STEM Faculty's Perceptions of Climate for Persistence: Differences by Gender, Race/Ethnicity, and Class

• In Event: 67.070 - Sheraton Roundtable 14 - Grand Centre
  In Roundtable Session: 67.070-3 - STEM Faculty

Abstract

Institutional climate is a factor in higher education faculty retention and STEM student performance. Institutional climate impact on STEM faculty is relatively understudied. The United States needs more STEM professionals, but gender, race/ethnicity, and class continue to restrain STEM faculty populations. We investigate differences in climate perceptions by gender, race/ethnicity, and class of tenure-track STEM faculty at a large, public university. A Likert-type survey explores constructs associated with persistence to understand career choices and barriers and opportunities. Intersectionality theory underpins this study. As a quantitative approach, intersectionality considers demographic categories as interactive terms. The findings provide insight of how organizational constraints, culture, and climate are perceived by individuals differently based on the entwined social identities of gender, race/ethnicity, and class.

Authors

• Meseret Hailu, The Ohio State University

• Julie Aldridge

• So Yoon (Yoona) Yoon, Texas A&M University - College Station

• Monica F. Cox, The Ohio State University - Columbus

• Joyce Main, Purdue University

• Ebony Omotola McGee, Vanderbilt Peabody College