Policies Not Enough

Kathleen ChristensenAlfred P. Sloan Foundation

Leading Through Diversity Chairs RetreatLake Arrowhead, California

September 16, 2009

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Family Status of Tenured Faculty in the Sciences*

*PhDs from 1978-1984 Who Are Tenured 12 Years out from PhD in STEM, Bio. Sciences & Health Sc.**Had a child in the household at any point post PhD to 12 years out.

Source: Marc Goulden, UCB, Survey of Doctorate Recipients. Sciences, 1979-1999,

Married without Children

14%Single without

Children9%

Single with

Children**4%

Married with

Children**73%

Single with

Children**11%

Married without

Children15%

Single without Children

24%

Married with

Children**50%

MenWomen

N=4,157 N=19,767

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Having Fewer Children Than They Wanted: UC Faculty, Ages 40-60

40%

24%

32%

64%

34%

20%

8%

13%

42%

22%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%

All

3+

2

1

0

Num

ber o

f Chi

ldre

n

Percent who indicated "Yes, I had fewer children than I wanted."

Women Men

Men=424

Women=205

Men=239

Women=153

Men=514

Women=224

Men=236

Women=50

Men=1,413

Women=632

Source: Mason, Mary Ann, Angelica Stacy, and Marc Goulden. 2003. “The UC Faculty Work and Family Survey.” http://ucfamilyedge.berkeley.edu

Exciting Times •General awareness

•Increased diversity of new professoriate

•Growing awareness •Dual-focused, not single-focused, work force

•Emerging awareness •Need to align career paths with changing needs of professoriate•Provide fair, equitable flexiblity to all campus stakeholders: faculty, administration & staff

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Focus Today:Career Flexibility

Structurally Realigns the Academic Career Path to Fit Work-Family Needs of Increasingly Diverse Work Force

Career Flexibility Policies1. Tenure Clock Extension2. Active Service Modified Duties3. Unpaid leave beyond 12 weeks of FMLA4. Reduced Appointment – Extraordinary

circumstances5. Reduced Appointment – Ordinary

circumstances6. Spouse/Partner Employment Assistance

Institution-wide, Formal, Written Policies 2002 - 2007

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Prevalence of Career Flexibility Policies by Type of School

Type of Institution 2007 Average #

Doc – ExtensiveDoc - Intensive

2.81.7

Masters I & II 1.4

Baccalaureate –Lib ArtsBaccalaureate – General

1.81.3

Overall average 1.9Source: University of Michigan, Center for the Education of Women

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Type of Work/Family Policies at Doctoral –

Extensive & Intensive Schools

79%

52%

28% 27% 25%20%

11% 12%15%

37% 38%

73%

63%

80%

0%0%5%6%0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

Tenure Clock Stop Unpaid Leave Modified Duties Reduced Appt-Extraordinary

Reduced Appt-Ordinary

Part-Time/JobShare

Formal Informal No Policy

Source: University of Michigan, Center for the Education of Women

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Source: Drago, R., Colbeck, C. (2004). “Family-Work Policies & Practices: Results from the Mapping Project”.

Fear of Bias Prevents Use of Policies and Impacts Families

“Missed children’s important events when they were young to appear committed to my job.”

“Did not ask for parental leave even though it would have helped me to take it.” [parents]

“Did not ask to stop the tenure clock for a new child even though it would have helped me to take it.” [parents]

“Did not bring children to the office during their school breaks because I worried that other faculty would be bothered.” [parents]

“Came back to work sooner than I would have

liked after new child to be taken seriously as an academic.”

“Did not ask for reduced teaching load when needed for family reasons, because of adverse career repercussions.”

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PhD Students Shifting Career Goal away from Professor with Research Emphasis

Source: Mason, Mary Ann and Marc Goulden. 2006. “UC Doctoral Student Career Life Survey.” http://ucfamilyedge.berkeley.edu/grad%20life%20survey.html

  % Citing Factor As “Very Important*” in Career Goal Shift Total Men Women

1 Negative experience as PhD student 45% 44% 46%

2 Other life interests 42% 35% 48%

3 Professional activities too time consuming 41% 35% 45%

4 Issues related to children 36% 21% 46%

5 Geographic location Issues 35% 28% 40%

6 Feelings of isolation/alienation as PhD student 33% 31% 35%

7 Bad job market 30% 29% 30%

8 Career advancement issues 30% 34% 27%

9 Job security 29% 29% 29%

10 Spouse/partner issues or desire to marry 27% 22% 32%

11 Monetary compensation (e.g. salary, ben.) 27% 31% 23%

12 Other career interests 25% 23% 27%

Yellow shading indicates the group’s response is significantly higher than the other group’s response (P<.01).

N=956 to 1201 402 to 529 550 to 666*Not applicable is excluded from analysis.

Policies Necessary, But Not Sufficient

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Fundamentally, the challenge is to change the culture on campus so that

• Fear of bias is reduced• Critical mass of users exists• Career flexibility becomes the “new normal.”

BUT HOW?

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Alfred P. Sloan Awards for Faculty Career Flexibility

• Recognize leadership and accelerate progress in career flexibility through multi-stage application process:– Institutional Survey– Faculty Survey– Accelerator Grant applications

• In 3rd Round: Round 1 – Research Universities Round 2 – Master’s Universities Round 3 - Liberal Arts Colleges (in progress)

• 5 -6 Awards in each round– Accelerator grants range from $200,000 to $250,000 each

Winners of the Sloan Awards

Research Universities• UC Berkeley and Davis• Duke University• U Florida• Lehigh University• U Washington

Masters Universities• U Baltimore• Boise State University• Canisius College• Santa Clara University• San Jose State University• Simmons College

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Changing the Culture:Programmatically & Strategically

1. Know your culture2. Engage leaders & tie to mission3. Train key gatekeepers4. Mount awareness campaign5. Reward, not penalize, use of policies 6. Level the playing field 7. Build the business case8. Prepare for the unexpected

1a. Know Internal Culture Sloan Award application process designed to

establish baseline data:– Institutional availability of policies– Faculty & staff knowledge of policies– Use of policies– Biases against using policies

Why important? – Unmasks biases and obstacles

Instruments available for use by other schools– UC Berkeley’s Family Friendly Edge set standard– Sloan survey instruments available through ACE

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1b. Know External CultureSloan Award application process designed to

benchmark applicants to peers.Why important?

