Drexel University
OFFICE OF
FACULTY DEVELOPMENT
& EQUITY
ANNUAL REPORT
2014-2015
Drexel University
CONTENTS
OFFICE OF FACULTY DEVELOPMENT & EQUITY
Introduction & Summary
4
Status Report on Initiatives
5
ANNUAL REPORT
2014-2015
Drexel University Office of Faculty Development & Equity Annual Report 2014-2015
Faculty Recruitment
5
Faculty Retention & Advancement
6
Academic Department Heads’ Initiative
7
Adjunct Faculty Initiative
8
Child Care Initiative
10
University-Wide Collaborations
10
Goals for the Office of Faculty Development & Equity for 2015-2016
11
Drexel Data
12
History of Faculty Equity & Diversity Initiatives at Drexel
15
Background & Rationale for the Office
16
3
INTRODUCTION & SUMMARY
S TAT U S R E P O R T O N I N I T I AT I V E S
Faculty Recruitment
The mission of the Office of
Faculty Development & Equity,
established in 2007, is to
incorporate national best
practices for faculty recruitment,
faculty retention, and faculty
advancement, with special
attention to faculty equity and
diversity. The goal of the Office
is to help recruit, retain and
advance outstanding faculty
while creating a supportive
and diverse academic
environment. This report
summarizes achievements
during Academic Year 20142015 while providing data on
faculty diversity, the history of
faculty equity and diversity at
Drexel, and the background
and rationale of the Office of
Faculty Development & Equity.
4
During Academic Year 2014-2015, the Office of Faculty
Development & Equity:
• Hosted or co-sponsored 18
events, including 8 events for the
Academic Department Heads’
Initiative.
• Trained 49 search chairs and
search committee members through
a workshop on best practices for
faculty recruitment using Drexel’s
Handbook for Faculty Recruitment.
• Facilitated the eighth round of
Career Development Award
applications and, with the help of
the review committee, selected
5 awardees for Academic Year
2015-2016.
• Worked to provide substantive
improvements for Adjunct Faculty
members through the Universitywide Committee on Adjunct
Faculty, including fostering
adjunct representation for
shared governance, enhancing
professional development, offering
travel awards, ensuring inclusion
of adjunct faculty at all universitywide faculty events and working
to ensure salary equity. The FDE
worked closely with HR to ensure
alignment with the ACA and to
provide and publicize health
benefits for eligible adjunct faculty
members. The FDE hosted several
coffees for adjunct faculty to foster
open communication, and created
an ongoing column in the Provost’s
Newsletter entitled “Adjunct
Accolades.”
Drexel University Office of Faculty Development & Equity Annual Report 2014-2015
• Worked with dual-career couples to
explore positions for accompanying
partners in the Philadelphia region.
• Served on the national board of
the Higher Education Recruitment
Consortium to foster faculty diversity
and dual career placements.
• Researched online and print
advertising venues to ensure that
available faculty positions are
sufficiently advertised among
qualified URM (under-represented
minority) and female populations,
placing advertisements in
appropriate national venues.
• Sustained Drexel’s first initiative on
work-life balance by maintaining
online resources and our brochure
for faculty entitled Work-Life
Balance Matters at Drexel
University.
Search Committee Chair
Workshops
National Advertising to Foster
Diversity
To address faculty recruitment issues,
the Office of Faculty Development
& Equity trains search committee
chairs in equitable recruitment. These
workshops review the rationale for
diverse recruitment, give advice on
how to broaden the faculty applicant
pool, present data on implicit bias and
schemas, and review Drexel faculty
recruitment procedures. These sessions
teach search committee chairs how to
develop a broad pool of applicants,
how to recruit equitably, and how
to select highly qualified candidates
through a process that welcomes and
supports diversity. This year, workshops
were also held and offered for all
faculty search committee members.
In total, as of 2015, the office has
trained over 210 faculty search chairs
and search committee members.
Each year, the Office of Faculty
Development & Equity places an
advertisement in the recruitment
and retention issue of Diverse Issues
in Higher Education to generate
additional attention to faculty jobs
at Drexel. This advertisement lists all
colleges/schools at Drexel that are
recruiting for a given academic year.
In addition, the Office researched
online and print advertising venues to
ensure that available faculty positions
are sufficiently advertised among
qualified URM (under-represented
minority) and female populations.
The research allowed the Office to
make an informed decision on which
publications will be the best fit for
Drexel’s applicants. After examining
dynamics such as readership numbers
and demographics, as well as cost,
the Office determined that partnering
with Higher Ed Jobs through Drexel’s
Human Resources Department to
post online faculty positions would
be the best avenue to ensure diverse
advertising for the university, in
addition to our existing advertising
cycle with Diverse Issues in Higher
Education.
