Promising Practices for Addressing the Underrepresentation of Women in Science, Engineering, and Medicine Opening Doors (2020) / Chapter Skim
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6 Recommendations
6 Recommendations
Pages 145-166
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From page 145... ...
This report concludes that entrenched patterns of underrepresentation in STEMM disciplines persist due to a range of factors, including: lack of broad awareness of the evidence-based practices reviewed in this report, a need for greater prioritization and resource allocation by institutions toward targeted, data-driven equity and diversity efforts, and because real progress on this issue will require culture change driven by systemic, coordinated efforts from a range of stakeholders -- Congress, the White House, federal agencies, faculty, employees, academic administrators, professional societies, and others.
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From page 146... ...
The committee recommends that institutions, both academic and governmental, sustainably allocate resources and authority to the leaders of equity, diver sity, and inclusion efforts and provide incentives that communicate that the promotion of an inclusive scientific, engineering, and medical enterprise is everyone's responsibility.
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From page 147... ...
Although scholarly research on gender disparities in science, engineering, and medicine has yielded an abundance of infor mation that can be applied toward reaching gender equity, there are critical knowledge gaps that require closer attention. The rationale for the recommendations the committee offers within each category is rooted in the notion that there are certain levers of change that, if pulled, can drive greater, more widespread, systemic action.
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From page 148... ...
the institution, school, or department repeats the data collection and monitoring to determine whether the treatment has been effective or whether it is time to try a new approach; (4) leaders formally institutionalize effective practices through policy changes so they can sustain transitions in leadership, budget fluctuations, and other potential disruptors that could under ine the sustainability of the effort.
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From page 149... ...
In that context, we see government policies as one vital part of a systemic strategy to catalyze and incentivize the kinds of changes needed to open the doors to more women in STEMM disciplines and STEMM careers. Even if government policies only remove a few barriers, rather than mandate actions and impact that may be sufficient to create pathways for change that conscientious leaders can use to implement effective strategies and practices.
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From page 150... ...
Implementation Actions Action 2-A. Federal funding agencies should carry out an "equity audit" for grantee institutions that have received a substantial amount of funding over a long period of time to ensure that the institution is working in good faith to address gender and racial disparities in recruitment, retention, and advancement.
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From page 151... ...
The next step in the process is to repeat the data collection and monitoring to determine whether the treatment has been effective or whether it is time to try a new approach. The final step in the process is to formally institutionalize effective practices through policy changes so they can sustain transitions in leadership, 2 Because there is a significant academic orientation to this report -- with college and university administrators being a primary audience -- the committee has configured recommendations targeted directly to higher education leaders.
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From page 152... ...
College and university deans and department chairs should collect and monitor department level demographic data, leveraging data already being collected by their institution in compliance with data reported to the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) annually to determine whether there are patterns of underrepresentation among students, trainees, residents, clinical fellows, faculty, and staff, including in leadership roles.
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From page 153... ...
Taking into account the institutional context, college and university presidents, deans, department chairs, and other administrators should adopt or adapt the actionable, evidence-based strategies and practices (see implementation actions 5 A-C) that directly address particular gender gaps in recruitment, retention, and advancement of women in science, engineering, and medicine within their institution, as observed by quantitative and qualitative data analysis and monitoring (see Recommendations 3 and 4 above)
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From page 154... ...
Action 5-B.4 To address issues with the recruitment of women into academic programs and science, engineering, and medical careers, admissions officers, human resources offices, and hiring committees should: a. Work continuously to identify promising candidates from underrepre sented groups and expand the networks from which candidates are drawn.
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From page 155... ...
Action 5-C.5 To address issues with retention of women in academic programs and within science, engineering, and medical careers, university and college administrators should: a. Ensure that there is fair and equitable access to resources for all employees and students.
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From page 156... ...
Presidents, provosts, deans, and department chairs should convey that reporting sexual harassment is an honorable and courageous action. Regardless of a target filing a formal report, academic institutions should provide means of accessing support services (social services, health care, legal, career/professional)
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From page 157... ...
