ADVANCE Partnership: Values-based Academic Leadership Trajectories for faculty in STEM (VAuLTS)

Washington State University, Pullman WA

Investigators

Abstract

Washington State University (WSU) ADVANCE Partnership project called "Values-based Academic Leadership Trajectories for gender Equity in STEM" (VAuLTS) aims to reduce the systemic barriers to achieving gender equity in STEM across various types of higher education institutions by empowering a cadre of change agents to implement strategies aimed at eliminating systemic barriers to gender equity. Expected broader impacts of this project include an increase in gender equity at the highest professoriate ranks and at the senior/executive leadership levels. Several innovative strategies will be implemented to achieve the project's goals. First, Network Improvement Communities will be created including all interested faculty from ADVANCE grant-recipient universities, and partners from regional 2-year institutions and predominantly undergraduate institutions (PUIs), to address program implementation and policy issues related to gender equity in STEM. Second, a dual leadership and mentoring program will be created at the ADVANCE grant-recipient partner institutions (Montana State University, University of Montana, Oregon State University, and Western Washington University) to build leadership capacity for initiating local policy changes and to prepare for expanding VAuLTS to include community college and PUI partners. Third, the program will be extended to support policy change initiatives at community college and PUI partners: Wenatchee Valley College, Whatcom Community College, Missoula College, Columbia Basin College, Bellevue College, Heritage University, Everett Community College and Yakima Valley College. The NSF ADVANCE program is designed to foster gender equity through a focus on the identification and elimination of organizational barriers that impede the full participation and advancement of diverse faculty in academic institutions. Organizational barriers that inhibit equity may exist in policies, processes, practices, and the organizational culture and climate. ADVANCE "Partnership" awards provide support to collaborations among STEM professional societies and academic and non-academic non-profit organizations designed to broaden the implementation of evidence-based equity strategies and have a national or regional reach. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.