Dual Career Support
Over the past year, the Office of
Faculty Development & Equity worked
with several new or potential new
faculty members and their deans or
department heads to address dual
career issues. The Office also posted
various resources related to dual
career issues on its website.
We also conducted an analysis of
return on investment from our Higher
Education Recruitment Consortium
(HERC) membership and have decided
not to renew our membership in the
regional or national HERC.
Work-Life Balance
The Office of Faculty Development &
Equity maintains a website dedicated
to Work-Life Balance featuring
information about resources at Drexel
such as domestic partner benefits and
Drexel tuition remission (drexel.edu/
fde/work-life-balance/overview). The
site also describes Health Advocate’s
Employee Assistance and Work-Life
Programs, by which employees may
consult with specialists on a wide
range of health-related issues such as
child care, elder care, education and
mental health.
Tracking Tenured/Tenure Track Faculty Hires from 2012 Launch of Strategic Plan to Present
Of the 131 tenure track/tenured
faculty that were hired from 2012
until now, 6.1% of new hires were
URM, a small increase over our historic
numbers. 6.1%
males
females
Of the 131 tenure track/tenured
faculty that were hired from 2012 until
now, 45.0% of new hires were female
and 55.0% of new hires were male. 5
S TAT U S R E P O R T O N I N I T I AT I V E S
S TAT U S R E P O R T O N I N I T I AT I V E S
From Left to Right: Asta Zelenkauskaite,
Ekaterina Pomerantseva, Alexis Roth,
Jonathan Purtle, Naoko Kurahashi Neilson.
Faculty Retention & Advancement
Academic Department Heads’ Initiative
Career Development Awards
Career Development Awards are
designed to help junior faculty
increase their exposure to more senior
colleagues at other institutions who can
be collaborators and role models, while
introducing outside scholars to faculty at
Drexel. Social networks are increasingly
important and funding agencies are
increasingly interested in projects
that demonstrate multi-investigator,
interdisciplinary endeavors. Building
such a team, and developing a history
of working together, can be invaluable
for junior faculty or mid-career faculty
moving in a more collaborative
direction or beginning a new research
area. The Career Development Awards
program provides funding for junior
faculty at Drexel to develop networks,
nationally or internationally, with
colleagues whose work complements
activities at Drexel.
We have calculated the return on
investment for the Career Development
Awards (CDA’s) during the first six
years (Academic years 2008-2009,
through 2013-2014). Over those years,
Drexel has invested $202,427 and
the CDA recipients have brought in a
total of $9,996,723 in external grant
funds. The first 30 awardees generated
over 38 publications, including articles,
manuscripts, and papers; held at least
20 Drexel events, including workshop
series and seminars; developed 5
new courses at Drexel in 5 different
departments and attended over 68
conferences. They also developed
mentoring relationships with scholars
in 4 different continents, 11 different
countries, and 13 different U.S.
states. Since receiving their Career
Development Awards, 13 awardees
(100% of those who were reviewed)
have been granted tenure.
This year, the Office of Faculty
Development & Equity celebrated
its eighth cycle of the Career
Development Awards (CDA’s). As the
CDA Review Committee evaluated
proposals, they discovered highly
qualified, well-organized and
outstanding applications. The award
winners for 2015-2016 are Naoko
Neilson, PhD, Department of Physics,
CoAS; Ekaterina Pomerantseva, PhD,
Department of Materials Science and
Engineering, COE; Jonathan Purtle,
DrPH, MPH, MSc, Department of
Health Management & Policy, SPH;
Asta Zelenkauskaite, PhD, Department
of Culture & Communication, CoAS;
Alexis Roth, PhD, MPH, Department of
Community Health & Prevention, SPH.
March, 2015 Webinar for Drexel Faculty Women in STEM
On March 11th, 2015, the Office of Faculty Development & Equity (FDE) hosted
a webinar entitled “Flops and Failure: Using Mistakes to Learn and Maximize.”
This webinar, offered online by the Association of Women in Science, featured
Jessica Bacal and Patricia Marten DiBartolo speaking about the latest research
on perfectionism, drawing on stories from Bacal’s book which was provided
by the FDE to webinar attendees at Drexel. DiBartolo shared research on the
mental health implications of living a perfectionistic life. Following the webinar
the group engaged in a structured conversation led by Deans Banu Onaral and
Donna Murasko.
6
Drexel University Office of Faculty Development & Equity Annual Report 2014-2015
Academic Department Heads’ Workshop
The Academic Department Heads’ Initiative is designed to support
the Drexel University Strategic Plan and its goal of engaging
Drexel’s faculty as intellectual leaders by providing the necessary
resources to develop a cadre of talented, pioneering, collaborative,
productive, and diverse scholars. The initiative supports and
nurtures career development for faculty by focusing on leadership,
retention, and team building. This development requires highfunctioning academic units with strong and capable leadership.
