Now Hiring! Empirically Testing a Three-Step Intervention to Increase Faculty Gender Diversity in STEM

Abstract

Workforce homogeneity limits creativity, discovery, and job satisfaction; nonetheless, the vast majority of university faculty in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields are men. We conducted a randomized and controlled three-step faculty search intervention based in self-determination theory aimed at increasing the number of women faculty in STEM at one US university where increasing diversity had historically proved elusive. Results show that the numbers of women candidates considered for and offered tenure-track positions were significantly higher in the intervention groups compared with those in controls. Searches in the intervention were 6.3 times more likely to make an offer to a woman candidate, and women who were made an offer were 5.8 times more likely to accept the offer from an intervention search. Although the focus was on increasing women faculty within STEM, the intervention can be adapted to other scientific and academic communities to advance diversity along any dimension.

The Status of Women in STEM in Higher Education: A Review of the Literature 2007–2017

“…These include gendered teaching loads (Carrigan, Quinn, and Riskin 2011), tenure and promotion (Soto 2014 (Blackwell, Snyder, and Mavriplis 2009;Feeney, Bernal, and Bowman 2014;Karpman 2015;Settles et al 2013), research (Cozzens 2008;Deemer, Mahoney, and Ball 2012;Hart 2016;Holleran et al 2011;Howe, Juhas, and Herbers 2014), departmental policies (Holmes, Kasi Jackson, and Stoiko 2016), diverse hiring practices (Easley 2013;King 2013;Leggon 2010;Smith et al 2015;Torres 2012;Williams and Ceci 2015), and burnout (Pedersen and Minnotte 2017;Xu 2008). McClelland and Holland (2015, 218) found male campus leaders who exhibit lower personal responsibility frequently described women faculty as the ones who should be responsible for initiating changes related to gender equity and their "choices" to have a family were obstacles to gender diversity in STEM.…”

A recipe for change: Creating a more inclusive academy

“…Biases must be disrupted in order to prevent the status quo from inevitably reproducing itself. Yet even with the best intentions, the bias "habit" is hard-but not impossible (5,6)-to break. Breaking the habit at one level does not necessarily mitigate bias at another level of evaluation or experience (7).…”

Equity and career‐life balance in marine mammal science?

“…, Smith et al . ). Male leaders who have female support in terms of childcare might have such implicit bias in terms of who they think will succeed.…”