Benchmarking provides critical change incentive

Other examples of benchmarking.• University of Baltimore - benchmarked itself

against 12 other universities re tenure clock extension

• Chronicle of Higher Educ.- Great Place to Work (Canisius College & Duke University among winners)

• Higher Education Research Institute (HERI)• Collaborative on Academic Careers in Higher

Education (COACHE)

1c. Track Changes Over Time To Be Accountable

Sloan Winners– Complete internal surveys on policy availability, usage and

climate when apply and two years later– Benchmarked against peers at two points in time– Track progress against goals set in accelerator plan

U Washington– Internal survey of career outcomes for faculty, hired between

1995 and 2001, who requested tenure clock extensions

UC Berkeley– Tracking doctoral students career goals over time

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2. Engage Leaders & Tie to MissionMost Sloan winners house flexibility initiatives in

offices of Provosts/CAOs– Even presidents directly involved: Simmons– Details count: Duke’s website – provost.duke.edu/– Dean & chairs comprise advisory groups: Lehigh U

Others tie flexibility to mission or core values– Santa Clara ties to Jesuit tradition of educating “the

whole person”– University of Baltimore president views flexibility as

integral to recruitment of excellent faculty

Engaged top leadership most important !20

3. Train Key GatekeepersTargeting new department chairs

– San Jose State – Office of Faculty Affairs’ training– UC Davis – mandatory 2 day training session and family-

friendly advisor/mentor program– UC Berkeley – comprehensive online training

Targeting promotion and tenure review committees– U Florida - Mandatory online certification on how to

assess gaps in candidate’s resume– UC Davis – Shares, across 10 UC campuses, prototypical

internal & external review letters, ensuring reviewers “evaluate without prejudice”

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4. Mount Awareness CampaignTo ensure acceptance and transparency

– UC Berkeley • online newsletter UC Families, part of the Berkeley Parents

Network, with interactive blog and links to policies and program • Family Friendly Edge – online & most comprehensive in nation

re flexibility

– UC Davis – daylong workshops and brown bags for new faculty

– Duke University – award-winning Duke Advantage– Lehigh University – Balancing Work & Life, online and

hard copies, mailed to all faculty– U Washington’s Balance @UW postcard outlining “8 by

‘08” and mailed to all faculty

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5. Reward, Not Penalize, Use of Flexibility Policies

Commit central funds to not penalize depts.– UC Davis expanded to all 10 UC campuses its model

of central funding of leaves or ASMD.

Reward faculty who use policies– Lehigh U makes automatic $6,000 Sloan Career

Flexibility grants to all tenure-track faculty on dependent care leaves

Recognize departments and leaders– U Florida makes awards to those who take effective

steps to promote family-friendly accommodations

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6. Level the Playing Field Many ways to create culture of inclusiveness

– Automatic extension of tenure clock• Duke

– Extend availability of leave policies to men and upon adoption

• U Washington’s pilot program for this population

– Extend availability of part-time to retiring faculty• U Baltimore in its Balance that Works@UB

– Ensure no abuse of leave policies involving their use for research purposes

• UC Berkeley’s MOU

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7. Build the Business CaseFormal cost-benefit analyses• Iowa State University – building model• UC Berkeley and Davis –Tracking costs to university of

replacement instruction for faculty on child bearing leaves or ASMD

Systematic assessment of policy use on career outcomes• University of Washington assessed career outcomes

for faculty, hired between 1995 and 2001, who requested tenure clock extensions

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8. Prepare for the UnexpectedBudget cuts, turnover in leadership tests

business continuity on all counts, including flexiblity policies & programs – Several Sloan winners had significant leadership

changes and continued to meet goals set in accelerator plans

• Lehigh University, Simmons College, and University of Baltimore had new presidents or provosts

• University of Baltimore president met with all new hires and recommitted to flexiblity as integral to recruitment and institutional reputation.

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What Have We Learned?

– Career flexibility must be achieved through simultaneous changes in policy and culture

– Career flexibility must be positioned as a means to an institutional end

– Career Flexibility must be embraced by the top, but driven by chairs, and pursued without fear by faculty

– Career flexibility must be made available at all stages of career

What Remains to Be Done?

• What other steps needed to ensure culture change?

• How can we best learn from one another?

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Early Intervention: Graduate Students

• Assessment of work-family issues• Paid family leave• Part-time post doc appointments • University & federal grant policies• Delayed entry/alternate entry points

• non-tenure lines (research or teaching)• re-tooling and re-entry fellowships

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Family Status of Tenured Faculty Sciences, Social Sciences, and Humanities in the U.S.*

Married without

Children15%

Single without Children

11%

Single with Children**

4%

Married with

Children**70%

*PhDs from 1978-1984 Who Are Tenured 12 Years out from PhD.**Had a child in the household at any point post PhD to 12 years out.

Source: Marc Goulden, UCB, Survey of Doctorate Recipients. Sciences, 1979-1999, Humanities, 1979-1995

Single with

Children**11%

Married without

Children19%

Single without

Children26%

Married with

Children**44%

MenWomen

N=10,652 N=32,234