Academic Department Heads’
Workshops
EchoSpan 360º
Feedback Reviews
The Office of Faculty Development &
Equity facilitates monthly Academic
Department Heads’ Workshops. These
workshops enable leaders to discuss
an array of important topics; the topics
are based on a survey of the academic
department heads’ own perceived
needs and interests as well as
feedback from the deans and Provost.
Issues closely align with best practices
nationally, and include Drexel’s
Initiative for Adjunct Faculty, Student
Lifecycle Management & the Student
Experience, Faculty Role in Advancing
Student Success and The University
& RCM, among others. This year, the
office held 8 Academic Department
Heads’ Workshops, which were highly
evaluated. For more information on
past FDE events and workshops, visit
drexel.edu/fde.
The Office of Faculty Development
& Equity partnered with EchoSpan
to conduct voluntary, 360º feedback
reviews for the University’s academic
department heads. To provide
balanced feedback, reviews were
gathered from deans, colleagues
and other professional staff, in
addition to a self-review done by
each academic department head. 29
faculty members volunteered to take
part in the confidential 360º feedback
process. The Office was provided with
the 10 highest and lowest aggregate
competencies to guide our choice
of future workshops and help build
department heads’ skills.
7
S TAT U S R E P O R T O N I N I T I AT I V E S
S TAT U S R E P O R T O N I N I T I AT I V E S
Adjunct Faculty Initiative
Since 2009, the Adjunct Faculty Initiative has continuously
examined the needs and interests of our adjunct faculty members.
Through actively engaging faculty with adjunct appointments
and responding to their feedback, this initiative has led to an
expansion of available resources as well as adaptation of key
institutional policies to foster career development among adjunct
faculty members. This reflects the important role of these faculty
members in the education of Drexel students.
Adjunct Faculty Committee
In January 2014, a multi-disciplinary
Adjunct Faculty Committee was
established and chaired by the
Provost, with representation from fulltime and adjunct faculty, the Faculty
Senate, Human Resources, and
members of Drexel’s administration.
The committee was created to
examine the needs of adjunct faculty
that teach at Drexel, and through
analysis of peer institutions and from
data gleaned from Drexel’s 2014
Faculty Satisfaction Survey, key action
items were identified. What follows
is a summary of those items, and
the efforts undertaken to provide
substantive improvements both now
and in the future.
Salary Equity & Opportunities
for Promotion
A salary benchmarking study was
completed in winter 2015 to ensure
that Drexel adjunct faculty members
are compensated fairly. The need for
salary increases is widely appreciated
and adjustments are pending. Adjunct
faculty can also receive recognition
for their productivity and commitment
to Drexel by applying for promotion in
academic rank from adjunct instructor,
to adjunct assistant professor, to
adjunct associate professor, and to
adjunct professor.
Health Benefit Options
In Spring 2015 faculty members
with adjunct appointments who have
a substantial workload and whose
long-term and primary commitment
is to Drexel started being offered
access to high-quality and affordable
healthcare coverage. Drexel coverage
goes beyond the ACA minimum and
offers eligible adjunct faculty members
the opportunity to purchase health
care, vision care, and dental care
coverage. While relatively few adjunct
faculty members have enrolled, the
option is available and responds to a
need that was identified in our Faculty
Satisfaction Survey.
Blythe Davenport
8
Drexel University Office of Faculty Development & Equity Annual Report 2014-2015
Voluntary Benefits
Voluntary employee-funded benefits
are available to adjunct faculty in
the same manner that they are made
available to all other full-time and parttime Drexel employees, including free
admission to the Academy of Natural
Sciences, discounted membership for
Drexel employees to the Recreation
Center, and access to flexible spending
accounts and other self-funded benefits.
In addition to the voluntary benefits
enumerated on the Human Resources
website, adjunct faculty members may
also take advantage of many vendors
offering Drexel employee discounts.
Adjunct Faculty Professional
Development Awards
In an ongoing effort to support
professional development of adjunct
faculty members, the Office of Faculty
Development & Equity launched
the Adjunct Faculty Professional
Development Awards in October
2014. The program provides
funding for Drexel adjunct faculty
who are presenting at conferences,
workshops and professional meetings
that are directly related to and will
enhance the applicant’s professional
development goals or enhance
teaching skills and student learning
at Drexel. In its inaugural round,
the awards program competitively
funded adjunct faculty members at
a maximum of $1,000 per award.