6 Researchers have defined counterspaces to be: "academic and social safe spaces that allow un derrepresented students to: promote their own learning wherein their experiences are validated and viewed as critical knowledge; vent frustrations by sharing stories of isolation, microaggressions, and/or overt discrimination; and challenge deficit notions of people of color (and other marginalized groups) and establish and maintain a positive collegiate racial climate for themselves" (Solórzano et al., 2000; Solórzano and Villalpando, 1998)
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From page 158... ...
III. PRIORITIZE, RECOGNIZE, REWARD, AND RESOURCE The recommendations the committee offers here advise institutions, both academic and governmental, to sustainably allocating resources and authority to the leaders of equity, diversity, and inclusion efforts, while providing positive incentives for faculty -- in the context of promotions and rewards and recognition by honorific and professional societies -- that could pave the way toward culture change yielding broader recognition that the promotion of an inclusive scientific, engineering, and medical enterprise is everyone's responsibility.
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From page 159... ...
Implementation Actions Action 8-A. NIH and NSF should collaborate to develop a recognition program that provides positive incentives to STEMM departments and programs on campuses to make diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts a high priority.
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From page 160... ...
Recommendation 9. Although scholarly research on gender disparities in science, engineering, and medicine has yielded an abundance of information that can be applied toward reaching gender equity, there are critical knowledge gaps remain and require very close attention.
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From page 161... ...
d. Specific factors contributing to successes and failures of institutions that have adopted policies and/or implemented programs aimed at diversifying the science, engineering, and medical workforce.
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From page 162... ...
Leaders play a significant role in creating these diverse, equitable, inclusive, and respectful environments and The Sexual Harassment of Women report calls on leaders to take explicit steps to achieve greater gender and racial equity in hir ing and promotion, and to foster greater cooperation, respectful work behavior, and professionalism. It also states that there is a role for all individuals to play The reports Graduate STEM Education for the 21st Century, and Minority Serving Institutions: a America's Underutilized Resource for Strengthening the STEM Workforce did not include academic medicine in its charge.
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From page 163... ...
The report tasks institutional leadership with laying the foundation for this culture and promoting communication among students, faculty, staff, and administration that can create and support a sense of belonging for students on campus. Related Findings and Recommendations • Graduate STEM Education for the 21st Century: Recommendation 3.5 • Sexual Harassment of Women: Findings 4.1, 4.4, 4.6, 4.11, 6.2, and The 6.3 and Recommendations 1, 4, 7, and 15 • The Science of Effective Mentorship in STEMM: Recommendation 4 • Minority Serving Institutions: America's Underutilized Resource for Strength ening the STEM Workforce: Finding 5.2, Recommendation 1 Theme II: Provide Transparent Incentive, Reward, and Accountability Structures In addition to promoting values, three reports note that the system of higher education and individual institutions should ensure that incentive, reward, and accountability structures align and support those values.
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From page 164... ...
Additionally, balancing transparency and confidentiality, academic institu tions should demonstrate that an institution is taking people seriously when they come forward and holding people accountable. Related Findings and Recommendations • Graduate STEM Education for the 21st Century: Recommendations 3.1 and 3.5 • Sexual Harassment of Women: Finding 2.8, 2.9, 6.5, 6.7, Recommen The dations 4, 13, and 14 • The Science of Effective Mentorship in STEMM: Recommendation 6 Theme III: Support Additional Data Collection and Research Related to accountability structures, each of the reports recommend systems of collecting data at the national level and the institutional level to understand the state of the problem.
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From page 165... ...
Many students from these institutions reported that faculty mentors were considered "sponsors" who not only advised students, but actively advocated on their behalf in ways that advanced their careers. The Minority Serving Institutions report recommends that institutional leadership develop strategies to establish or improve effective mentorship and sponsorship of students.
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