StratEGIC Toolkit

logo for StratEGIC Toolkit, crossed turquoise ribbons

How can universities create institutional environments that support the success of women scholars in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) fields?

This challenge has faced U.S. institutions of higher education for decades as they seek to increase the representation and involvement of STEM academic women. Solving this problem requires system-wide efforts to identify and remove organizational constraints that lead to gendered biases in institutional policies and processes.

The StratEGIC Toolkit offers research-based advice about strategic interventions useful in this type of organizational change. Our research draws upon the programs and experiences of institutions that have implemented Institutional Transformation (IT) projects under the National Science Foundation's ADVANCE program.

This practical Toolkit distills and shares lessons learned about particular interventions and how they combine into an overall change portfolio. Organizations can strategically choose and combine interventions as they work to support the success of women scholars in STEM fields. This resource is organized in a modular form. If you'd prefer to have all the ideas in one place, our book, Building Gender Equity in the Academy: Institutional Strategies for Change, gathers these research-based strategies in a handbook for change leaders.
 

Read the StratEGIC Users' Guide first for an overview of the StratEGIC Toolkit and advice on how to use it in planning or implementing your own initiative.

Watch a video introduction to the StratEGIC Toolkit (~4 minutes).

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBbWJH3Xup0]

Tools in the Toolkit

The 13 Strategic Intervention Briefs (4-7 pages each) examine one type of strategic intervention that has been frequently used in ADVANCE initiatives. These interventions are not "one size fits all"—rather, the Briefs offer detailed information that will enable you to assess whether and how this intervention will be strategically useful to your institution as part of an overall change portfolio. The intent and structure of the Briefs will be most clear if you first read the concise introduction in the StratEGIC Users' Guide.

  1. Faculty professional development programs
  2. Grants to individual faculty
  3. Mentoring and networking activities
  4. Development of institutional leaders
  5. Inclusive recruitment and hiring
  6. Equitable processes of tenure and promotion
  7. Strengthened accountability structures
  8. Flexible work arrangements
  9. Practical family-friendly accommodations
  10. Support for dual-career couples
  11. Strategies for improving departmental climate
  12. Visiting scholars
  13. Enhanced visibility for women and women's issues

The 15 Institutional Portfolios (3-5 pages each) describe how different institutions combined interventions—such as those described in the Briefs—into an overall change portfolio.  The Institutional Portfolios offer real examples of how project teams identified core problems for STEM women faculty on their campus; chose, designed and implemented interventions to address these problems; and assessed their success.  All the Portfolios come from research on institutions funded in Rounds 1-2 of ADVANCE IT (funded 2001-04). The intent and structure of the Portfolios will be most clear if you first read the concise introduction in the StratEGIC Users' Guide.

The 11 Program Perspectives are video vignettes (8-13 minutes) that highlight the innovative work of specific institutions funded in later IT grants. Each vignette highlights a change leader from a single institution, describing key features of that project and challenges they faced, and giving advice about large change initiatives. Most of the Program Perspectives come from Rounds 3-6 of ADVANCE IT grants (funded 2006-12).

You can browse all the videos at the StratEGIC Toolkit video channel.

Other Resources

In addition to the StratEGIC Toolkit, we have written scholarly publications based on the research . Publications to date include:

To learn more about the NSF ADVANCE program:

We do not take responsibility for the content or currency of material at external links.

To Cite the Toolkit

Laursen, S. L., & Austin, A. E. (2014). StratEGIC Toolkit: Strategies for Effecting Gender Equity and Institutional Change. Boulder, CO, and East Lansing, MI. www.strategictoolkit.org

This research study and development of the StratEGIC Toolkit and other products has been supported by the National Science Foundation through ADVANCE PAID grant #HRD-0930097. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations are those of the researchers and do not necessarily represent the official views, opinions, or policy of the National Science Foundation.

Acknowledgments 

Our collaborative research team is based at Michigan State University and the University of Colorado Boulder. Ann Austin (MSU) and Sandra Laursen (CU) co-direct the project. We thank Melissa Soto and Dali Martinez for their work as research assistants at MSU. We also thank Anne-Barrie Hunter (CU), Melissa Arreola Peña (CU), Susan Lynds (CU) and Karla Bellingar (MSU) for their assistance. We are grateful to Elizabeth Creamer and Kris De Welde for their evaluative input.

We thank Mindy Anderson-Knott, Mary Armstrong, Canan Bilen-Green, Bonnie Bowen, Elizabeth Creamer, Kris De Welde, Patrick Farrell, Melissa Latimer, Loretta Moore, Marie Mora, KerryAnn O'Meara, Jan Rinehart, Sara Rushing, and Mary Deane Sorcinelli for participating in our video interviews. The videos were filmed by and co-produced with Ryan Vachon of Earth Initiatives in Boulder. Thanks for making us all look and sound good, Ryan!

We are grateful to our study participants, those who helped us coordinate interviews and visits, our advisory board, and the many ADVANCE program leaders and colleagues in the broader ADVANCE community who have shared their insights, advice, and encouragement.