scholarly journals Inclusion DOES Matter: COVID-19 as an opportunity (not a near miss) for making decisive changes in UK STEMM academia

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carla Cebula ◽  
Katie Nicoll Baines ◽  
catherine lido ◽  
Karen Halliday ◽  
Nicki Hedge ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Gender Equity ◽  
Near Miss ◽  
Personal Lives ◽  
Significant Challenge ◽  
Diversity And Inclusion ◽  
Science Technology ◽  
Policies And Practices

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths and Medicine (STEMM) in Higher Education (HE) were beginning to tackle their lack of diversity. The COVID-19 pandemic has seen the HE sector (including universities, publishers and funding bodies) enter a period of upheaval that risks reversing such progress. This article demonstrates how the unequal impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the professional and personal lives of groups currently under-represented in academic STEMM is likely to widen and reproduce systemic inequalities already present within these fields. Evidence emerging from the streamlined COVID-19 related funding call indicates a backward step in gender equity when compared to most recent UKRI figures. The lack of data on other protected characteristics makes understanding and mitigating the damage a significant challenge. We outline specific actions that must be taken to address this challenge, ultimately arguing that academic STEMM must use this time of change as an opportunity to embed policies and practices that place equality, diversity and inclusion at the forefront.

scholarly journals SAGE Ltd: Continuing the Journey to Transform Gender Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in Australia’s Higher Education and Research Sector

2021 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 145-149
Author(s):  
Wafa El-Adhami
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Gender Equity ◽  
Pilot Program ◽  
Diversity And Inclusion ◽  
Science Technology ◽  
Engineering Mathematics ◽  
Research Sector ◽  
Athena Swan ◽  
Science Technology Engineering Mathematics

Science in Australia Gender Equity (SAGE) began as a Pilot program in 2015. It was modelled on the UK’s Athena Swan Charter (Advance HE), a framework for improving gender equity and diversity in science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine (STEMM); specifically, within higher education and research.  

Promoting gender diversity in STEM faculty through leadership development

2019 ◽  
Vol 38 (3) ◽  
pp. 382-398 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joyce Yen ◽  
Eve A. Riskin ◽  
Cara Margherio ◽  
Jan H. Spyridakis ◽  
Coleen M. Carrigan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Leadership Development ◽  
Gender Equity ◽  
Department Chairs ◽  
Gender Diversity ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Successful Model ◽  
Diversity And Inclusion ◽  
Agents Of Change ◽  
Diversity In Stem

PurposeThe advancement of equity, diversity and inclusion in higher education is dependent on institutional culture changes in academia. Faculty equity, diversity and inclusion efforts must engage departmental leadership. The purpose of this paper is to describe the growth and expansion of the ADVANCE leadership program at the University of Washington (UW) for department chairs that was designed to provide department chairs the skills, community and information needed to be agents of change within the academy.Design/methodology/approachThe paper chronicles the program’s growth from a campus-based workshop program to national workshops (LEAD) to a web-based toolkit (LiY!) to support institutions in running their own UW ADVANCE-inspired leadership workshops.FindingsThe paper demonstrates the success of each growth stage and the expansion of program impact.Practical implicationsThe paper offers recommendations for growing a model from a local to national scale and adapting the described leadership development model at other institutions.Originality/valueThe paper shares a successful model for equipping department chairs to be advocates of gender equity, diversity and inclusion in STEM and to be change agents in higher education.

Institutions Developing Excellence in Academic Leadership (IDEAL)

2019 ◽  
Vol 38 (3) ◽  
pp. 362-381 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diana Bilimoria ◽  
Lynn T. Singer
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Gender Equity ◽  
Women Faculty ◽  
Academic Leadership ◽  
Integrative Model ◽  
State University ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Diversity And Inclusion ◽  
Stem Disciplines ◽  
The Ideal

