An Initial Assessment on the Advancement of Female Faculty in STEM

As part of NSF's Career-Life Balance Initiatives, ADVANCE programs across the United States of America are leading the way in supporting the advancement of women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines. The grant provides support to institutions of higher learning as they address changes in culture, policies and practices that seek a better career-life balance by identifying and removing barriers in the recruitment, retention, and promotion of women in STEM. This paper shares the findings of the NSF ADVANCE catalyst project at the Missouri State University (MSU) in Springfield, MO. The MSU ADVANCE project started in 2019 with a review of campus climate surveys, quantitative data collection and focus groups. The project was an invaluable first step in efforts to address the systemic factors that create gender inequity on campus to support research-based and data-driven initiatives with the goal of promoting and institutionalizing equity for STEM faculty.