NSF ADVANCE Program Academic Careers in Engineering & Science (ACES)

1. NSF ADVANCE ProgramAcademic Careers in Engineering & Science (ACES) Lynn T. Singer (Provost’s Office), PI John Angus (Chemical Engineering), co-PI Mary Barkley (Chemistry), co-PI Diana Bilimoria (Organizational Behavior), co-PI

2. ACES Goals and Objectives • Transform campus-wide culture • Recognize and minimize existing barriers • Catalyze positive cultural change • Institutionalize transformation through initiatives in 4 critical areas: • Coaching, Mentoring, Networking, and Training & Development • Target groups: leadership, faculty, students

3. 3 Levels of ACES Interventions • At the level of leadership of the University, including the President, Provost, and Deans • Fundraising for 5 endowed chairs to attract senior women scientists and engineers • Annual evaluation of deans' progress toward transformational change. • Executive coaching of Deans for leadership enhancement • At the school and departmental level • Intensive coaching, mentoring, networking, and training & development of deans, chairs, faculty, and students in 4 test departments in Phase 1, • Extension of the best practices to all S&E departments in Phase 2, determined through ongoing research and evaluation activities. • At the campus-wide level • Distinguished Lectureships for senior women in S&E • Partner hiring network • Minority pipeline initiative including faculty exchanges with Fisk University and summer undergraduate research internships • Research on factors that influence women’s advancement & retention

4. Activities and Progress • ACES Presentations to Deans and Chairs of four schools. • Hired key staff (Coordinator, Research Associate, Diversity Specialist, 4 Graduate Students) • Launched ACES website • Begun regular ACES Steering Committee (including Deans) meetings and ACES Team meetings • Planning ACES retreat with President, Provost, Deans, and Chairs of all S&E departments for Fall 2004 • Planning External Advisory Board meeting for Fall 2004 • Funded two ADVANCE Opportunity Fund proposals in Mathematics and Pharmacology • Sponsored four ADVANCE Distinguished Lectureships in Materials Science & Engineering, Chemistry, Organizational Behavior, Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering

5. Activities and Progress • Started data collection (baseline and evaluation) studies • In process of collecting non-perceptual data from all 31 S&E departments (rank, tenure, office space, lab size, salary, teaching & service loads, student supervision, research funding, etc.) • Undertaken focus groups and interviews of 4 test departments (Chemistry, Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, Organizational Behavior, Physiology & Biophysics) – focus groups of men faculty, women faculty, chairs • University climate survey for all faculty across campus in design stage • Designing individual faculty baseline data survey • Started mentoring committees for all women faculty in test departments. • Committees consist of one department faculty member, one university faculty member outside the department, and one disciplinary member outside the university • Mentees set up monthly committee meetings and drive the process • Held “Successful Mentoring” workshop for mentors and mentees

6. Activities and Progress • Began executive coaching in test departments of all women faculty, chairs, and deans • Monthly coaching meetings (face-to-face or phone) with professional coaches • Begun monthly Coaches Cohort meetings to plan sessions and create a coaching template • On women faculty members’ request, started monthly networking luncheons for women faculty in the 4 test departments • Began research studies for: • Case study of success factors in Neurosciences Department (only science department with a woman chair) • Study of perceptions of women faculty, men faculty, and chairs across the S&E departments • Initiated pipeline initiatives: • Fisk University minority faculty exchange (one Fisk faculty member will be visiting in June 04) • Minority student summer internships (applications received from 6 students)

7. Challenges and Difficulties • Women faculty of test departments do not want most men faculty in their departments as mentors. • Three of four schools/colleges have new deans, at least one of which does not have time for executive coaching until summer (since he has just arrived on campus). • Male faculty express concerns about holding deans accountable for progress in recruitment, advancement and retention of S&E women faculty • Question about whether endowed chairs for women faculty will be new or draw on existing faculty slots • Scheduling focus groups of male faculty (by academic rank) in the test departments was difficult. We are now attempting to obtain a sample of men at different academic levels by scheduling 20-30 minute individual interviews in their offices.

8. Challenges and Difficulties • Chairs and male faculty have concerns about legal aspects (confidentiality issues) of focus groups • Male faculty and chairs of the test departments are cautious, in part because of many transitions/uncertainty in the larger university, in part because they are very busy, and in part because many activities focus specifically on women’s advancement and retention. • Female faculty in the test departments are concerned about the amount of time they perceive they are being asked to spend on NSF-ACES activities. • Development activities for endowed chairs for senior women faculty has been slow.