Promising Practices for Addressing the Underrepresentation of Women in Science, Engineering, and Medicine Opening Doors (2020) / Chapter Skim
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5 Overcoming Barriers to Implementation
5 Overcoming Barriers to Implementation
Pages 121-144
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From page 121... ...
" In this chapter, the committee provides an overview of the characteristics of successful programs and describes the common institutional barriers to sustainably implementing these practices. This analysis is supported by the research literature, as well as by the findings from a series of focus groups with faculty and administrators carried out by RTI International on behalf of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (see www.nap.edu/catalog/25585 for the full results from the focus group research)
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From page 122... ...
notes that communication and leadership strategies are key to the successful implementation of policies, processes, and programs designed to achieve institutional transformation. In addition to being a strategy for implementing lasting change, senior administrative and faculty leadership can serve as a preliminary indicator of lasting institutional change (Plummer, 2006)
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From page 123... ...
Yet such work is frequently delegated to university diversity and inclusion officers, who are often marginalized within their institutions, are women and minority faculty tapped by virtue of their service on relevant committees, and who have limited power to bring real change (in addition to risking being overburdened and harming their individual careers)
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From page 124... ...
. The statement defines diversity across a number of demographic characteristics, including gender, and notes the importance of campus climate, culture, and norms in terms of building diversity.
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From page 125... ...
While board members may not spend the majority of time on campus, they have the right to hold leadership accountable to the school's mission, to determine the progress of institutional change, and to adopt new policies to address issues. Second, the focus groups discussed strong alignment among academic leaders and academic staff at all levels as another enabler of research-based policies.
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From page 126... ...
. DEDICATED FINANCIAL AND HUMAN RESOURCES Both the literature and the focus group research emphasize the need for institutional leaders to set aside adequate resources to support equity and diversity efforts.
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The research literature points to similar findings regarding general lack of resources to support equity and diversity work. A recent study of 234 chief diversity officers at Standard & Poor's 500 companies found that many in this position were in fact business leaders selected to lead internal diversity and inclusion efforts in addition to their other job responsibilities.
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From page 128... ...
Participants viewed the NSF ADVANCE program as drawing initial attention to gender-equity issues as well as serving as a catalyst for sustained equity efforts. Stakeholders at some institutions were able to secure ongoing, university-level funding to continue initiatives that were implemented with the grants, which was identified as a facilitator of sustained implementation.
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From page 129... ...
UNDERSTANDING INSTITUTIONAL CONTEXT While there are shared characteristics of successful programs and common institutional barriers and facilitators to sustainably implementing these practices, the committee recognizes that institutions have different goals and missions, values, cultures, and resources and this institutional context can impact the effi cacy of any program, regardless of that program's designation as "successful" and "evidence- ased." There is no one-size-fits-all solution, policy, or practice b that will perfectly fit the needs of all institutions. As Hardcastle et al.
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From page 130... ...
presented as research is actually a single institution implemented a practice and it worked really well for them. DATA COLLECTION FOR ACCOUNTABILITY AND TARGETED INTERVENTION As it can be difficult to predict the interventions that will be most successful within particular institutional contexts, it is necessary for individual institutions and organizations to collect data and monitor trends in the recruitment, retention, and advancement of women in STEMM to better adopt or adapt targeted interventions and to monitor their efficacy.
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From page 131... ...
Participants noted that when data were available or data collection systems were in place, they made implementation of equity-related policies and practices more likely, and they could get university stakeholders and professional associations representing specific disciplines interested in solving equity-related problems, tracking progress toward solutions, and establishing organizational priorities. Beyond the numbers, it is also important for institutions and organizations to understand the experiences of White women and women of color through periodic climate research carried out by an evaluator outside the relevant unit.
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From page 132... ...
In instances where there is a small sample size, specifically in the case of women of color in most STEMM fields, qualitative research may be extremely valuable, particularly as it can provide richly-textured information, relevant to the phenomenon under investigation. For example, focus
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From page 133... ...
Additionally, data collection, monitoring, and evaluation, if done transparently, can increase accountability, which can, in turn, serve as a driver of positive change. The social science and business literature offers many examples of the positive impact of greater accountability on equity and diversity efforts in education and business (Dobbin and Kalev, 2016)
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attainment by women and minorities in the BOX 5-2 The SEA Change Effort at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) : Supporting Institutional Transformation in Support of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Especially in Colleges and Universities Modeled after the Athena SWAN (Scientific Women's Academic Network)
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From page 135... ...
. Awards: Participating institutions can apply for recognition by the SEA Change program for a bronze, silver, or gold award that recognizes "commitment to and creation of sustainable systemic change through self-assessment." SEA Change resembles Athena SWAN in its emphasis on establishing a com munity committed to principles of equity, diversity, and inclusion and the focus on a cycle of self-assessment followed by the adoption of evidence-based practices and the establishment of an action plan that includes reassessing and monitoring progress toward ambitious, but attainable, goals.
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ENSURING THAT ALL WOMEN BENEFIT FROM EQUITY AND DIVERSITY EFFORTS BY ACCOUNTING FOR INTERSECTIONALITY4 The literature and the focus group research indicate that not all women in STEMM benefit equally from policies and practices designed to support their representation, advancement, and academic contributions. Instead, such efforts tend to be unevenly successful depending on women's life experiences (particularly racialized life experiences)
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From page 137... ...
Despite some positive change in gender composition in many institutions and fields represented in the focus groups, participants observed that efforts to address the inclusion of women and their representation in academic leadership roles have not brought corresponding shifts in the presence of women of color in their fields. There's definitely a sense of full inclusion based on gender in my department, but that doesn't carry forward or I don't think the same can be said when we consider race and ethnicity and women of color, as we have very low representation .
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From page 138... ...
Participants noted that the introduction of requirements to address intersectionality in applications for the NSF ADVANCE grants helped to bring attention to intersectionality generally and issues faced by women of color at their institutions. Still, this nascent attention was perceived as "barely scratching the surface," unaccompanied by a well-developed understanding of issues faced by women of color or how to address them.
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. Universal Design While approaches that incorporate intersectionality in their design may have promise in addressing representation of women of color, programs that address the needs of the most marginalized populations may similarly prove to have a positive impact on all groups.
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When organizations undertake these deliberate, strategic actions in a sustainable way, they are approaching this issue with the intentionality required to ensure measur able, high-impact solutions. There is evidence that applying a universal design approach may address equity for marginalized populations.
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FINDINGS: CHAPTER 5 FINDING 5-1: Organizational transformation requires changing institutional culture, which in turn requires committed leadership. A lack of strong leadership support from university presidents, provosts, deans, and others is a major barrier to equity and diversity efforts.
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From page 142... ...
FINDING 5-5: To be successful, equity work needs to actively involve those who have power within their institutions. Such work is frequently delegated to university diversity and inclusion officers, who are often marginalized within their institutions, are women and minority faculty tapped by virtue of their service on relevant committees, and have limited power to bring real change.
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From page 143... ...
OVERCOMING BARRIERS TO IMPLEMENTATION 143 ensuring that the most marginalized groups are at the forefront of the design, the positive impact will likely be felt more broadly across the STEMM enterprise. FINDING 5-10: A clear need for additional research exists, specifically on the experiences of women of color in STEMM and on the impact of specific strategies and practices intended to support the improved recruitment, retention, and advancement of women in STEMM on women of color and women with other intersecting identities.
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