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Fostering Inclusive Department Climates: A Workshop for Department Chairs at the University of X

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Conference

2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Location

Baltimore , Maryland

Publication Date

June 25, 2023

Start Date

June 25, 2023

End Date

June 28, 2023

Conference Session

Women in Engineering Division (WIED) Technical Session 2

Tagged Division

Women in Engineering Division (WIED)

Tagged Topic

Diversity

Page Count

12

DOI

10.18260/1-2--43743

Permanent URL

https://peer.asee.org/43743

Download Count

171

Paper Authors

biography

Shawna Vican University of Delaware

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Shawna Vican is an Assistant Professor of Sociology and Criminal Justice at the University of Delaware. She received her Ph.D. in Sociology from Harvard University. As a scholar of gender and organizations, Dr. Vican's work seeks to understand why gender inequality in the workplace persists and how organizations can affect change, with three main research streams: (1) how organizational practices shape workplace gender inequality, (2) explaining heterogeneity in employer responses to social pressures for DEI efforts, and (3) causes, consequences, and solutions to inequality within the context of academic careers.

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biography

Robin Andreasen University of Delaware

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Robin O. Andreasen (Ph.D. University of Wisconsin-Madison) is Professor of Linguistics and Cognitive Science. She earned her PhD in philosophy and specializes in philosophy of science, philosophy of social science, and in science and policy. A race and g

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biography

Heather Doty University of Delaware

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Heather Doty is an associate professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Delaware (UD). Dr. Doty teaches undergraduate courses in thermodynamics, statics, and dynamics, and conducts research on gender in the academic STEM workforce. She is co

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Abstract

This evidence-based practice paper describes the development and implementation of an interactive workshop for department chairs focused on strategies to foster inclusive department climates at the University of X (UX). Literature on the underrepresentation of women in STEM suggests climate is a key factor in women faculty’s lower levels of job satisfaction and higher rates of turnover. Building on this scholarship, multiple research projects at UX motivate the need for institutional efforts to improve climate and the central role of department chairs in fostering inclusive climates. For instance, faculty climate surveys reveal relatively low levels of faculty satisfaction with department collegiality, and that effective chair leadership directly shapes job satisfaction for women faculty. A mixed-methods project on faculty retention demonstrates disproportionately high levels of turnover for women faculty of color, with respondents citing department climate as a key factor in their decision to leave the university. In this paper, we outline the research that led to the development of the workshop, detailing how research findings inform specific workshop content, including case studies. We discuss workshop structure, including the decision to offer the workshop by college/unit within UX, allowing us to bring together small groups of chairs for facilitated discussion and the sharing of experiences. We also address the role of deans in securing institutional commitment for the project, as well as initial evaluation results and plans for long-term evaluation. Finally, we highlight follow-up efforts to develop and disseminate new resources on fostering inclusive department climates, including a written guide that builds off strategies that emerged during workshop discussion, encouraging department chairs to learn from the experiences of colleagues across the university. Preferred presentation method: Traditional lecture

Vican, S., & Andreasen, R., & Doty, H. (2023, June), Fostering Inclusive Department Climates: A Workshop for Department Chairs at the University of X Paper presented at 2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Baltimore , Maryland. 10.18260/1-2--43743

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