Introduction. Although the demand for graduates with Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) credentials continues to climb, women remain underrepresented as both students and faculty in STEM higher education. Compounding social forces can hinder organizational change for gender equity in STEM, constraining institutions and individuals within them. This study advances macrostructural theory to examine the impact of gender composition (including group size and heterogeneity) of women faculty on structural change, as measured by gender desegregation of STEM degree earners. We advance this theory by incorporating faculty, rather than treating group composition as a static category.
Method. This study draws on a federal repository of data to assess institutional change in the share of STEM women faculty in the U.S. We employ quasi-experimental methods to explore the following research questions: (1) does hiring more women onto an institution’s faculty roster shrink the gender gap among STEM degree earners? and (2) does segregation of faculty by gender within institutions shape the gender gap among STEM degree earners?
Findings. While institutional efforts herald their efforts of hiring more women faculty, our findings indicate that gender desegregation of STEM degree earners partially depends on the promotion of women faculty to tenure.
Discussion. Implications for theory, policy, and practice are discussed, with a focus on institutional-level change.<
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Collaboration and Gender Equity among Academic Scientists
Universities were established as hierarchical bureaucracies that reward individual attainment in evaluating success. Yet collaboration is crucial both to 21st century science and, we argue, to advancing equity for women academic scientists. We draw from research on gender equity and on collaboration in higher education, and report on data collected on one campus. Sixteen focus group meetings were held with 85 faculty members from STEM departments, separated by faculty rank and gender (i.e., assistant professor men, full professor women). Participants were asked structured questions about the role of collaboration in research, career development, and departmental decision-making. Inductive analyses of focus group data led to the development of a theoretical model in which resources, recognition, and relationships create conditions under which collaboration is likely to produce more gender equitable outcomes for STEM faculty. Ensuring women faculty have equal access to resources is central to safeguarding their success; relationships, including mutual mentoring, inclusion and collegiality, facilitate women’s careers in academia; and recognition of collaborative work bolsters women’s professional advancement. We further propose that gender equity will be stronger in STEM where resources, relationships, and recognition intersect—having multiplicative rather than additive effects. Keywords: collaboration; gender equity; academic STEM careers
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- Award ID(s):
- 1824090
- PAR ID:
- 10107603
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Social sciences
- Volume:
- 6
- Issue:
- 1
- ISSN:
- 2076-0760
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- 1-22
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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Studies about women’s underrepresentation in the U.S. science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) academic workforce have flourished in the past decade. Much of this research focuses on institutionalized gender barriers and implicit biases, consistent with theorizing about how work organizations disproportionately benefit men, white people, and other systemically advantaged groups. But to what extent do faculty most likely disadvantaged by systematic inequities actually perceive “barriers” to equity in the context of their own work lives? What might the repercussions associated with variation in perceptions about inequity be, especially within institutions of higher education actively pursuing equity agendas under such programs as the National Science Foundation’s ADVANCE program? Using interview data from 53 STEM women faculty working at a university that received a 5-year NSF ADVANCE IT award, we examine the range of views held among women scientists about the extent to which opportunity and success are a function of meritocratic versus nonmeritocratic processes. Findings show that almost a third of participants held the view that opportunities and advancement are primarily a function of meritocratic processes. We discuss implications of these findings for broader institutional efforts to reduce inequities in academic STEM.
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Although on average women are underrepresented in academic science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) departments at universities, an under appreciated fact is that women’s representation varies widely across STEM disciplines. Past research is fairly silent on how local variations in gender composition impact faculty experiences. This study fills that gap. A survey of STEM departments at a large research university finds that women faculty in STEM are less professionally satisfied than male colleagues only if they are housed in departments where women are a small numeric minority. Gender differences in satisfaction are largest in departments with less than 25% women, smaller in departments with 25–35% women, and nonexistent in departments approaching 50% women. Gender differences in professional satisfaction in gender-unbalanced departments are mediated by women’s perception that their department’s climate is uncollegial, faculty governance is non-transparent, and gender relations are inequitable. Unfavorable department climates also predict retention risk for women in departments with few women, but not in departments closer to gender parity. Finally, faculty who find within-department mentors to be useful are more likely to have a favorable view of their department’s climate, which consequently predicts more professional satisfaction. Faculty gender and gender composition does not moderate these findings, suggesting that mentoring is equally effective for all faculty. Keywords: gender; STEM; climate; retention; facultymore » « less
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Institutional support is crucial for the successful career advancement of all faculty but in particular those who are women. Evolving from the past, in which gender disparities were prevalent in many institutions, recent decades have witnessed significant progress in supporting the career advancement of women faculty in science and academic medicine. However, continued advancement is necessary as previously unrecognized needs and new opportunities for improvement emerge. To identify the needs, opportunities, and potential challenges encountered by women faculty, the Women’s Leadership Committee of the Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology Council developed an initiative termed GROWTH (Generating Resources and Opportunities for Women in Technology and Health). The committee designed a survey questionnaire and interviewed 19 leaders with roles and responsibilities in faculty development from a total of 12 institutions across various regions of the United States. The results were compiled, analyzed, and discussed. Based on our interviews and analyses, we present the current status of these representative institutions in supporting faculty development, highlighting efforts specific to women faculty. Through the experiences, insights, and vision of these leaders, we identified success stories, challenges, and future priorities. Our article provides a primer and a snapshot of institutional efforts to support the advancement of women faculty. Importantly, this article can serve as a reference and resource for academic entities seeking ideas to gauge their commitment level to women faculty and to implement new initiatives. Additionally, this article can provide guidance and strategies for women faculty as they seek support and resources from their current or prospective institutions when pursuing new career opportunities.
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