2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Work in Progress: A Data-Gathering Effort on STEM Faculty Startup Packages for Assessing Equity in Recruitment

Presented at Promoting Social Sustainability, Cultural Assets, and Assessing Equity and Diversity Index

Supported under an NSF ADVANCE Catalyst grant, a multi-disciplinary team of researchers are conducting a comprehensive data gathering effort to assess equity in recruitment, hiring, renewal, promotion, and tenure activities at [University] for both tenue track and term (contingent) faculty with attention to intersectional analyses. In this work-in-progress submission, we focus specifically on the data gathering effort for startup packages. Startup support is a key component to faculty success, with a recognized range of models for this form of support (Singh & Briber, 2019). The range of models introduces part of the complexity in attempting this data gathering effort across STEM units at a large R1 institution, in which each unit has independent norms for startup offers.

In this paper we share our data acquisition instrument, process for identifying specific academic discipline faculty to be included in the analysis, socialization of the effort with the classified staff, administrative faculty, and Deans with access to the data, and preliminary findings. Our data acquisition instrument sought to capture salary and summer salary offers, laboratory space, equipment access and funds for equipment acquisition, travel, or other hardware, and graduate research assistantships. Furthermore, recognizing the differing impact of COVID-19 on faculty caregivers (Maltese et al, 2022), we sought to capture data related to use of faculty-handbook guaranteed pre-tenure leave and/or COVID-19 related tenure clock extensions. Ultimately, when viewing this data in combination with other data sets, such as faculty satisfaction surveys, climate surveys, salary studies, etc., we aspire to develop a holistic perspective on faculty hiring, retention, and promotion at [University].

References
Maltese, A., & Paul, K., & Kim, J., & Godwin, A., & Katz, A., & Diekman, A. (2022, August), Collateral Damage: Investigating the Impacts of COVID on STEM Professionals with Caregiving Responsibilities Paper presented at 2022 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Minneapolis, MN. https://peer.asee.org/41736
Singh, G., & Briber, R. (2019, April), Startup Package Survey Paper presented at 2019 ERC, Arlington, VA. https://peer.asee.org/31865

Authors

Dr. Leigh S. McCue George Mason University [biography]

Leigh McCue is an Associate Professor and Chair of George Mason University's Department of Mechanical Engineering.
Dr. Girum Urgessa, P.E. George Mason University [biography]

Dr. Girum Urgessa is an Associate Professor of Civil Engineering in the Sid and Reva Dewberry Department of Civil, Environmental, and Infrastructure Engineering (CEIE) at George Mason University (GMU). He received his MS (2002) and PhD (2006) from the Uni
Tehama Lopez Bunyasi George Mason University
Patrick Willette Healey George Mason University
Patricia Wonch Hill University of Nebraska, Lincoln [biography]

Dr. Hill is an applied sociologist, evaluator, and researcher whose primary scholarship is in gender, STEM and broadening participation in K-22 education and in professorate.
Dr. Jaime Lester George Mason University [biography]

Jaime Lester (she, her, hers) is the Associate Dean of Faculty Affairs and Strategic Initiatives in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences and a Professor of the Higher Education Program. Her research examines organizational change and leadership in higher education with a focus on faculty affairs and development. Her work focuses on leadership to promote local and institutional change to create equitable workplaces in colleges and universities. Her more recent research on learning analytics and pedagogy promotes new data-driven evidence to promote changes in pedagogy, instructional practice, and leadership decision-making.

Jaime puts her research into practice as an academic administrator supporting faculty and college-level change. As an administrator, she is responsible for supporting faculty governance and developing new faculty career development and workload programs and policy. Jaime also leads all diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts for the college. She is a member of the Philadelphia 2022 HER Leadership Institute.

Jaime’s work is widely published in peer-reviewed journal articles and other academic publications and funded by federal agencies and private foundations. Her books on educational technologies, equitable workplace practices, and organizational change are widely used in higher education practice. She has received numerous awards for her research and teaching. Jaime regularly consults with colleagues and universities on faculty workload, pedagogical innovations, leadership, and organizational change.
Milagros Rivera George Mason University

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