The primary activities of the CU‐ADVANCE team included 1) extensive dissemination efforts about the new CU‐ADVANCE Center; 2) establishing the management structure of the CU‐ADVANCE Center; 3) developing effective programming in the first year; 4) administering a number of grants to faculty and departments and 4) collecting the NSF indicator data required by the grant.

The Faculty Committee on Affirmative Action has recently deliberated at length on ways to enhance recruitment of women and minority faculty in the College of Veterinary Medicine. As a result of those deliberations, and subsequent discussions with Dean Phemister, the following recommendations were submitted to him.

Cornell University offers a variety of work/life support programs, services, and resources for Cornell faculty members. Please refer to the PDF "Family Care Support Services at Cornell University" for a brief summary of the assistance available.

When the life sciences initiative was begun in 1997 as the Cornell Genomics Initiative, the faculty leaders recognized the critical importance of hiring faculty according to a new paradigm. In order to recruit the best possible faculty to Cornell, they advised the administration––central and colleges alike––that no longer should search committees for positions in specific departments be appointed by the departments from within the department. Instead, each position should be viewed as a strategic hire for t

Successful mentoring relationships are built around the needs and career goals of the mentee. Each mentoring relationship is unique and must be negotiated on an individual basis to match the needs of the mentee and the resources the mentor brings to the relationship. Mentors can help new faculty in the following areas...

Successful faculty members manage their relationships with their mentors and are proactive about both the relationship and their career. Here are some things to think about as you work with your mentor(s)...

Taking an aggressive approach in hiring is the only way to avoid a mediocre pool of candidates...

WHEREAS a number of concerns about mentoring of faculty emerged from the survey on The College Climate and Faculty Career Satisfaction that was administered to all faculty members in the College by the Committee on the Status of Faculty Women (CSFW) in 2006, the CSFW has developed a proposal for mentoring of faculty.

This page is designed to provide Department Chairs, Deans, and all interested faculty with specific tools and ideas for effective mentoring and retention practices. You will find general resources for departments and for mentors and new faculty members, as well as guidelines and best practices collected from various colleges at Cornell University.

Systematically monitor hiring and promotion decisions to eliminate unintentional bias and create opportunities for all faculty. Include salary and workload equity in your thinking about such decisions...

The critical work-life dilemmas detailed in An Agenda for Excellence: Creating Flexibility in Tenure-Track Faculty Careers indicate an urgent need for higher education leaders to examine and proactively address the institutional climate that governs the entire career cycle of faculty—from entry into tenure-track positions to retirement.

The CU-ADVANCE Research Initiation Awards are offered under the auspices of the National Science Foundation ADVANCE program. The goal of the NSFADVANCE program is to increase the recruitment, retention, and promotion into leadership positions of women in engineering and the sciences, and to institutionalize best practices, policies and programs across colleges as they pertain to women faculty.

Our recruitment resources offer Department Chairs, Search Chairs and any faculty members participating in faculty searches with specific tools and ideas for planning, conducting, and evaluating searches, and cover topics such as establishing search committees, planning, conducting and evaluating searches, and minimizing bias in the search process.

The academic personnel and appointment policies that have been standardized and placed into the official university policy format are posted online at the University Policy Office, and are available in the Human Resources Volume of its library...

List of Discussion Notes

A panel discussion on tenure dossiers

The CU-ADVANCE Center offers two competitive named Lecture Series to help with recruitment of highly qualified women faculty members by providing a prestigious invitation and professional networking opportunities for the visitor and for Cornell faculty.

David Harris, Interim Provost and principal investigator provided institutional leadership and commitment, as well as a top level of accountability (September–December 2008). Harris was also responsible for ADVANCE project oversight and disseminating information to the wider university community about the CU-ADVANCE Center’s opportunities and findings.

The primary resource of successful mentors is their knowledge of the norms, values and procedures of their institutions. This knowledge is essential to new faculty, but there are also personal characteristics which contribute to effective mentoring. These include the ability to...

Calendar for CU-ADVANCE Program

Contact information for CU-ADVANCE Personnel

The CU-ADVANCE Professional Development Grants are offered under the auspices of the National Science Foundation ADVANCE program. The NSF goal of the ADVANCE program is to increase the recruitment, retention, and promotion into leadership positions of women in engineering and the sciences, and to institutionalize best practices, policies and programs across colleges as they pertain to women faculty.

List of resources on Teaching and Research.

Resources for tenure and promotion

A conversation with Steve Kresovich, Vice Provost for Life Sciences and Department of Plant Breeding and Plant Biology

Planning the Search Guide

List of CU-ADVANCE reports and publications

The following offers a method for department faculty to provide evaluations of job candidates. It is meant to be a template for departments that they can modify as necessary for their own uses. The proposed questions are designed for junior faculty candidates; however, alternate language is suggested in parenthesis for senior faculty candidates.

