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Letter from the Provost

Dear Colleagues,

Graduate education in the US must be counted as one of the great success stories of the twentieth century. As the last century drew to a close, the award of research doctorates had accelerated dramatically, the number of fields in which degrees are awarded expanded, and the population of students in doctoral programs became increasingly diverse. Although change has been uneven, all fields have experienced an increase in the number of women receiving degrees and seeking academic positions. The growth of women in the senior ranks in academia, however, has not kept pace with the award of research doctorates.

Because the progress of women in academia, particularly in science, technology, mathematics, and engineering has been slow, NSF established the ADVANCE Institutional Transformation Award as part of its efforts to broaden participation in these fields. Why? In the words of the former NSF Deputy Director Joseph Bordogna, “We know that a more inclusive and diverse workforce will enrich science and engineering because imagination and discovery thrive on varied talents.” And, because it is the right thing to do.

UNC Charlotte competed successfully for an ADVANCE Institutional Transformation Award to increase the number of women faculty, including women faculty of color, in science and engineering. Although this is the ultimate goal of the program, the ADVANCE Leadership Team believes that the changes that are needed will make our campus a more inclusive community and enhance the careers of all faculty. Indeed, the title of our program is “Institutional Transformation for the Future of the Faculty.”

As last year’s distinguished speaker Dr. Virginia Valian informed us, social science research has allowed us to see the pervasive nature of gender schemas in our society and the ways in which they color the behavior of men and women, even those most committed to an inclusive society. While social science research and the work of other ADVANCE institutions have done much to inform the programs highlighted in this newsletter, we recognize the importance of engaging the widest possible group in identifying and addressing the issues that have impeded the advancement of women faculty. This is why a significant portion of the ADVANCE funding has been reserved for “Solutions Teams” to encourage thinking at the departmental and college level on identifying obstacles and creating experiments to promote change. I encourage you to learn more about these and all the ADVANCE projects and join the ADVANCE team in this experiment to create the best possible future for our faculty.

Sincerely,

Joan F. Lorden