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What’s Data Got to Do with It? How to Measure Change in Academic Work Environments

What’s Data Got to Do with It? How to Measure Change in Academic Work Environments . Karen Stamm, Lisa Harlow, Marimer Santiago-Rivas, Barbara Silver, & Helen Mederer University of Rhode Island Presented at the 34 th Annual Meeting of the Association for Women in Psychology

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What’s Data Got to Do with It? How to Measure Change in Academic Work Environments

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  1. What’s Data Got to Do with It? How to Measure Change in Academic Work Environments Karen Stamm, Lisa Harlow, Marimer Santiago-Rivas, Barbara Silver, & Helen Mederer University of Rhode Island Presented at the 34th Annual Meeting of the Association for Women in Psychology March 14, 2009, Newport, RI

  2. Diversity in the Sciences • Diversity is important in the pursuit of scientific knowledge (National Science Foundation, 2005) • However, a gender gap in the sciences exists • Women represent only 20% of the faculty in STEM fields – science, technology, engineering, and math

  3. Climate Change • Good news – positive change is occurring • Gender gap is narrowing (Feist, 2006) • Still, STEM women face many challenges • Stereotype threat (Steele, 1997) • “Leaky pipeline” • Accumulation of disadvantage (Valian, 1998) • Chilly climate

  4. NSF ADVANCE Program • ADVANCE is an initiative by the National Science Foundation to promote the careers of women faculty in STEM fields • The University of Rhode Island received a 5-year ADVANCE Institutional Transformation award • At URI, the ADVANCE Program has focused on: • Recruitment • Faculty Development • Work-Life • Climate Change • Measurement and Evaluation

  5. Academic Work Environment Survey • All tenure-track faculty at the University of Rhode Island were asked to participate • The survey was distributed twice: 2004 and 2007 • (M)ANOVAswere conducted with main constructs as dependent variables and gender as the independent variable

  6. Main constructs Climate Career attitudes Interpersonal/work issues Spouse/partner issues Work and gender Mentoring Teaching Service Research Productivity Recognition Resource satisfaction Academic Work Environment Survey

  7. 2004 Climate Survey • Distributed during the 2004-2005 academic year • Approximately 277 faculty (118 women, 144 men, and 9 unknown gender) completed the survey • About 40% of all tenure-track faculty completed the survey

  8. Women reported: More interpersonal work challenges More workplace discrimination Delaying or not having children Greater willingness to leave URI to accommodate partner’s career Endorsed a belief in combining career and family Men reported: Greater career satisfaction, More positive work environment Greater workplace equity Greater departmental influence More work-life balance Endorsed traditional views of gender-work roles 2004 Climate Survey Results • No Gender Differences on: • Research Productivity • Teaching • Service • Resource Satisfaction • Recognition

  9. 2007 Climate Survey • Revised version of 2004 climate survey • Distributed during the 2007-2008 academic year • Approximately 241 faculty (129 women, 110 men, and 2 unknown gender) completed the survey • About 38% of tenure-track faculty completed the survey

  10. Women reported: Higher ratings of mentoring importance More workplace discrimination More work-life conflict Delaying having children Placing greater emphasis on a partner’s career Endorsed a belief in combining work and family Men reported: Greater gender equity Greater positive work environment Endorsed traditional views of gender-work roles 2007 Climate Survey Results • No gender differences on: • Career Satisfaction • Research Productivity • Teaching • Service • Resource Satisfaction • Recognition

  11. Usefulness of Climate Data • Importance of collecting social science data • Dissemination of findings • Executive summary • College meetings • Reports on website • Benchmarking • Recruitment, retention, and promotion of women in STEM • Use climate data in conjunction with benchmark indicators • Collection of benchmark indicators to track the ADVANCE Program • Other analysis plans: longitudinal cross-sectional data • Unique participants (took survey in 2004 or 2007) • Repeat participants (took survey in both 2004 and 2007)

  12. Limits of Climate Data • Length of survey • Timeframe for measuring climate change • How long does climate change take? Is 5 years enough time? • Longitudinal data • Had planned 3 surveys • Only did 2 surveys • Used the time to revise the survey

  13. Strategies for Promoting Women in STEM • 3-level model of climate change • Individual • Interactional • Institutional • Effective climate change must target all 3 levels • Measure variables at different levels

  14. References • Feist, G. J. (2006). How development and personality influence scientific thought, interest, and achievement. Review of General Psychology. Special Issue: The Psychology of Science. 10(2), 163-182. • National Science Foundation. (2005). More women receive Ph.D.s, but female senior faculty are still rare. Retrieved March 31, 2007, from http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=104363 • Steele, C. M. (1997). A threat in the air: How stereotypes shape intellectual identity and performance. American Psychologist, 52(6), 613-629. • Valian, V. (1998). Why so slow? The advancement of women. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

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