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Recommendations by Problem Area

 

The տƵADVANCE Team worked to compile recommendations for Departments and Department Chairs based on themes found from the 2020 Climate Study. Many of the recommendations are repeated between areas as many issues intersect and interact.

 

 

 

Table of Contents

Value Perceptions. 2

Organizational Diversity Climate. 2

Equitable Practices. 2

Integration of Differences. 3

Inclusion in Decision Making. 3

Engagement 4

Belonginess. 4

Organizational Support of Work-Life Balance. 4

Career Support 5

Gender Bias. 5

Experienced Incivility. 6

Turnover Intention. 6

Workload Inequity. 6

Emotional Exhaustion. 7

Resources 7

 

 

Value Perceptions

·       Create opportunities for department members to interact (e.g., social events, team-building activities) to increase opportunities for connectivity, community-building, and reduced isolation.

·       Develop a policy statement to identify how research, teaching, and service are valued towards P&T.

·       Encourage faculty to collaborate; monetarily reward papers published and grants submitted collaboratively.

 

Department chairs should:

·       Institute annual monetary awards for research, teaching, and service in the department, including collaborative work.

·       Create an instrument to assess “Value Perception” in the department, and then report annually to the dean.

 

Organizational Diversity Climate

·       Develop a policy statement committing to the use of equitable practices in department decisions and operations.

·       Recognize and value the work of everyone and ensure that diverse perspectives are valued.

·       Encourage faculty and staff to report incivility instances; document and hold accountable offenders.

 

Department chairs should:

·       Help employees develop the skills they need to communicate effectively and resolve conflict across differences (e.g., require faculty to attend the “Implicit Bias Workshop for Search Committees” at Marquette).

·       Schedule at least one faculty and staff meeting a year specifically focused on discussing the work environment and solicit feedback about ways to improve it.

·       Create opportunities for department members to interact (e.g., social events, team-building activities) to increase opportunities for connectivity, community-building, and reduced isolation.

 

Equitable Practices

·       Provide training on transparent leadership practices for department chair, assistant chair, and other leadership positions. This training should include instruction on how to lead discussions that allow for all perspectives, how to seek out advice in equitable ways (not through closed door meetings with other high-level individuals), and how to encourage transparency in decisions from teaching and service assignments, etc.

·       Require faculty to attend the “Implicit Bias Workshop for Search Committees,” and require other implicit bias training for department members.

·       Examine department committees to make sure that a diversity of voices is represented and to ensure that workload of service work is divided equitably among all groups of faculty.

·       Assess whether teaching loads are equitably, fairly and appropriately distributed, and ensure that access to this information is available to all faculty.

 

Department chairs should:

·       Develop, along with department members, department standards with regards to teaching and service loads, including advising and mentoring. All faculty members should be subject to the same expectations.

·       Track (by using agreed upon, defined metrics) and report annually the resulting data to faculty to ensure transparency of decision making.

·       Conduct annual salary pay equity reviews to ensure fair and equitable compensation and communicate this practice and outcomes to faculty.

·       Examine and measure resource allocation annually. Chairs should ensure that transparent and fair policies exist for faculty to access necessary resources and to make sure these policies are followed. Chairs should also provide open and honest communication about how they make decisions and allocate resources.

 

Integration of Differences

·       Provide training on transparent leadership practices for department chair, assistant chair, and other leadership positions. This training should include instruction on how to lead discussions that allow for all perspectives, how to seek out advice in equitable ways (not through closed door meetings with other high-level individuals), and how to encourage transparency in decisions from teaching and service assignments, etc.

·       Create an atmosphere where all voices are welcome and equally encouraged and acknowledged.

·       Ensure that everyone has a chance to voice opinions or concerns at department meetings.

·       Acknowledge and attribute ideas, suggestions, and comments accurately.

·       Recognize and value the work of everyone and ensure that diverse perspectives are valued.

·       Assess department administrative infrastructure and flow of decision making to identify points that allow for feedback and dialogue.

 

Inclusion in Decision Making

·       Provide training on transparent leadership practices for department chair, assistant chair, and other leadership positions. This training should include instruction on how to lead discussions that allow for all perspectives, how to seek out advice in equitable ways (not through closed door meetings with other high-level individuals), and how to encourage transparency in decisions from teaching and service assignments, etc.

·       Create an atmosphere where all voices are welcome and equally encouraged and acknowledged.

·       Ensure that everyone has a chance to voice opinions or concerns at department meetings.