CU-ADVANCE: Programming Guide for Chairs

This study examines over 300 letters of recommendation for medical faculty at a large American medical school in the mid-1990s, using methods from corpus and discourse analysis, with the theoretical perspective of gender schema from cognitive psychology.

Short Biography on Sheila Hemami. Includes contact information.

Initiate regular meetings and get to know your mentoring partner, his/her circumstances, concerns, etc. Make contact with your mentoring partner as soon as possible. Also, you may want to consider that it may be difficult for a new faculty member to approach you with problems or questions, so suggesting topics for discussion or asking questions may be helpful...

Links to the CITE DVD

The DVD presents: An overview of the contents of the DVD; A rationale for the workshop...

How is the department organized? How are decisions made? Are there interpersonal or departmental dynamics that would be helpful to know about?...

As you begin to evaluate applicants and candidates, be aware of the kinds of evaluation biases that psychological research has identified in both women’s and men’s judgments of job candidates. You may want to review Virginia Valian’s summary of this research (see http://advance.cornell.edu/search.html ) and discuss it as a group. The most important general point about the process of creating the short list is to build in several checkpoints at which you make a considered decision about whether you are satis

Throughout the world, women leave their academic careers to a far greater extent than their male colleagues...

Helpful Resources for CAREER on the Web

SINCE THE EARLY NINETEEN-NINETIES, Cornell University has been working to address the work/life and work/family challenges of its faculty and staff. The university thinks of family in a broad sense, extending beyond its traditional definition. It has not only established financial-support programs, such as childcare grants and adoption assistance, but also other support programs, which include workshops on parenting, coming out in the workplace, requesting accommodation for disability and religious practice

The Policy Analysis and Management Department in the College of Human Ecology has the following formal policies and procedures for mentoring, including appointment of Mentors and their responsibilities.

Effective Pool Development Strategies

To increase the recruitment, retention, and promotion into leadership positions of women in the sciences and engineering To create and implement an integrated campus-wide set of initiatives to enhance campus climate through the CU-ADVANCE Center To be a central resource that shares “best practices” for recruitment, retention and promotion of women faculty, and connects faculty and decision makers across departments and colleges

The purpose of this study was to determine some of the factors that influence outside reviewers and search committee members when they are reviewing curricula vitae, particularly with respect to the gender of the name on the vitae.

Cornell University is committed to diversity and gender equity and to an institutional environment where all faculty can achieve their greatest potential in research, education, and service. Despite the university’s commitment, gender diversity remains a significant problem that affects the quality of Cornell’s enterprise. The representation of women faculty in science and engineering (S&E) falls below the level of female PhDs produced nationally.

CU-ADVANCE's training DVD on Academic Interviewing includes three scenarios of on-campus faculty interview interactions. Together with a senior HR consultant, the Center developed a workshop that stimulates a discussion about the behaviors, perspectives, assumptions and biases of search committee members and faculty in these scenarios; they highlight the possible impacts on the candidate, department, and institution. Issues addresed are related to procedures and policies, legal boundaries, and department an

Virginia Valian's book Why So Slow? The Advancement of Women is a scholarly and convincing explantion of women's low progress in the professional world. Whether in business, law, medicine, or academia, women are not advancing at the same rate as men.

CU-ADVANCE 2008 Summary

Planning the Search Guide

CU-ADVANCE Management Plan

The NSF ADVANCE program was begun in response to MIT’s 1999 report “A Study on the Status of Women Faculty in Science at MIT.” The program’s stated goals are to increase the recruitment, retention, and promotion into leadership positions of women in engineering and the sciences, and to institutionalize best practices, policies and programs across colleges as they pertain to women faculty. This award will directly involve and have maximum impact on the areas supported by the NSF: engineering, physical scienc

Library and General Resources

Recommended Guidelines for Members of Affirmative Action Committee Serving on Academic Search Committees

A discussion on how to involve undergrads in research

A commitment to affirmative action and equal opportunity constitutes one of the highest priorities of the faculty, the administration and the trustees of the university. The university has a vice provost who is directly responsible for diversity (Robert L. Harris, Jr., Vice Provost for Diversity and Faculty Development). The university’s Office of Workforce Diversity, Equity and Life Quality, in the Office of Human Resources, works with this individual. Academic and non-academic units have appointed an affi

The WFF has conducted initial research regarding junior faculty mentoring programs and policies at Yale and several of its peer institutions...

Systematically monitor hiring and promotion decisions to eliminate unintentional bias and create opportunities for all faculty. Include salary and workload equity in your thinking about such decisions...

STUDENTS, TRAINEES, RESEARCH FELLOWS, AND JUNIOR faculty all benefit from the direction provided by academic mentors and research supervisors...

1. Ask for suggestions from people with less power in the department or unit...

A. Findings from research in social psychology on stereotypic biases...

Recruiting first-rate faculty and staff is a top priority for Cornell and in support of that goal the Cornell Dual Career Program offers job search information and assistance to dual career spouses or partners.