More information on this program can
be found on the FDE website.
drexel.edu/fde/adjunct-faculty/resources
The 2014-2015 award recipients were:
Contractual Issues
Adjunct Coffee Hours
• J.P. Lutz, MS, Center for
Hospitality & Sport Management
A new contract template has been
developed for adjunct faculty and
will be implemented in academic
year 2015-2016. The template
provides each school and college
a standardized contract letter that
can be customized and which
clearly specifies to the adjunct
faculty member the term, workload,
salary and compensation in case of
course cancellation within a given
timeframe. It protects the rights of
adjuncts to an unprecedented extent,
while recognizing the valuable role
that adjunct faculty members play
in providing high quality education
in an environment with maximal
scheduling flexibility.
To support the Adjunct Initiative and
facilitate a more inclusive environment
for Drexel’s adjunct faculty members,
the Office of Faculty Development
& Equity began holding coffee
hours each quarter. These informal
gatherings enable Adjunct Faculty
members to network with their
colleagues and to talk about academic
life. In 2014-2015, the office hosted 4
coffees and will continue this effort in
the 2015-2016 academic year.
• Katherine Knoeringer, MFA,
Antoinette Westphal College of
Media Arts and Design
• Robin Vann Lynch, PhD, School
of Education
• Catherine Bartch, PhD, Lindy
Center for Civic Engagement
• Veronica Finkelstein, JD,
Thomas R. Kline School of Law
• Debra Lawrence PhD, School of Education
Adjunct Senate Representatives
As unanimously decided by the
Drexel Faculty Senate, adjunct faculty
members have been represented
on the Faculty Senate since January
2015. Adjunct faculty members are
now represented with voice, although
not vote. Four adjunct representatives
and alternates were selected from
the colleges that employ the most
adjunct faculty, including the College
of Arts & Sciences, College of Nursing
and Health Professions, School of
Education and Westphal College of
Media Arts & Design.
Adjunct Accolades
The Adjunct Accolades column in
the Provost’s Newsletter, launched in
the winter 2015 edition, highlights
outstanding adjunct faculty members at
Drexel. Two highly qualified members
of Drexel’s adjunct community, Blythe
Davenport, MFA, Department of
English and Philosophy and Al DeRitis,
MBA, Department of Accounting, were
featured for 2014-2015.
Access to Meeting and
Work Space
Improved Two-Way
Communication
To improve two-way communication,
a new section of the Faculty
Development & Equity (FDE) website
has been dedicated to topics of
interest to faculty members who
hold adjunct appointments, and
the Adjunct Faculty Resource Guide,
published by the FDE, was updated
and revised for Academic Year
2014-2015. An ongoing effort is
being made to include new content of
interest to adjunct faculty. In addition,
particular attention has been focused
on ensuring that communications to
all faculty members, be it via email,
the web, or in other forums, include
adjunct faculty members in both
consideration and delivery.
Space for adjunct faculty members
to work and to meet with students
outside regularly scheduled class time
is a key issue for faculty as well as
students. While the limits of our urban
campuses restrict the space available,
we have identified campus spaces for
faculty members to meet with students
one-on-one, in small groups, or for
larger review sessions. Adjunct faculty
members can now find space quickly
through the Adjunct Resource section
of the Faculty Development & Equity
website (drexel.edu/fde/adjunctfaculty/resources/#MeetingSpace).
Al DeRetis
9
S TAT U S R E P O R T O N I N I T I AT I V E S
G O A L S F O R T H E O F F I C E O F FA C U LT Y D E V E L O P M E N T & E Q U I T Y F O R 2 0 1 5 - 2 0 1 6
Child Care Initiative
Although child care has been a long-term issue at Drexel, the current initiative began in 2010 after
the Office of Faculty Development & Equity conducted a faculty satisfaction survey, which showed
that child care was a top concern of our faculty members. In 2014, the Office of Faculty Development
& Equity again conducted a general faculty satisfaction survey, and many faculty members again
ranked child care resources at Drexel as one of the least satisfying areas. In addition, two surveys
that specifically asked about child care needs and interests were created collaboratively with
Hildebrandt Learning Centers and were distributed among all Drexel faculty and professional staff.
Those surveys indicated a large, ongoing need for quality child care close to the University City
Campus. The FDE, working alongside Radnor Property Group, has been closely involved in the
selection of a child care provider. July 2015 site visits to three potential providers helped the team
identify the most suitable childcare provider and plans are underway to launch a child care center in
the fall of 2017.
1
Continue to support the implementation of the Drexel University
Strategic Plan 2012-2019, particularly as it relates to the equity
mission of the Office of Faculty Development & Equity.
2
Continue to support faculty diversity and inclusive
excellence initiatives across the University, including
recruitment, retention and faculty success.
University-Wide Collaborations
This year, the Office of Faculty Development & Equity hosted or
co-sponsored 18 events including events with external speakers.