·       Acknowledge and attribute ideas, suggestions, and comments accurately.

 

Department chairs should:

·       Consult all department members by asking for their input, thoughts, and feedback when making department-wide decisions.

·       Explain the reasoning behind the decision and how department feedback factored into the decisions.

·       Create pathways to the chairs, thereby providing a channel for feedback and encouraging conversation.

 

Engagement

·       Work actively towards creating an atmosphere where all voices are solicited, equally encouraged, and acknowledged. At department meetings welcome and entertain all perspectives and opinions. Close attention should be paid to the voices from minority groups, making sure their perspectives, experiences and contributions are included and equally valued.

·       Celebrate publicly the successes and achievements of the faculty, staff and students in the department. Be clear and frequent when communicating the value and strengths an individual member brings to the department.

 

Department chairs should:

·       Model civil and respectful interactions, such as greeting all faculty and staff pleasantly, making requests politely, and thanking faculty and staff for work performed even when the work is part of their job expectations.

·       Create opportunities for department members to interact (e.g., social events, team-building activities) to increase opportunities for connectivity, community-building, and reduced isolation.

·       Be encouraged to engage faculty and staff in departmental conversations on topics which impact their effectiveness and sense of fulfillment, such as work-life balance issues or concerns.

 

Belonginess

·       Include all groups in department discussions and decision making, when possible. This should include TT/T faculty, NTT faculty, staff, graduate and undergraduate students, and where appropriate, those with voting rights.

·       Encourage all faculty and staff to welcome and support new members of the department and create occasions for socials and relaxation together to grow a sense of community and inclusion.

 

Department chairs should:

·       Create opportunities and a welcoming environment for faculty to share their concerns and issues.

·       Listen respectfully to why department members may not feel that տƵis supporting or can support their success, sense of belonginess and professional fulfillment.

·       Create opportunities for department members to interact (e.g., social events, team-building activities) to increase opportunities for connectivity, community-building, and reduced isolation.

 

Organizational Support of Work-Life Balance

·       Schedule meetings between 9:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. This time period respects personal life responsibilities.

·       Develop flexible solutions to accommodate family and personal life responsibilities.

·       Allow faculty and staff to suggest solutions to work-life conflicts they are experiencing and learn about accommodations other departments have made in similar situations.

·       Provide childcare during conferences and evening events.

 

Department chairs should:

·       Facilitate department-level discussions of work-life balance and strategize solutions, as necessary. Chairs, faculty, and staff are encouraged to watch the ADVANCE panel on “Family Friendly Universities” at ADVANCE Events // Research and Innovation // տƵ and discuss ways to make their departments more family friendly and supportive of work-life balance.

·       Be aware of FMLA policies at Marquette. Chairs should consult with Human Resources to ensure all faculty and staff are aware of FMLA options and that there is an application of FMLA leave policies. See Medical Leave | Human Resources | տƵ and Maternity and Paternity Leave | Human Resources | տƵ

 

Career Support

·       Create a mentoring program by pairing senior faculty with junior tenure-track faculty.

·       Extend mentorship program to associate professors who may be paired with full professors.

·       Encourage senior faculty to engage and include junior faculty as co-PIs on grant submissions.

 

Department chairs should:

·       Regularly discuss career development options (e.g., internal grants, summer support, service opportunities, etc.).

·       Create an instrument to assess “Career Support” in the department and report to the dean annually.

 

Gender Bias

·       Encourage men faculty to become Allies in the “Advocates & Allies” effort of the ADVANCE Program. ADVANCE: Advocates & Allies // Research and Innovation // տƵ.

·       Conduct department-wide training for faculty and staff on gender equity and unconscious bias. Diversity Recruitment Resources: Understanding Implicit Bias // Diversity and Inclusion // տƵ

·       Watch “Picture a Scientist” and “Women Scholars during COVID: Solutions for Gender Equity in Academia,” hosted by տƵADVANCE and to learn more about bias against women ADVANCE Events // Research and Innovation // տƵ. Consider hosting additional panels, conferences, presentations by women in your field or on topics of gender bias to learn more as a department.

 

Department chairs should:

·       Do an equity review to ensure that service (department, college and university) and teaching assignments (including types of classes: service vs elective courses, large vs small classes, etc.) are distributed equally. Consider creating a document to track committee and teaching assignments to ensure equity. Careful attention should be paid to invisible labor that is more common for women and faculty from under-represented groups.

