Missouri State University received its Catalyst NSF ADVANCE grant in 2019. We have already accomplished a lot in the two years since. We have been striving to improve conditions for female faculty at MSU all this time, and have spent the past years collecting data on the current state of female representation, recruitment, and retention in our STEM departments. This data will provide the basis for important systemic changes. We plan to create an environment where female STEM faculty can thrive and advance. Listed below is a timeline of our accomplishments up to now, and our goals for the next few years of working with the grant.
Timeline
- May 2019 Submitted grant proposal to NSF
- July 24, 2019 Official Notification of NSF Catalyst Award Received
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- “… hereby awards a grant of $228,616 to Missouri State University…This project, entitled “MSU‐ADVANCE Catalyst Project to Promote Gender Identity,” is under the direction of Frank A. Einhellig, Jorge L. Rebaza, Tamera S. Jahnke, Theresa Odun‐Ayo, Melanie E. Carden‐Jessen.”
- Fall 2019
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- Team begins literature review to learn more about Gender Equity and other NSF Advance teams.
- Jahnke attended a conference of all NSF Advance teams along with the ARC Network.
- Developed plan for data collection, started developing advisory boards, began a list of invited speakers and developed a plan to visit other institutions.
- Communication with external evaluator (Dr. Keri Franklin) to make sure we were approaching our assessment plan appropriately.
- Spring 2020
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- Professional Development – Dr. Abby Templer Rodriguez, Department of Sociology and Anthropology at MSU presented a seminar to the NSF team and other interested faculty and staff on campus to help us better understand the term intersectionality along with its importance in our work.
- Attained IRB approval for focus group study. Had to pivot to a fully online (zoom) process for the focus groups due to COVID. Started conducting focus groups. External evaluator provided important expertise to help with focus group questions.
- Reviewed MSU Climate Studies from 2015 and 2019.
- Scheduled online zoom visits to other universities – University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Iowa State University, Murray State University, and Michigan Tech University.
- Summer 2020
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- Focused on finishing focus groups and collecting quantitative data.
- Visited with NSF Advance Team at Murray State University – July 10
- Fall 2020
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- Visited with NSF Advance Team at University of Nebraska-Lincoln – September 10
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- Visited with NSF Advance Team at Central Michigan State University – September 17
- Visited with NSF Advance Team at Iowa State University – October 8
- Professional Development – Met with Dr. Megumi Watanabe (Hiroshima University – previously at U. of Nebraska)
- Data collection to units outside of CNAS began.
- Finished focus group data collection and began data analysis.
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- External evaluator reviewed the process and provided feedback.
- The team met regularly to start a list of strategic plan ideas based on what we were learning from quantitative data collection, focus groups and visits with other campuses.
- Spring 2021
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- Quantitative data collection completed.
- Focus group analysis completed and report written.
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- External evaluator was provided with all reports and provided feedback to the team.
- Professional Development – Team members read “Building Gender Equity in the Academy: Institutional Strategies for Change” by Sandra Laursen and Anne E. Austin. Several team members along with CNAS department heads attended a workshop provided by AAAS.
- Met with Dr. Cervato, PI of ADVANCE Midwest Partnership-Joining Forces to learn from their project and to discuss possible participation in some of their initiatives.
- The team requested a one-year extension for the grant. Covid truly slowed us down and we need time now to write our five-year strategic plan. Extension was granted.
- Summer 2021
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- Met with Internal and External Advisory Boards – June 28 and June 29
- Met with leadership team of ADVANCE Midwest Partnership-Joining Forces to discuss possible participation in their Women Caucus and to establish future collaboration.
- Developed a plan of pilot projects to begin in Fall of 2021
- Begin to develop a strategic five-year plan.
- Fall 2021
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- Implement communication plan with STEM departmental faculty.
- Continue to refine the five-year plan.
- Share a draft of the plan with advisory boards in late 2021
- Spring 2022
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- Continue to refine the five-year plan. Identify adaptation partners.
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- Write the final draft of the plan to submit to NSF for adaptation grant.
- Summer 2022
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- Letter of intent due to NSF in early August
- Full proposal is due to NSF in early November
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