Many of these events were co-sponsored with other units at Drexel,
as indicated below.
November 2014
Book Circle / Meet the Author
Professor Michael Yudell,
Race Unmasked
On Tuesday, November 4, 2014, the
Office of Equality and Diversity and
the Office of Faculty Development &
Equity hosted Michael Yudell, PhD,
a professor in our School of Public
Health, to discuss his book. Race
Unmasked examines the way in which
biologists and geneticists shaped the
race concept during the 20th century
from eugenics to the sequencing of
the human genome. The book pays
careful attention to the ways in which
scientific conceptions of human
difference impact both public health
and medicine. Additionally, the work
has important implications for bioethics
and public health ethics given the
role of race in patient care and in
our understandings of the health of
populations.
10
Race Unmasked Book Circle
February 2015
Black History Month Reception
February 2015
Black Lives Matter
On Friday, February 27, 2015, the
Office of Faculty Development & Equity
in partnership with the Drexel Black
Faculty & Professional Staff Association
(BFPSA) co-hosted the annual Black
History Month Reception. The theme
was “A Look to the Future,” where
talent from Philadelphia’s youth was
highlighted.
On Friday, February 20, 2015, in
conjunction with the Student Center
for Inclusion and Culture and other
participating units, the Office of
Faculty Development & Equity
co-hosted a roundtable discussion
on police violence against African
Americans, the criminal justice system,
and community responses, grounded
in current and historical scholarship.
Panelists included Rose Corrigan, PhD,
Lallen Johnson, PhD, Kevin Egan, PhD
and Andre Carrington, PhD.
Drexel University Office of Faculty Development & Equity Annual Report 2014-2015
3
Continue to review faculty tenure and promotion cases, particularly
with respect to equity.
4
Continue to work on the Adjunct Faculty Initiative in order to create
and maintain a professional, competitive and inclusive environment
for all faculty members.
11
D R E X E L D ATA
D R E X E L D ATA
Tenure/Tenure-Track Faculty
Since 2004, when Drexel’s
Office of the Provost first began
collecting data about faculty
diversity from various university
offices, we have known that
both women and underrepresented minority (URM)
faculty members at Drexel are
concentrated at lower ranks and
are less likely to have tenure
than white male faculty. This
is the case at most universities
across the country. Below is a
comparison of Drexel faculty
in 2007, when the Office first
opened, and in 2015.
As Graphs A and B indicate, female
assistant professors made up 15.6%
of all faculty in 2007, compared to
12.0% in 2015. Female associate
professors made up 11.2% of
Drexel’s faculty in 2007, compared
to 16.8% in 2015. Further, female
full professors made up 5.8% of all
faculty in 2007, compared to 9.0%
in 2015. Therefore, the percentages
of female associate and full professors
increased between 2007 and 2015,
while the percentage of female
assistant professors decreased. Male
assistant professors made up 19.8%
of Drexel faculty in 2007, compared
to 14.2% in 2015. Male associate
professors made up 18.3% of Drexel
faculty in 2007, compared to 17.8%
in 2015. Finally, male full professors
made up 29.3% of the faculty in 2007,
compared to 30.1% in 2015. The
greatest changes in Drexel faculty over
the past eight years occurred within
the female associate professor cohort,
with a 5.6% increase, as well as the
male assistant professor cohort with a
5.6% decrease.
Tenure/Tenure-Track Faculty at Drexel by Rank & Gender
As shown in Graph C, across the
University, in 2015, 45.8% of all
assistant professors were female,
48.6% of all associate professors
were female, and 23.1% of all full
professors were female. In 2007,
44.0% of all assistant professors
were female, 37.9% of all associate
professors were female, and 16.5%
of all full professors were female. Over
the past eight years, the percentage of
female assistant professors increased
by 1.8%, the percentage of female
associate professors increased by
10.7%, and the percentage of female
full professors increased by 6.6%.
The average increase among female
faculty at Drexel across all ranks over
the past eight years was 6.4%.
The issue of underrepresentation of
female faculty is most acute among
faculty in engineering and the sciences
(STEM fields), so the Office of Faculty
Development & Equity has historically
focused our efforts at Drexel on those
areas. Since the Office of Faculty
Development & Equity opened and
began targeted recruitment and
retention efforts, the percentage of
female STEM assistant professors has
increased from 29% of all assistant
professors in 2007 to 32% in 2015,
and the percentage of female STEM full
professors has increased from 11% of
all full professors in 2007 to 11.8% in
2015. The percentage of female STEM
associate professors has increased
from 23% in 2007 to 33.8% in 2015.
