ADVANCE IT: University of Utah Institutional Change Studios—Systemic Institutional Change Through Problem Driven Iterative Adaptation

The University of Utah (UU) ADVANCE Institutional Transformation (IT) project will adapt and develop the use of “problem driven iterative adaptation” (PDIA) and “Institutional Change Studios” (IC Studios) to an institution of higher education. PDIA comes from the field of international development and will be applied in the IC Studios to create a dynamic “learn-by-doing” process involving several steps: 1) analyze root causes of a specific problem that local stakeholders have identified as a priority, 2) identify starting points to address the problem, 3) take action, 4) reflect on results, 5) adapt and iterate as needed based on outcomes and lessons learned. The UU ADVANCE IT project will establish IC Studios that will focus on three key themes of institutional need: 1) faculty support and community, 2) faculty workload equity, and 3) collaborative structures for ongoing systemic change. The IC Studios are intended to cultivate a culture of continuous improvement to address on-going and emerging systemic equity issues for all tenure and career-line faculty and institutionalize the structures required to nourish and sustain this culture. The University of Utah is a decentralized university that is home to several STEM colleges, each with its own history, culture, disciplinary lens, programs, and policies. One-size-fits all solutions have historically not worked well at UU. PDIA is well suited to this context as it allows for different approaches to problem solving and solutions. The IC Studios will be supported by the ADVANCE Intersectional Data Core team that will leverage existing institutional data sources, develop and pilot test new data collection methods, and compile needed additional data. The original research associated with the project will advance understandings of the ways racism, sexism, cisheterogenderism, ableism, and other modes of domination coalesce in STEM spaces to impact the career trajectories of STEM faculty and how faculty members use their social networks to navigate professional climates. This work is novel in the area of social network analysis and will offer rich data and results not only applicable to the University of Utah, but also communities at other large research-intensive Universities across the U.S. The findings from the research will also inform the work of the IC Studios and will advance understanding of how the diversity of faculty networks lead to successful careers and happy faculty who are committed to their institutions and communities. 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 "Institutional Transformation" awards provide support for the development and testing of new systemic change strategies for gender equity in 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.