2025 Collaborative Network for Engineering & Computing Diversity (CoNECD)

Keywords: Workplace Safety, Women of Color, Faculty, Engineering
Recent reports, including those by Lean In Org and McKinsey & Co. (2023), and scholarly work by Abdalla (2018), expose the critical gaps in the support structures for Women of Color (WoC) faculty within academic institutions. These findings underscore the harsh realities of microaggressions, discrimination, and institutional betrayal (Smith & Freyd, 2014) that WoC faculty endure, leading to heightened burnout and a significant likelihood of leaving their positions. Despite the establishment of equity offices and policies aimed at supporting marginalized communities, the persistence of racism, sexism, and discrimination reveals a systemic failure to protect and nurture WoC faculty effectively.

(University Name) created a Feminist Research, Education and Engagement (FREE Center) focused on bringing together engaged feminist researchers and teaching to unite individuals across the university’s academic community. This work is supported by a five-year $500,000 grant for collaborative research and community engagement projects centering on feminist approaches and perspectives.

Our team, (Cluster Name) applied for and received a $1,000 seed grant to convene a team focused on research to organizational equity and learning. (Cluster Name) is an interdisciplinary assembly of faculty, staff, graduate students, and postdoctoral scholars representing engineering, physics, and medicine dedicated to conducting research that addresses systemic limitations, failures, and challenges faced by Women of Color in academia. Although housed in our organization, its structure differs give its focus on the cocreation of practices that call our harm against WoC, restorative practices co-created by cluster members, and the evolution of practices that center WoC, not the organization where they work.

Findings from this pilot project will be used to craft strategic, actionable, and sustainable safe spaces for open dialogue and healing among Women of Color along with recommendations for local and national policy changes that contribute to the broader strategic goals of diversity and inclusion in U.S. higher education.

Our goal is to derive a comprehensive and transformational workplace care and research model that places the lived experiences, multifaceted personal and professional identities, and holistic safety of Women of Color faculty at its core. This model aims to create an inclusive environment where WoC’s voices are amplified, their contributions are recognized and valued, and their unique challenges are addressed through tailored support systems and policies.

By prioritizing their well-being and fostering a culture of equity and respect, we seek to empower Women of Color academics to thrive both personally and professionally within the academic landscape. The model and findings developed through our cluster could provide other academic institutions and organizations with a detailed blueprint to recognize and affirm the intrinsic value of Women of Color faculty.

This framework aims to support their career advancement by highlighting best practices for fostering an inclusive environment, promoting equity, and ensuring that their contributions are acknowledged and celebrated. By adopting this blueprint, institutions can create more supportive, safe, and empowering spaces for Women of Color faculty, ultimately enhancing their professional growth and success.