In 2015, the greatest number of
female professors across all ranks
was in the College of Arts & Sciences
(CoAS) with 61 (out of 172), with the
highest percentage of female faculty
being in the College of Nursing and
Health Professions (CNHP) at 86.1%,
followed by the School of Public Health
(SPH) at 63.2%.
Drexel Tenure/Tenure Track Faculty in STEM Fields by Rank & Gender
Percentage of Drexel Women Tenure/Tenure Track Faculty by Rank
A
B
2007
C
D
Tenure/Tenure Track Faculty by Rank & Gender
11.2%
16.8%
44.0%
5.8%
54.2%
56.0%
62.1%
45.8%
E
37.5%
51.4%
22.5%
48.6%
15.7%
76.9%
83.5%
20.5%
23.1%
2007
2007
19.8%
2015
2015
female assistant professors
female associate professors
female full professors
male assistant professors
male associate professors
male full professors
Drexel University Office of Faculty Development & Equity Annual Report 2014-2015
41.5%
5.5%
16.5%
12
7.4%
37.9%
9.0%
assistant professors
associate professors
full professors
Looking at percentage increases of
female faculty in the STEM fields, over
the past eight years in the College
of Arts & Sciences (CoAS), the
percentage of assistant professors
who were female has increased
from 31.6% in 2007 to 58.8% in
2015. Over the past eight years in
the College of Engineering (CoE), the
percentage of assistant professors
who were female has decreased
from 27.5% in 2007 to 15.4% in
2015. The percentage of associate
professors who were female in the CoE
has increased from 14.8% in 2007 to
36.1% in 2015. The percentage of full
professors who were female in the CoE
has increased from 4.3% in 2007 to
7.8% in 2015. In the CoE, the greatest
change occurred within the female
associate professor cohort.
10.1%
4.5%
12.0%
15.6%
9.0%
6.0%
100%
2015
Graphs D and E show the percentages
of male and female faculty in STEM
fields by rank in fall of 2007 and
in spring of 2015. Female assistant
professors made up 9.0% of all STEM
faculty in 2007, compared to 7.4%
in 2015. Female associate professors
made up 6.0% of Drexel’s STEM
faculty in 2007, compared to 10.1%
in 2015. Female full professors made
up 4.5% of STEM faculty in 2007,
compared to 5.5% in 2015. Within
the associate and full professor ranks,
the percentages of female faculty in
STEM fields at Drexel increased. Male
assistant professors made up 22.5%
of STEM faculty in 2007, compared
to 15.7% in 2015. Male associate
professors made up 20.5% of STEM
faculty in 2007, compared to 19.8%
in 2015. Male full professors made
up 37.5% of STEM faculty in 2007,
compared to 41.5% in 2015. Within
STEM fields at Drexel, the greatest
change occurred within the male
assistant professor cohort, with a 6.8%
decrease within the last eight years.
male full professors
male associate professors
male assistant professors
female full professors
female associate professors
female assistant professors
13
D R E X E L D ATA
H I S T O R Y O F FA C U LT Y E Q U I T Y & D I V E R S I T Y I N I T I AT I V E S AT D R E X E L
F
In October 2005, former
Provost Stephen Director
established the Provost’s
Fellowship for Faculty Affairs to
study faculty diversity and equity.
Within that year it was obvious
that, while Drexel’s issues
were no greater than other
comparable universities, Drexel
could do better. In July 2006,
Drexel created the Provost’s Task
Force on Faculty Diversity and
established three subcommittees,
each led by a dean.
Drexel Tenure/Tenure-Track STEM Faculty by College, May 2015
60
47
34
23
22
20
13
10
7
7
5
4
Male Assistant
Professors
2
Female Assistant
Professors
7
5
2
Male Associate
Professors
Female Associate
Professors
Male Full
Professors
4
The Diversity Task Force, Faculty
Recruitment Subcommittee, led by
former Dean Selcuk Guceri, was
created to assess Drexel’s recruitment
practices and modify them to resemble
best practices. The group examined
recruitment practices, recognized the
need for diverse searches, suggested
recruitment strategies such as dual
career programs, and reviewed
data on previous searches and
hires to analyze pipeline issues.
Each college submitted a report to
the subcommittee, and the overall
subcommittee recommendations were
implemented in the new recruitment
strategies promoted by the Office of
Faculty Development & Equity. New
strategies include listing every faculty
job on DrexelJobs, advertising broadly
including in publications specifically
aimed at diverse audiences, training
all search committee chairs in
equitable recruitment.
3
Female Full
Professors
College of Arts and Sciences
College of Engineering
School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems
Underrepresented Minority Tenure/Tenure-Track Faculty
The percentage of underrepresented minority tenure/tenure-track faculty members
(defined as the percentage of Black/African American, American Indian/Alaskan,
and Hispanic faculty members) at Drexel has increased from 4.6% in 2007
(Graph G) to 6.7% in 2015 (Graph H). As you can see in Graph H, the largest
cohort of URM faculty is associate professors at 2.7%.