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to describe the objectives, activities and outcomes of the National Science Foundation ADVANCE project, Institutions Developing Excellence in Academic Leadership (IDEAL) during 2009–2012. The goal of IDEAL was to create an institutional learning community empowered to develop and leverage knowledge, skills, resources and networks to transform academic cultures and enhance gender equity, diversity and inclusion in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) disciplines at six research universities in the northern Ohio region. Over the three-year period, these institutions developed academic leaders and institutionalized gender equity transformation through multi-dimensional and multi-level initiatives, improving the advancement and leadership of women faculty in STEM disciplines.Design/methodology/approachThe authors describe the objectives, activities and outcomes of the NSF ADVANCE project, IDEAL during 2009–2012. The six research institutions included in IDEAL were Bowling Green State University, Case Western Reserve University (the lead institution), Cleveland State University, Kent State University, University of Akron and University of Toledo.FindingsIDEAL’s outcomes included the institutionalization of a number of gender equity initiatives at each university, an increase in the number of tenured women faculty in science and engineering disciplines over three years across the six universities, and increases in the numbers of women in faculty and administrative leadership positions. Out of 62 of the IDEAL participants (co-directors and change leaders), 25 were promoted or appointed to roles of leadership within or beyond their institutions during or after their participation in IDEAL. A number of new institutional collaborations and exchanges involving the six universities occurred during and emerged from IDEAL. An integrative model of the IDEAL program is developed, describing the nested components of each institution’s gender equity transformation within the IDEAL partnership consortium and the larger NSF ADVANCE community, and highlighting the dynamic interactions between these levels.Social implicationsThe IDEAL program demonstrates that systemic change to achieve equity for women and underrepresented minority faculty in STEM disciplines must be rooted on individual campuses but must also propagate among higher education systems and the broader scientific community. The effort to develop, sustain and expand the IDEAL partnership model of institutional transformation (IT) in higher education illuminates how innovative, context-sensitive, cost-effective and customized institutional strategies may be implemented to advance gender equity, diversity, inclusion and leadership of women faculty at all levels across the country.Originality/valueThis is an original description of a unique and distinctive partnership among research universities to foster gender equity IT. The manuscript details the objectives, activities and outcomes of the IDEAL program, established with the aim of broadening participation in the STEM academic workforce and advancing gender equity, diversity and inclusion in institutions of higher education. An integrative model is developed, illustrating the key components and outcomes of the IDEAL program.

The influence of gender on the careers of women theatre faculty in higher education : a qualitative investigation

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Rachel Elizabeth Bauer
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Gender Equity ◽  
Emotional Labor ◽  
Fine Arts ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
University Of Missouri ◽  
Personal Lives ◽  
Normative Expectations ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Colleague Relationships

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT AUTHOR'S REQUEST.] Researchers have long documented issues with gender equity in higher education, especially in STEM fields, but less attention has been directed to gender equity in fields that fall under humanities and fine arts--including theatre, where women have already achieved greater equity in terms of their presence in the field. Assuming gender parity based on numbers, however, is problematic, leaving out the opportunity for understanding how overarching institutional structures impact the experience of individual women. Employing narrative inquiry, this study explored the experiences of fifteen, Ph.D. holding tenure track or tenured women theatre faculty at research institutions through in-depth, semi-structured interviews. This study found there is a subtlety and pervasiveness to sexism and gender bias that can function differently in departments of theatre and based on one's status/rank. The participants felt that the respect given to their man counterparts was not equally given to them. These women theatre faculty felt the need to change appearance and personality to be the part of professor, as professor is not traditionally “woman.” Additionally, women are doing the carework at home and work, and the unpaid burden of service and emotional labor that is put on women theatre faculty affects their productivity. The findings identified that women theatre faculty need support systems in both colleague relationships and in their personal lives, and work/life balance and professional environment are key factors in working in the profession. The findings show that through resiliency, women theatre faculty find their own ways to succeed in a system that works for them. It also shows that women are aware of how their needs are different from the normative expectations of the academic work environment.

scholarly journals From protest to progress through partnership with students: Being human in STEM (HSTEM)

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 26-56
Author(s):  
Sarah Bunnell ◽  
Megan Lyster ◽  
Kristen Greenland ◽  
Gabrielle Mayer ◽  
Kristen Gardner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
United States ◽  
College Students ◽  
The United States ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Student Protests ◽  
Diversity And Inclusion ◽  
Science Technology ◽  
Faculty And Staff ◽  
And Mathematics

