Addressing Internal Divisions First: Case Study of a Department’s Journey Toward Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

• In Event: Audience, Department, and Discipline

Abstract

This presentation showcases the work of faculty and staff in a STEM department at an R1 university committed to addressing internal divisions, thereby enabling more inclusiveness, equity and diversity within the unit. Their work was part of a grant awarded by the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) ADVANCE program, designed to increase faculty diversity. Rooted in the concept of immunity to change (ITC), the case illustrates how a department diagnoses hidden assumptions and commitments that undermine desired change. Impact data demonstrate the effectiveness of the intervention. The objective is to introduce an innovative DEI effort in academe that adds new understanding to how individual and collective mindsets prevent institutional change, and what academic units can do to tackle these challenges.

Authors

• Maike I. Philipsen, Virginia Commonwealth University

• Penelope McFarline, Virginia Commonwealth University