons learned from other External mentoring programs (University of Maryland Baltimore County) (National ADVANCE PI Meeting Abstract, 2005).

Flexible career options and partner accommodation: ISU has made several significant policy advances regarding career flexibility. For example, the current tenure and promotion policy defines scholarship as a combination of research, teaching, and professional practice/extension. The Faculty Senate and ISU President have approved an Arrival of Children Policy and the Senate is currently considering a Part-time Tenure-track Policy. The Comprehensive Institutional Intervention plan will play an instrumental role in ensuring implementation and long-term effectiveness of these policies. The ADVANCE Council (which includes all ADVANCE TEAM members; see management plan) will work with the Provost to appoint a taskforce to review the current partner accommodation practices, in conjunction with a conference in the second year of the project on "Recreating Academic Work in STEM." In 2005-2006 an administrative intern (a STEM department chair) is working on these issues in the Provost's Office.


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