Academic Career Enhancement for Underrepresented Faculty in Engineering

Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University, Blacksburg VA

Investigators

Abstract

The current lack of faculty diversity in engineering poses serious threats to the replacement of an aging faculty, the retention of underrepresented minority (URM) students, the development of a diverse workforce and the well being of the nation. This challenging issue has been addressed over the past few decades with limited success, due in part to the complex and interrelated factors that influence the career advancement of underrepresented minority faculty. Strategies are needed to increase the numbers and career success of underrepresented minority faculty, to ensure diversity in engineering and national competitiveness. The goals and activities are closely aligned with NSF's mission to broaden the participation and success of underrepresented populations in engineering. Faculty of color represent an alarmingly small, untapped and underserved population in the academic ranks within engineering. This state of affairs informs the goals of the proposed project, which is to enhance the presence, socialization, retention and advancement of junior and mid-career faculty from underrepresented populations in engineering. The project seeks to achieve these goals via the following objectives: 1) development and implementation of a holistic array of career development initiatives for underrepresented early and mid-career faculty; and 2) implementation of research on practices and policies impacting the progression and advancement of these faculty members. The project includes a professional/leadership development component, informed by existing knowledge on the factors that help underrepresented faculty members succeed. There is also a research component that is intended to add to the national knowledge base on issues of career progression. Key features of the project include: an annual professional/leadership development symposium, the formation of an on-line community (e.g., using the NSF-funded National Institute for Faculty Equity website, webinars, etc.), organized networking at professional society meetings, the active engagement of senior scholars and opportunities for multi-year participation. Additionally, the symposium will be used as a forum to implement a mixed-methods study of the factors influencing underrepresented faculty members' experiences in academia. In this vein, the project will explore the following research questions: RQ1. What individual and systemic factors are facilitating and/or hindering the progression and advancement of URM faculty members? RQ2. What are the salient intragroup differences in the experiences of URM faculty? (e.g., How do foreign-born Black faculty members experience the academy differently than their US-born peers? How do the experiences of Hispanic faculty members differ based on their country of origin?) RQ3. How do URM faculty members' past professional development experiences impact their present day responses to challenges and opportunities? The project will contribute to the success and advancement of minority faculty in engineering, thereby enhancing their participation and retention, and increasing their ranks. The increased presence of these minorities enhances faculty diversity and provides the role models and self images that contribute to the enhanced recruitment, retention, and ultimate success of all students -- especially those from groups underrepresented in the engineering workforce -- which is necessary to build a diverse science and engineering workforce required to maintain national competitiveness and prosperity.