Documenting Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Faculty Careers
September 3, 2020 from 1:00-2:00pm, Zoom
With Amel Ahmed, James Allan, Michelle Budig, Laurel Smith-Doerr and Eve Weinbaum (UMass Amherst)
Faculty work has been impacted by COVID-19 in a variety of ways, including moving classes online, and having research programs abruptly interrupted. It is likely that this impact will be felt more powerfully by faculty doing life-saving work that takes them away from more traditional kinds of faculty productivity. Early studies show greater impacts on women, faculty with primary caregiving responsibilities, along with Black, Indigenous and Latinx faculty who are supporting the health of their communities in this time. This workshop will cover how faculty can document COVID-19 impacts on their Annual Faculty Review (AFR), or through impact statements about the COVID-19 pandemic for their personnel cases. This session will also address guidance to Personnel Committees and external letter writers, and equity-minded approaches for addressing the impact of COVID-19.
This workshop is presented in partnership with the Provost's Office, Office of Faculty Development, and the MA Society of Professors.
Strategies and Tools for Managing Effective Collaborations
September 9, 2020 from 9:30 - 11:00am, Zoom
With Martina Nieswandt and Ian Raphael (UMass Amherst)
In this interactive webinar we will discuss key strategies for developing a culture of collaboration that is built on common values and goals; embraces trust, transparency, creativity, and a safe and equitable environment for all team members; and allows for collective and personal growth. Building on such framing principles, we will explore a variety of tools that support collaborative teams during their work processes and finish with a first attempt creating a checklist for successful collaborations.
This workshop is presented in partnership with UMass Research and Engagement and the Office of Faculty Development.
Interdisciplinary Research, Equitable Teaming, and Collaboration Best Practices
September 14, 2020 from12:30-2pm
With Dessie Clark and Karen Whelan Berry (UMass Amherst)
Scholarly work and research have become increasingly collaborative. Effective teamwork and collaboration are essential for projects to succeed. This workshop will provide best practices for planning and implementing equitable teams for more effective collaborations.
This workshop is presented in partnership with College of Natural Sciences.
Massachusetts Society of Professors (MSP) Workshops for Department & College Personnel Members
September 21, 2020 or September 22, 2020 from 12:00-2:00 pm
Every year MSP gets questions from faculty and librarians concerning the roles and responsibilities of DPC and CPC members, and how to conduct fair evaluations of their colleagues. This workshop has been designed to assist and inform Personnel Committee members and committee chairs as they go about making important decisions concerning tenure, promotion, PMYR, issues concerning NTT faculty, etc. We’ll be especially focused on explaining new MSP contract language and how to go about this important work amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and we will have plenty of time for questions and answers. This workshop is also a great opportunity to find out how other departments conduct their business and to share best practices with each other.
This workshop is presented in partnership with UMass ADVANCE.
Equitable Practices for Evaluating Faculty Amid COVID-19 (With LEAD+ for Heads and Chairs)
October 2, 2020 from 12:30-2:00pm, Zoom
With Beth Mitchneck, Professor Emerita at the University of Arizona and former National Science Foundation Program Officer for ADVANCE
Faculty members are evaluated at regular intervals during their careers. Are those evaluations fair? Can we make them fairer? This workshop focuses on 1) the research on how we practice faculty evaluation and an assessment of how equitable our standard measures are, and 2) tools to conduct equitable evaluations across gender, race, rank, subdiscipline, and discipline. Learn about hidden bias in review letter writing, research metrics, and service participation, and how to counteract the effects of documented biases in evaluation practice. The workshop includes concrete tools for heads, chairs, and directors to consider their own role in faculty evaluation and how to provide leadership to one’s department on conducting equitable evaluations.
This workshop is presented in partnership with the Academic Personnel Office and Office of Faculty Development.
Creating and Maintaining a Diverse Department
October 7, 2020 from 11:15am-12:15pm, Zoom
With Adia Harvey Wingfield, Associate Dean for Faculty Development, Professor of Sociology, Mary Tileston Hemenway Professor of Arts & Sciences Washington University in St. Louis
While many academic departments profess an interest in having more racial diversity among their faculty, they often struggle to achieve this goal. In this workshop, Professor Wingfield addresses common missteps departments take in trying to create more racial diversity, and offers some research-based solutions that can produce different outcomes. Professor Wingfield also discusses the importance of establishing an organizational culture that is color-conscious rather than color-blind.
This workshop is presented in partnership with the Sociology Department
Equitable Practices for Evaluating Faculty Amid COVID-19 (For Department and College Personnel Committee Members)
October 8, 2020 from 1:00-2:30pm, Zoom
With Beth Mitchneck, Professor Emerita at the University of Arizona and former National Science Foundation Program Officer for ADVANCE
Faculty members are evaluated at regular intervals during their careers. Are those evaluations fair? Can we make them fairer? This workshop focuses on 1) the research on how we practice faculty evaluation and an assessment of how equitable our standard measures are, and 2) tools to conduct equitable evaluations across gender, race, rank, subdiscipline, and discipline. Learn about hidden bias in review letter writing, research metrics, and service participation, and how to counteract the effects of documented biases in evaluation practice. The workshop includes concrete tools for personnel committee members to consider their own role in faculty evaluation and how to provide leadership to one’s department on conducting equitable evaluations.
