Asee peer logo

A Data-gathering Effort on STEM v. Non-STEM Faculty for Assessing Equity in Recruitment, Retention, and Promotion at a Large R1 Institution

Download Paper |

Conference

2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Location

Portland, Oregon

Publication Date

June 23, 2024

Start Date

June 23, 2024

End Date

July 12, 2024

Conference Session

Advancing Equity in STEM Academia: Insights and Strategies

Tagged Division

Minorities in Engineering Division(MIND)

Tagged Topic

Diversity

Permanent URL

https://peer.asee.org/46434

Request a correction

Paper Authors

author page

Milagros Rivera George Mason University

biography

Supriya Baily George Mason University

visit author page

Professor and Co-Director, Center for International Education

visit author page

author page

Patrick Willette Healey George Mason University

biography

Trish Wonch Hill University of Nebraska, Lincoln

visit author page

Dr. Trish Wonch Hill is an applied sociologist who collaborates with scientists across STEM disciplines to investigate how to spark STEM career interests during childhood and adolescence. She is particularly interested in how to find STEM pathways for yo

visit author page

author page

Tehama Lopez Bunyasi George Mason University

biography

Leigh S McCue George Mason University

visit author page

Leigh McCue is a Professor and Chair of George Mason University's Department of Mechanical Engineering.

visit author page

biography

Girum Urgessa George Mason University

visit author page

Dr. Girum Urgessa is an Associate Professor of Civil Engineering at George Mason University.

visit author page

Download Paper |

Abstract

This work-in-progress submission is a follow on to a work-in-progress paper presented at ASEE 2023 [citation redacted], supported under an NSF ADVANCE Catalyst grant. Our Catalyst grant team is comprised of a multi-disciplinary group of researchers leveraging expertise in quantitative and qualitative assessment in the social sciences, engineering, policy, and academic leadership. Our comprehensive data gathering effort seeks to assess equity in recruitment, hiring, renewal, promotion, and tenure activities at a large R1 institution for both tenue-line and term (contingent) faculty. Emphasis is placed on how institutional practices affect faculty with intersectional identities.

The prior ASEE paper [citation redacted] focused on the data gathering effort for startup packages and defining who, specifically, constitute “STEM” faculty. In this paper, we provide an update on the holistic data gathering effort, in which we sought to acquire and assimilate twelve data sets in an effort to assess institutional culture, recruitment and hiring, retention, and equity. Furthermore, the assembled quantitative data lays the framework for planned qualitative study through interviews to extend quantitative findings.

We intend to leverage that data in an effort to discern (1) if there are racial and gender disparities in recruitment, hiring, retention, and promotion of STEM faculty at our institution, (2) what institutional practices, policies, and cultural norms create and/or reinforce these disparities, and (3) what effective practices should be implemented to address identified disparities. This paper summarizes the data sets used, analysis to date, provides insight into the critical role of stakeholder engagement in acquiring and working with disparate data sources for this type of intersectional analysis, and outlines intended next steps, including qualitative interviews and development of a data-informed five-year faculty equity strategic plan.

Rivera, M., & Baily, S., & Healey, P. W., & Wonch Hill, T., & Lopez Bunyasi, T., & McCue, L. S., & Urgessa, G. (2024, June), A Data-gathering Effort on STEM v. Non-STEM Faculty for Assessing Equity in Recruitment, Retention, and Promotion at a Large R1 Institution Paper presented at 2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Portland, Oregon. https://peer.asee.org/46434

ASEE holds the copyright on this document. It may be read by the public free of charge. Authors may archive their work on personal websites or in institutional repositories with the following citation: © 2024 American Society for Engineering Education. Other scholars may excerpt or quote from these materials with the same citation. When excerpting or quoting from Conference Proceedings, authors should, in addition to noting the ASEE copyright, list all the original authors and their institutions and name the host city of the conference. - Last updated April 1, 2015