2025 Collaborative Network for Engineering & Computing Diversity (CoNECD)

A small engineering, science, and technology university located in the American Midwest received a National Science Foundation ADVANCE award to develop programs and policies to foster an institutional culture of development for faculty and research scientists. Two programs were adapted and implemented for the campus: the Advocates and Allies program and Facilitated Peer Mentoring Circles. During the first two years of implementation, results from these programs indicated that there was a need for campus leadership to strengthen commitment to diversity and inclusion. Campus culture assessment was conducted through three surveys administered pre-award (2019-2020) and post-award (2024-2025): the Gallup Q12, Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI), and Emotional Quotient Inventory (EQ-i). The pre-award IDI revealed that the predominant campus mindset was Minimization, indicating that many individuals did not recognize significant cultural competency challenges. Post-award results showed modest gains in developmental orientation and a reduction in Polarization and Denial from 32% to 18%, though the response rate in 2024 was lower (40% vs. 72% in 2019). The results from these surveys for faculty engagement, intercultural development, and emotional intelligence, have been utilized to influence the development of a leadership initiative to empower faculty to enact positive change. To address identified leadership gaps, the ADVANCE Faculty Leadership Initiative was established to empower faculty to enact positive change. Program goals include defining campus leadership roles, building essential skills, leveraging individual strengths, navigating implementation challenges, and fostering community engagement through action-learning projects. The inaugural cohort consists of 21 faculty from 10 departments and seven academic ranks (Full Professor, Associate Professor, Assistant Professor, Professor of Practice, Instructor, Senior Lecturer, and Research Scientist). The group includes eight gender minorities, five trained Advocates, and seven foreign-born or internationally trained participants. Participants collaborate with coaches and administrative sponsors (e.g., Vice President of Research, Provost, Department Heads) to develop Action Learning Projects. Anticipated outcomes include enhanced faculty engagement, strengthened institutional belonging, and initiatives promoting an equitable and inclusive campus culture. The Department Chair Conversations program was designed to strengthen inclusive leadership among department heads through six interactive sessions during the 2024-2025 academic year. So far, ten of fourteen department heads participated, engaging in discussions on leadership challenges and strategies for fostering equitable department cultures. Individual feedback sessions on their department’s Gallup Q12 results provided personalized guidance, promoting reflection on leadership practices.