·       Provide written, transparent documentation of expectations for service, teaching, and research and ensure that all faculty members are subject to the same expectations in the three areas for annual reviews and P&T reviews.

·       Watch the Institute for Women’s Leadership (IWL) Pay Equity Series and conduct annual salary pay equity reviews to ensure fair and equitable compensation. Communicate this practice and outcomes to faculty. Pay Equity Series // Institute for Women's Leadership // տƵ

·       Create opportunities for department members to interact (e.g., social events, team-building activities) to increase opportunities for connectivity, community-building, and reduced isolation.

 

Experienced Incivility

Department chairs should:

·       Create opportunities for department members to interact (e.g., social events, team-building activities) to increase opportunities for connectivity, community-building, and reduced isolation.

·       Help employees develop the skills they need to effectively communicate, resolve conflict across differences (e.g., require faculty to attend the “Implicit Bias Workshop for Search Committees” at Marquette).

·       Issue a statement to the department establishing the expectation that all members treat each other with dignity and respect and that inequitable treatment and unkind behavior will not be tolerated.

·       Schedule at least one staff and faculty meeting a year specifically focused on discussing the work environment and solicit feedback about ways to improve it.

 

Turnover Intention

·       Recognize and value the work of the department members. Make sure to value diverse perspectives and skills faculty bring to the department.

·       Celebrate publicly the successes and achievements of the faculty and be clear and frequent when communicating the value and strengths an individual faculty member brings to the department.

·       Assign and support each new faculty member with a mentor, a more senior (tenured) member of the department, to help them navigate the stresses and demands of a new faculty position and to establish their research program. Encourage faculty to take advantage of other mentoring programs the campus may have to offer.

 

Department chairs should:

·       Create opportunities for department members to interact (e.g., social events, team-building activities) to increase opportunities for connectivity, community-building, and reduced isolation.

·       Create opportunities and welcoming environments for faculty to share their concerns and issues and to respectfully listen to why an individual may not feel that տƵis supporting or can support their success, sense of belonginess and professional fulfillment.

 

Workload Inequity

·       Provide training on transparent leadership practices for department chair, assistant chair, and other leadership positions. This training should include instruction on how to lead discussions that allow for all perspectives, how to seek out advice in equitable ways (not through closed door meetings with other high-level individuals), and how to encourage transparency in decisions from teaching and service assignments, etc.

·       Track committee assignments to ensure equity and that a diversity of voices is represented. Moreover, pay close attention to invisible labor and whether it is valued and rewarded in annual merit reviews and P&T.

·       Assess whether teaching loads are equitably, fairly, and appropriately distributed, and ensure that access to this information is available to all faculty.

 

Department chairs should:

·       Develop, with faculty input, department standards with regards to teaching and service loads. The connection between these loads and P&T should be clearly articulated within the department.

·       Track (using agreed upon, defined metrics) and report the resulting data on research, teaching and service to the faculty on an annual basis to ensure transparency of decision making and of workload.

·       Examine departmental and college committees to ensure that service assignments are appropriately and equitably distributed.

 

Emotional Exhaustion

·       Be sensitive and aware that faculty who are experiencing emotional exhaustion and burnout may feel less effective and fulfilled in their work.

·       Practice compassion, grace and patience with colleagues who are experiencing emotional exhaustion. Take time to connect with colleagues to ask what would be helpful and how you may be of support to them.

·       Respect everyone’s time; encourage and model a culture of work-life balance. Make every effort to reduce the number of “non-essential” meetings in the department.

·       Provide clear agendas for meetings in advance, adhere to scheduled meeting times, and avoid scheduling meetings early mornings and late afternoon/evenings.

·       Review P&T guidelines and annual reviews to ensure that requirements are reasonable, can be measured for fairness and equity, and do not result in burnout in employees.

·       Make transparent the documentation of work in all areas from teaching, service and research. Close attention should be paid to invisible labor and whether it is valued and rewarded in annual merit reviews and P&T.

 

Department chairs should:

§  Make every effort to acknowledge and publicly praise members of the department on their accomplishments and contributions. The overall functioning and success of a department is a team effort and individuals deserve to know their contributions are recognized, appreciated, and valued.

§  Develop, together with their faculty, department standards with regards to teaching and service loads and ensure equity of workloads. Make sure all assigned workloads are manageable and that expectations are clear and reasonable.

 

Resources (can be used to impact all areas)

 

Faculty should read the following relevant literature resources to educate themselves on issues and best strategies to combat them: