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About the NSF ADVANCE Catalyst Grant at GGC

The National Science Foundation (NSF) ADVANCE program supports activities that promote equity and inclusion for STEM faculty working at academic institutions, particularly for women and faculty identifying with historically underrepresented (HU) racial and ethnic groups.

Georgia Gwinnett College (GGC) has been awarded an NSF ADVANCE Catalyst grant, which has two main components:

(1) an internal self-assessment of several measures of equity and inclusion for STEM faculty at GGC; and

(2) the development of a five year strategic plan to further the inclusion and professional development of women and faculty identifying with historically underrepresented (HU) groups in STEM fields at GGC.

Why Georgia Gwinnett College?

Why did Georgia Gwinnett College choose to pursue this project? First and foremost, our goal is to provide the best environment possible for all GGC faculty. Research shows that historically, women and faculty identifying with HU groups have faced additional barriers and challenges in STEM fields. We are committed to the success of all of our faculty, and want to make sure we address any such challenges that faculty might be facing here at GGC.

We also feel that GGC is a unique environment that promotes diversity and success, and we want to share that with the wider scientific community! We believe that GGC’s diverse faculty, high proportion of female faculty, teaching focus, and lack of a tenure system may all promote a more equitable work environment where everyone has a voice at the table. We hope what we learn will help other institutions make changes to promote equity for their faculty as well.

Overview

Our project has several areas of focus, including:

We have analyzed faculty demographics as a function of sex and race/ethnicity across both STEM departments and ranks, to determine if differences in faculty representation exist. Unequal representation across departments and ranks can have several negative effects, such as differences in faculty salaries, departmental culture, and leadership opportunities. It can also negatively impact female students and students identifying with HU racial/ethnic groups, if they do not see themselves represented in faculty within their department or across different levels of coursework. Understanding why differences exist in faculty representation is crucial for mitigating any possible negative effects.

Faculty teaching and mentoring loads were examined to determine if there are any differences for women or HU faculty. Teaching loads considered not only credit hours, but also considered actual time spent in the classroom (“contact hours”), number of students, and course level. Higher time commitments for teaching and mentoring can lead to reduced time for other activities needed for professional development and promotion, such as research and service/leadership opportunities. Ensuring equitable workloads is key to ensuring equitable opportunities for all STEM faculty.

Interviews were conducted with interested STEM faculty in Spring 2024 to learn more about several of the topics addressed in the faculty survey. Interviews give faculty the opportunity to go more in-depth with their answers, and allow for follow-up questions to probe more deeply. Learning what strengthens faculty at GGC, and where they experience challenges, will allow us to advocate for changes that best support them in our five-year strategic plan.

STEM faculty salaries were analyzed to examine any gender salary gap and/or any racial/ethnic salary gaps that may exist. Published studies often show significant gender and racial/ethnic salary gap overall, though these often diminish and sometimes disappear after accounting for differences in faculty experience, rank, and department. Knowledge of any such salary gaps at GGC is the first step to addressing them.

An anonymous survey was sent to all GGC STEM Faculty in Spring 2023, addressing topics such as campus climate, workload, professional development and support, evaluation and promotion, work/life balance, and overall job satisfaction. Faculty attitudes in each area are crucial to assessing overall faculty satisfaction and what areas can be improved. Furthermore, examining areas where women or faculty identifying with different racial/ethnic groups had very different perceptions can reveal both why diverse faculty are attracted to working at GGC, as well as hidden challenges and barriers for these faculty that need to be addressed.

Outcomes

The Grant Team is committed to sharing our results with the wider community through presentations and publications.

The Grant Team also periodically updates the campus on its detailed findings through presentations and reports. GGC Staff and Faculty can access these here.