Programs Women in Engineering

Academic Life Cycle for Women in Science and Engineering

The low level of acceptance, support, opportunity, empowerment, visibility, recognition, diversity awareness and an organizational or communication culture with elements of discrimination and harassment can be identified as common barriers which can prevent women from completing the academic life cycle in science and engineering. The following strategies, as part of an institutional action plan, will foster a systemic culture change that will allow women and minorities to advance to their full potential in science and engineering.

Strategies

• Supporting Cross-career Development Programs
  To maintain the longevity of the women faculty and staff and increase skill diversity, the School of Engineering will support cross-career development programs. In keeping with the School's recognition of the importance of life-long learning in adapting to change, the school's under-represented faculty and staff members will be encouraged to engage in at least one life-long leadership assignment/educational activity outside or their present job responsibility. A School-wide committee leadership assignment for women and under-represented faculty members is particularly important in increasing visibility and equity, and in enhancing the quality of life of junior faculty and increasing their recognition by their peers.
• Faculty Recognition
  The department chair, in his or her evaluation, will identify and nominate for merit recognition and award the faculty that have the highest achievement in the five priority goals of the School. They will be honored for their contributions during a departmental reception at the end of the school term. The faculty whose activities exemplify contribution to the School's diversity goals will be honored.
• Implementing Workshops Dealing with "Managing Human Resources."
  Most administrators in engineering did not receive any formal training in human management. The diversity action plan will include a workshop dealing with "managing human resources" in a diverse work environment. Most law suits in universities and companies result when managers provide 'excellent performance' reviews only to later terminate the employee or pass them over for promotion for lack of excellent performance. Managers must be taught how to correctly appreciate and evaluate faculty, hold people accountable for their ability to work with others, and how to eliminate some of the barriers that exist for under-represented groups and women in the workplace. Department heads and supervisors will be trained to be effective counselors for their subordinates on work-related conflicts to ensure a hostility-free and non-discriminatory environment within their areas of supervision.
• Handling Complaints Resulting From Cross-cultural Conflicts
  Conflicts are usually the consequence of our different beliefs and values systems, and are usually expressed in the way information is communicated, received or perceived. There is currently no formal procedure in the school for handling complaints resulting from cross-cultural conflicts, discrimination, harassment, or other objectionable behavior. The School will establish a procedure that will investigate all complaints, identify the cause of the conflicts and provide prompt resolution.

Actions

• Creating Faculty Mentoring and Peer Evaluation
  To enable junior or/and new faculty members to adapt to the academic and research culture in the new Pitt environment and to prepare them for tenure, each new or junior faculty will be assigned to a senior and tenured faculty mentor in a related field. Both faculty members will be encouraged to define and engage themselves in collaborative research that will lead to at least one joint publication within the first two years of appointment. For the first two years of tenure in the School, each new faculty member's teaching and research activities will be reviewed by her peers selected by the faculty and the department chair. This committee of peers will report their recommendations for improvement or recognition of achievement to the faculty only. The activities of the new faculty during this period will be partially supported from a special industrial fund reserved for that purpose.
• Creation of Endowed Professorships/chairs for Women and Under-represented Faculty
  The lack of endowed professorships and chairs in the nation's engineering and science schools send the wrong perception that these positions are meant only for the men; that the women are not qualified to occupy them; or that they are not part of the academic life cycle for women. An institutional effort to create professorships that will recognize the contribution and advancement of women faculty in teaching, research and service in spite of the other commitments that are unique for women will increase the motivation of women and their recognition and acceptance by male counterparts.
• Creating Focus Groups to Address Workforce and Workplace Issues
  Focus groups will be created to address academic life cycle and workplace issues such as harassment, stereotyping, discrimination, how to balance family and pressures for promotion and tenure, stress management in the workplace, physical fitness and stress, child care for working mothers, how to mentor students for best productivity, and others as needed to ensure that tolerance and respect are encouraged. The focus group forum will allow independent open discussions of work-related diversity problems, awareness of objectionable behaviors in the academic community, and the evaluation of public opinion on diversity issues. A system of interventions and strategies will be created to handle conflicts that may result from any sources.
• Developing External Scholars Initiative
  A visiting scholars initiative will be developed in which under-represented and women faculty members will be encouraged to visit local industries, universities or national laboratories and participate in their research activities and to assist with building a strong external research collaboration that will enhance the School's national reputation. Scientists and engineers from such units will also be invited to give seminars and short courses on campus.