This workshop is presented in partnership with the Academic Personnel Office, Office of Faculty Development and the MA Society of Professors.
Inclusive Departmental Practices
November 12, 2020 from 3:00-4:00pm, Zoom
With Caitlyn Butler (Civil and Environmental Engineering), Curt Griffin (Environmental Conservation), and Greeley Kyle (Journalism) UMass Amherst
Inclusive and equitable departments don't just happen automatically but are the result of practices by the faculty in those departments. Research at UMass has shown that women faculty are less likely than men colleagues to feel respected and included in their departments, engaged in positive professional interactions with colleagues, and consulted and heard by their department Heads and Chairs. Chairs and faculty members can set the stage for greater inclusivity in their department in many ways. These efforts may require investing time into developing more inclusive practices – but they pay rich dividends, as faculty are more likely to succeed, develop collaborations, and contribute when their departments are inclusive. Departments may need different kinds of practices depending on their field. Learn from panelists from across three colleges who have been particularly successful at building a sense of inclusion and community in their departments at UMass.
Successful Research Collaboration Across All Career Stages
November 16, 2020 from 1:00-2:30pm, Zoom
With Monica Gaughan, Professor, School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University
Collaborations are central to the modern academic science enterprise, but they require skills and strategies that are not typically developed in formal educational systems. Students are evaluated as individuals, faculty are evaluated as individuals, and systems of promotion (whether educational or professional) are organized around individual achievement. At the same time, these individual achievements are only possible through ethical behavior, appropriate mentoring, and effective collaborations. In this workshop, we discuss stage-appropriate strategies for developing collaborative skills, including managing collaborators, understanding contributorship, and negotiating credit.
This workshop is presented in partnership with the Graduate School, as part of the Empowering Future Leaders for an Inclusive Academy series, and by the Institute for Social Science Research (ISSR).
Implicit Bias Training and Holistic Review of Graduate Applications
November 17, 2020 from 1:00-2:30pm, Zoom
Whether you are aware or not, we all hold biases in the forms of stereotypes and implicit biases. In order to advance our mission to increase diversity, and promote inclusion and a positive campus climate, we need to address implicit bias as early as in the graduate application review process. Join us as we define implicit bias, provide ways to combat it, and introduce practical steps to promote holistic review of graduate applications.
This workshop is co-sponsored by the Graduate School Office of Inclusion and Engagement, the UMass ADVANCE Program, and the Office of Faculty Development.
Mentoring Faculty Colleagues
December 8, 2020 & December 9, 2020 from 10:00am - 12:30pm, Zoom (5 hours over two days)
With Jennifer Normanly, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Linda Tropp, Psychological and Brain Sciences, UMass Amherst
Mentoring faculty colleagues effectively is key to ensuring retention, a good departmental climate, and faculty success. In this session, based on the National Research Mentoring Network curriculum, we will identify effective strategies for mentoring colleagues through a series of active learning exercises. The training addresses establishing effective communication, working through issues of equity and inclusion, fostering self-efficacy, and promoting balance and networks.
Best Practices for Inclusive Governance for Heads & Chairs
February 5, 2021 from 12:30-2:00pm, Zoom
With James Allan, Rafael Fissore, and Amy Springer (UMass Amherst)
Departments are in the business of making many decisions each year, around varied questions such as faculty recruitment, graduate admissions, curricular changes, and space allocation. ADVANCE research has shown how dramatically different governance looks in different departments on campus. When decisions are made in ways that faculty members see as fair and inclusive – department cultures improve. Most heads, chairs, and faculty want transparent and inclusive governance—but need realistic models for how to do this. Learn from and discuss varying approaches to governance with panelists who have been particularly successful at building a sense of inclusion and community in their departments at UMass.
This workshop is presented in collaboration with the Office of Faculty Development's LEAD+ Program
Bystander Intervention Performance & Workshop
February 8, 2021 from 11:00-12:40pm, Zoom or
February 9, 2021 from 3:00-4:40pm, Zoom
With AWED Theater Company
Bystander intervention draws on principles of performance and research to explore bystander dynamics and mediation strategies in the context of micro (individual) and macro (departmental) communication, policies, and processes. Attendees have the opportunity to witness subtle, dynamic scenes as a method to examine the bystander experience in real-time. By exploring their own reactions through interactive dialogue and reflective tools, observers can “enter” scenarios and practice strategies for addressing moments and subtle aspects of departmental climate.
Best Practices for Inclusive Governance for Faculty
February 12, 2021 from 11:00-12:30pm, Zoom
With James Allan, Rafael Fissore, and Amy Springer (UMass Amherst)
Departments are in the business of making many decisions each year, around varied questions such as faculty recruitment, graduate admissions, curricular changes, and space allocation. ADVANCE research has shown how dramatically different governance looks in different departments on campus. When decisions are made in ways that faculty members see as fair and inclusive – department cultures improve. Most heads, chairs, and faculty want transparent and inclusive governance—but need realistic models for how to do this. Learn from and discuss varying approaches to governance with panelists who have been particularly successful at building a sense of inclusion and community in their departments at UMass.