In Fall 2015, Amherst College students held a four-day sit-in in unity with student protests occurring all over the United States highlighting barriers to inclusion of underrepresented and marginalized students.Following appeals for action, students partnered with faculty and staff in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) to develop the Being Human in STEM (HSTEM) Initiative. HSTEM involves exploring past diversity and inclusion efforts in STEM, sharing one’s own experiences in STEM with others, and developing student-driven projects to improve belonging in STEM. In this student, faculty, and staff co-authored paper, we describe the origin of HSTEM; share student, faculty and staff reflections on our experiences with HSTEM; and present two inquiry projects examining HSTEM impact. We discuss lessons learned and recommendations for diversity and inclusion efforts in higher education, both in and beyond STEM, emphasizing the power of an initiative that was originated by and remains driven by student partners.

scholarly journals Shape-shifting and pushing against the odds: staff perceptions of the experiences of first generation students in South Africa and the UK

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel Forsyth ◽  
Claire Hamshire ◽  
Danny Fontaine-Rainen ◽  
Leza Soldaat
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
South Africa ◽  
First Generation ◽  
Teaching Practice ◽  
First Generation Students ◽  
Staff Perceptions ◽  
Staff Members ◽  
Diversity And Inclusion ◽  
University Life ◽  
The Uk

AbstractThe principles of diversity and inclusion are valued across the higher education sector, but the ways in which these principles are translated into pedagogic practice are not always evident. Students who are first in their family to attend university continue to report barriers to full participation in university life. They are more likely to leave their studies early, and to achieve lower grades in their final qualifications, than students whose families have previous experience of higher education. The purpose of this study was to explore whether a mismatch between staff perceptions and students’ experiences might be a possible contributor to these disparities. The study explored and compared staff discourses about the experiences of first generation students at two universities, one in the United Kingdom (UK), and the other in South Africa (SA). One-to-one interviews were carried out with 40 staff members (20 at each institution) to explore their views about first generation students. The results showed that staff were well aware of challenges faced by first generation students; however, they were unsure of their roles in relation to shaping an inclusive environment, and tended not to consider how to use the assets that they believed first generation students bring with them to higher education. This paper explores these staff discourses; and considers proposals for challenging commonly-voiced assumptions about students and university life in a broader context of diversity and inclusive teaching practice.

scholarly journals Gender Affirmative Action and Management: A Systematic Literature Review on How Diversity and Inclusion Management Affect Gender Equity in Organizations

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 21
Author(s):  
Julia V. Furtado ◽  
António C. Moreira ◽  
Jorge Mota
Keyword(s):  
Affirmative Action ◽  
Gender Equity ◽  
Diversity Management ◽  
Equal Employment Opportunity ◽  
Representation Of Women ◽  
Diversity And Inclusion ◽  
Controversial Topic ◽  
The Subject ◽  
The Common ◽  
Prior Experiences

Gender affirmative action (AA) in management remains a controversial topic among scholars, practitioners, and employees. While some individuals may support the use of AA policies as a means of increasing representation of women, others are not supportive at all, further understanding gender AA as an unacceptable violation of merit—even when targeted by it. With the aim of analyzing how scholars have approached the subject, we systematically reviewed 76 published articles (SCOPUS database), covering the extant literature on gender AA and management. Findings indicate a consensus regarding the common antecedents of attitudes towards gender AA with prior experiences with AA and diversity management (DM) (as well as general perceptions of AA). Performance and satisfaction appear as the predominant outcomes. In addition, while investigating the differences among AA, equal employment opportunity (EEO) and diversity management (DM), scholars are mainly focused on the effectiveness of AA as a means of increasing the inclusion of minorities in general. We conclude that despite marginal studies on employees’ attitudes toward gender AA, there is a gap in the literature, particularly an absence of research on the bivalent position of meritocracy (or merit violation) as both an antecedent and outcome of attitudes towards AA, which deserves further scrutiny.

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