ADVANCE Catalyst: Researching Equity Surrounding Hiring and Promotion Experiences (RESHAPE)

The University of Mississippi will undertake an institutional self-assessment to identify potential organizational inequities (unjust or unfair) policies and practices that result in differential professional outcomes for some STEM faculty. The ADVANCE Catalyst project will result in a five-year STEM faculty equity plan tailored to the University of Mississippi context and institutional data that will guide institutional actions to address any issues identified during the grant. This project will employ a novel framework to examine how policies, procedures, and experiences interact across levels of an institution and affect different faculty in STEM. The institutional self-assessment and five-year strategic plan will set a foundation to improve equity for STEM faculty at the institution. This work will benefit STEM disciplines as well as non-STEM disciplines due to the interconnected nature of institutional policy. Results of the Catalyst project will be regularly communicated with the University of Mississippi community. The findings and strategies aim to be applicable to multiple institutions and they will be shared with other higher education institutions—especially large flagship institutions and those located within the southern United States. 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 "Catalyst" awards provide support for institutional assessments and the development of five-year faculty equity strategic plans at an academic, non-profit, institution of higher education. 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.