Drexel Tenure/Tenure-Track Faculty by Rank & URM Status*
G
H
1.9%
The Diversity Task Force, Policy
Subcommittee, led by former Dean
Marla Gold, was created to analyze
Drexel’s written policies with attention
to faculty diversity, equity, and
consistency between schools. The
group identified best practices;
compared Drexel policies with best
models from other schools (Univ. of
Pittsburgh, Univ. of Iowa, Univ. of
Michigan, etc.); devised a check-list
for policy analysis; and wrote a report
making recommendations. The work
of the Policy Subcommittee, including
the report and revisions to policies,
including the Tenure policy and
Emeritus policy, are complete.
2.0%
The Diversity Task Force, Faculty
Development & Retention
Subcommittee, led by Dean Donna
Murasko, was established to
recommend programs to foster
faculty development such as
mentoring, leadership development,
and transparency of promotion/
tenure criteria based on national
analysis of best practices. The group
recommended analyzing needs and
interests of deans and chairs to create
programs to match specific goals;
recommended analyzing retention
data, including exit interviews, to
assess climate; and made the
important point that diversity initiatives
contribute to net savings through
improved faculty retention and fewer
“do-over” recruitments. Mentoring
programs have been initiated, a faculty
leadership program was implemented,
faculty climate surveys were conducted,
and promotion and tenure data has
been reviewed.
In July 2007, based on the
recommendations of the Diversity
Task Force subcommittees and the
faculty data, Provost Stephen Director
established the Office of Faculty
Development & Equity and the
position of Associate Vice Provost for
Faculty Development & Equity. That
office prioritizes and implements the
recommendations of the committees,
creates new programs and initiatives
based on national best practices
24.2%
non-URM assistant professors
URM assistant professors
non-URM associate professors
URM associate professors
non-URM full professors
URM full professors
33.5%
33.1%
28.7%
0.8%
2007
37.1%
2.0%
32.0%
1.9%
2015
2.7%
*These data, as of 5/01/2015, are provided by Drexel’s Office of the Provost and HRIS.
Please note that these data do not include the Drexel University College of Medicine (DUCOM).
14
Drexel University Office of Faculty Development & Equity Annual Report 2014-2015
15
B A C K G R O U N D & R AT I O N A L E F O R T H E O F F I C E
Academe has a longestablished culture that
guides both individual and
collective behavior and sets the
framework for the academic
career trajectory.
The progress of a faculty member’s
career through the academic institution,
from junior appointment to emeritus
status, and faculty expectations about
responsibilities and rewards, has
been the same for decadesi. Faculty
members have been socialized
from graduate school onward to
expect collegiality, respect for faculty
autonomy, the sanctity of academic
freedom, and a clear and equitable
path for advancement. However, while
the values are enduring, the data
suggest that the rewards of promotion,
tenure, and academic leadership are
not distributed equitably. There are
stark differences between men and
women, minorities and whites. As of
2011 of those full-time faculty whose
race/ethnicity was knownii:
• 79% of the full-time faculty members
across disciplines in the U.S. were
white; 44% are white males, and
35% white females.
Several studies show that a diverse
faculty and student body benefits
studentsiii and that the most accurate
predictor of subsequent success
for female undergraduates is the
percentage of women faculty at their
collegeiv. In short, gender and ethnic
diversity at institutions of higher
education have not kept pace with
social demographic and cultural
shifts. The teachers at the front of the
classroom don’t reflect the gender and
ethnic diversity of the learners in the
classroom seats.
Conventional wisdom attributes the
problem to “the pipeline” and asserts
that the problem would resolve if
only there were enough women
and minorities earning doctorates
and applying for faculty positions.
But despite dramatic increases
in the number of women and
underrepresented minorities earning
doctorates, there are still dramatic
disparities between women and men,
white and minority, faculty members.
That gap widens with academic
advancement, as fewer and fewer
women and minorities move into senior,
tenured, academic roles. As Cathy
Trower and Richard Chait asserted in a
recent Harvard report:
“The pipeline is not the basic
problem. In fact, even if the
pipeline were awash with women
and minorities, a fundamental
challenge would remain: The
pipeline empties into territory
women and faculty of color too
often experience as uninviting,
unaccommodating, and
unappealing. For that reason,
many otherwise qualified
candidates forgo graduate school
altogether, others withdraw
midstream, and still others –
doctorate in hand – opt for
alternative careers. In short, the
pipeline leaks.” v
Moreover, as the American Council
on Education pointed out in their
2005 report, “An Agenda for
Excellence: Creating Flexibility in
Tenure-Track Faculty Careers,”vi
United States universities need to
focus on maintaining competitiveness
in a global higher education market.
In particular, given increasing
faculty retirements in sciences and
engineering, along with heightened
concern for national security which
has resulted in a decrease in
international scientists who study
and work in the United States, this
country will increasingly depend
upon producing enough educated
scientists and engineers who will
remain here. However, many scientists
and engineers leave academe to take
jobs in industry. In short, the academy
needs to be an attractive place to
develop a career in engineering,
sciences, or medicine. As the Council
states, “career flexibility is key to
attracting and retaining this scientific
workforce in academia.”
ii U.S. Department of Education, National
Center for Education Statistics. (2013). The
Condition of Education 2013 (NCES 2013037), Characteristics of Postsecondary
Faculty.
16
iii American Council on Education &
American Association of University
Professors, “Does Diversity Make a
Difference? Three Research Studies on
Diversity in College Classrooms” 2000.
iv Trower, C., Chait, R., “Faculty Diversity:
Too Little for Too Long,” Harvard Magazine,
Vol. 104, no 4, March-April 2002.
Drexel University Office of Faculty Development & Equity Annual Report 2014-2015
To improve the academic climate
the panel recommends examining
and pro-actively addressing work-life
issues that affect faculty throughout the
career cycle. The Panel recommends
allowing units to determine how to
best meet their productivity goals and
advocates block grants to colleges,
schools and departments for efforts that
foster a supportive climate. The Panel
advocates family-friendly and work-life
policies and stress the importance of
not subtly penalizing faculty members
who use those policies.
Activities to enhance recruitment
at universities across the country
generally focus on identifying and
eliminating the preventable causes
of well-qualified PhDs opting out of
tenure-track academic positions. A
large body of literature focuses on
recruitment incentives and strategies,
which include dual career programs
for faculty with spousal/partner
employment needs, creating cafeteriastyle benefits, or methods for effective
advertising of academic positions.
The fourth recommendation recognizes
the large number of faculty who will
be retiring in the near future and
recommends phased retirement plans
for senior, retirement-age professors
that allow them to continue teaching or
doing research part-time for a limited
time period. It stresses the need to
supply space for faculty retirees and to
continue to engage retired faculty.
The goal of improving satisfaction,
retention and advancement focuses
on allowing colleges, schools and
departments to establish their own
guidelines for interpreting criteria for
promotion and tenure; considering a
broadened definition of scholarship;viii
developing opportunities throughout
the career cycle to opt for short-term,
part-time positions; creating flexibility
in the probationary period for tenure
review without altering the high
standards or criteria, providing for
childcare alternatives, and others.
• 6% were black, 3% were Hispanic
and 8% were Asian/Pacific
Islander, and <1% were American
Indian/Alaska Native.
i American Association of University
Professors, Statement of Principles on
Academic Freedom and Tenure, 1940.
The National Panel of Presidents and
Chancellors, a group of ten chief
executive officers from major research
universities and state university systems,
set forth several recommendations
to foster faculty diversity which are
described in the American Council
on Education report.vii They focus on
four areas: 1) enhancing recruitment
efforts; 2) improving career satisfaction,
retention and advancement; 3)
improving the academic climate for all
faculty members; and 4) developing
incentives for faculty retirement.
v Trower C., Chait R. “Faculty Diversity: Too
Little for Too Long,” Harvard Magazine, Vol.
104, no 4, March- April 2002.
vi American Council on Education,
“Creating Flexibility in Tenure-Track Faculty
Careers,” American Council on Education:
Washington, D.C. February 2005.
Electronic version available at acenet.edu/
bookstore.
In short, we need to look at Drexel’s
academic workplace and evaluate
how Drexel’s structure and the policies
that support that structure affect the
educational mission. By making
step-wise improvements in recruitment,
retention and advancement, and
carefully studying Drexel’s academic
climate, we can create an exemplary
academic setting.
vii American Council on Education,
“Creating Flexibilty in Tenure-Track Faculty
Careers,” American Council on Education:
Washington, D.C. February 2005. pages
8-11. Electronic version available at acenet.
edu/bookstore.
viii Boyer E. (1990). Scholarship
Reconsidered: Priorities of the Professorate.
NJ: the Carnegie Foundation for the
Advancement of Teaching.
17
18
Drexel University Office of Faculty Development & Equity Annual Report 2014-2015
Office of Faculty Development & Equity
Drexel University
3141 Chestnut Street
Randell Hall, Room 234
Philadelphia, PA 19104
215.895.2141
drexel.edu/fde
fde@drexel.edu
Drexel University Office of Faculty Development & Equity Annual Report 2014-2015