This workshop is co-sponsored by the Office of Faculty Development
Developing Your No: How to Advance as a Faculty Leader
March 12, 2021 from 1:00-2:30pm, Zoom
With Eve Riskin, Professor of Electrical & Computer Engineering and Faculty Director of the ADVANCE Center for Institutional Change, University of Washington
Throughout their careers, faculty of all ranks are called upon to serve in leadership roles that require new skills. ADVANCE supports equity in faculty advancement, and provides skill building resources to help all faculty progress in their careers. As you advance to a new position of leadership, it is important to define new boundaries. Unless you take care of yourself and don’t overcommit, you can’t do your best work for your unit. Leaders especially need to be responsive.
With this in mind, this workshop will provide tips and wisdom for saying “yes” and “no” in light of the new demands you will find on your time. Dr. Eve Riskin, Faculty Director of ADVANCE at the University of Washington, will share her reflections and experiences on this topic to help you:
1. Learn how to spot requests that you can comfortably say no to
2. Learn how to spot requests that you should say yes to
3. Learn how to spot requests that you can say no to without beating yourself up
4. Learn why you need to be more responsive than ever
This workshop is co-sponsored by the Office of Faculty Development as part of their Leadership Essentials for All Faculty (LEAF) series.
ADVANCE Annual Lecture with Dr. Shirley Malcom
Science in the Time of COVID and America’s Reckoning with Race
Opening Remarks by Chancellor Kumble R. Subbaswamy and Provost John McCarthy
March 24, 2021 from 4:00-5:30pm, Zoom
The disruptions brought on by the pandemic have forced colleges and universities to work differently. The added disruptions that sprang from America’s reckoning with race have called on institutions to re-imagine, re-invent and DO things differently. Science took front and center in battling COVID-19; but the effects of disparities that accompanied life during the pandemic for scientists from marginalized groups will likely extend over time. How can our re-imagining lead to greater diversity, equity and inclusion in science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine?
Shirley Malcom is Senior Advisor and director of SEA Change at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the world’s largest general science organization. She works to support transformative change in teaching and learning, research and practice to improve the quality and increase access to education and careers in STEMM fields. Dr. Malcom is a trustee of Caltech, and a regent of Morgan State University. She served on the National Science Board, the policymaking body of the National Science Foundation (NSF), and on President Clinton’s Committee of Advisors on Science and Technology. Malcom received her PhD in ecology from the Pennsylvania State University, masters in zoology from UCLA, and bachelor’s in zoology from the University of Washington. She holds 17 honorary degrees and serves on the boards of the Heinz Endowments, Public Agenda, the National Math-Science Initiative and Digital Promise.
The ADVANCE Annual Lecture is co-sponsored by the College of Engineering, College Information and Computer Sciences, College Natural Sciences, College Social and Behavioral Science, Graduate School, Institute for Diversity Sciences, Institute for Social Science Research, Office of Equity and Inclusion, Office of Faculty Development, Provost's Office and the Office of Research and Engagement.
Supporting Queer and Trans Faculty
April 9, 2021 from 12:30-2:00pm, Zoom
With Jason Garvey, Friedman-Hipps Green and Gold Professor of Education and Program Coordinator for the Higher Education and Student Affairs Administration program at the University of Vermont
Queer and trans faculty often experience hostile and uninviting institutional climates, which may lead these faculty to leave their institutions. This workshop will delve into how region, climate, and other factors impact queer and trans faculty experiences, and how institutions can help develop more supportive environments.
This workshop is co-sponsored by the Office of Equity and Inclusion and the UMass Stonewall Center.
Negotiating for Equity
April 12, 2021 from 11:00-12:30pm, Zoom
With Dean Tricia Serio, Professor Ofer Sharone, and Nefertiti Walker, Interim Vice Chancellor for Office of Equity and Inclusion and Associate Professor of Sport Management, UMass Amherst
Being a faculty member involves negotiation from the moment of receiving your first job offer. Negotiation is a skill that can be learned but is not often taught in graduate programs in science and engineering. Research shows that negotiation processes often lead to inequitable outcomes for women, and especially for women of color. These unequal outcomes of negotiation can create gender and race gaps in pay and other resources that widen over time. As faculty careers progress, negotiation involves advocacy on behalf of others as well as one’s own career—for one’s graduate students and postdocs; and for faculty leaders, negotiation for one’s colleagues and department. Negotiation can be an important tool in creating greater inclusion and equity. Panelists in this session will present guidance on how faculty, especially women faculty and BIPOC faculty, can negotiate for equitable outcomes, and how campus leaders can be sponsors of career success for women faculty, including BIPOC women faculty, through their negotiations.
This workshop is co-sponsored by the College of Natural Sciences and the Office of Equity and Inclusion.