While there are no mandated processes, the fact that approximately half of the college is women helps instill a culture that easily accepts inclusion and diversity in faculty searches. The Dean, Associate Dean and Chairs traditionally work closely together to ensure productive recruitment practices.

Sample Language for Faculty Position Announcements

Competition for federal and/or other highly competitive research funding has become increasingly fierce. To help Cornell faculty succeed in obtaining grants, CU-ADVANCE is launching a pilot program modeled after the College of Human Ecology’s Faculty Grant Development Program for Academic Year 09/10. In this program, the Center will offer a $500 honorarium to an external colleague who agrees to review a Cornell faculty member’s completed grant application before submission or resubmission to an outside gran

Faculty Searches and Recruiting in the Engineering College

We present 6 studies that demonstrate how casuistry licenses people to judge on the basis of social category information but appear unbiased—to both others and themselves—while doing so. In 2 domains (employment and college admissions decisions), with 2 social categories (gender and race), and with 2 motivations (favoring an in-group or out-group), the present studies explored how participants justify decisions biased by social category information by arbitrarily inflating the relative value of their prefer

The CU-ADVANCE Faculty Development Grants are offered under the auspices of the National Science Foundation ADVANCE program. The NSF ADVANCE program goal is to increase the recruitment, retention, and promotion into leadership positions of women in engineering and the sciences, and to institutionalize best practices, policies and programs across colleges as they pertain to women faculty.

A conversation with Steve Kresovich, Vice Provost for Life Sciences and Department of Plant Breeding and Plant Biology

This report summarizes the results of a study designed to understand how new faculty become integrated into the university and their departments and to identify what Cornell could do to facilitate better integration...

Small guide on how to establish an effective search committee

In this study, we use data from Cornell's 2005 Faculty Work-Life Survey to examine the effects of a number of aspects of departments' demographic composition on faculty members' perceptions of departmental climate and personal integration. Our findings indicate significant differences between men and women on these outcome variables, and suggest that men's perceptions are much more influenced by department demography than those of women. We discuss the implications of these findings for further research on

Establish a mentoring program in the department. Develop guidelines for selecting mentors and for the mentor’s role...

Annual Evaluation

Advancing Women: Annotated Bibliography

Calendars and Events for CU-ADVANCE

To create an integrated campus-wide set of initiatives and to ensure their implementation through the CU-ADVANCE center that permanently resides in the Provost’s Office. The CU-ADVANCE Center is a central resource that shares “best practices” for recruitment...

The CU-ADVANCE Center awards Faculty Development Grants to departments wishing to recruit promising women scientists and engineers by funding the following

CU-ADVANCE Resources Are Linked to Its Four Broad Initiatives: Faculty Development, Climate Initiative, Evaluation Initiative, and Recruitment Initiative

As part of your agreement in accepting Undergraduate Research funding through LIFE, you must submit a brief final report (a minimum of five double-spaced pages) as well as a separate abstract at the conclusion of the semester in which you receive funding. Specific dates will be provided by LIFE. Your report must be submitted electronically to life_eng@cornell.edu and may be reviewed by the agency that funded your research.

Kent Fuchs and I have arrived at the following guidelines for the three year review for tenure track professors in the engineering college. We thank you all for your suggestions on this issue...

The statistics on sex disparities(Valian, 2003, Sex disparities in advancement and income) and the referencesin the annotated bibliogaphy (Valian, 2004, Advancing women: Annotated bibliography) lead to the following conclusions.

The WFF has conducted initial research regarding junior faculty mentoring programs and policies at Yale and several of its peer institutions...

Previous Events for CU-ADVANCE dating back to Fall 2007

Meeting the needs and expectations of dual-career academic couples—while still ensuring the high quality of university faculty—is the next great challenge facing universities. Academic couples comprise 36 percent of the American professoriate—representing a deep pool of talent (Figure 1). The proportion of academic couples (i.e., couples in which both partners are academics) at four-year institutions nationally has not changed since 1989...

1. Candidate submits a 3rd year portfolio at the required date (communicated by the Chair). 2. A departmental committee reviews the packet and prepares a short report that includes what’s going well, what is missing or not at the level required and what the candidate should do from now until tenure to maximize the possibility of success. (Ideally, members of such a committee might act as mentors throughout the assistant professor’s pre-tenure years. However, a well-structured 3rd year review is possible wit

Latest News from CU-ADVANCE

Short Biography on Yael Levitte. Includes contact information.

The General Committee moves that a standing committee of the faculty of the NYSCVM be formed, that this committee be called “The (Faculty) Affirmative Action Committee”, and that the committee have the following charges and membership.

Dr. Carolyn Martin, Provost and principal investigator provides institutional leadership and commitment, as well as a top level of accountability. She is responsible for ADVANCE project oversight and disseminating information to the wider university community about the CUADVANCE Center’s opportunities and findings.

List of contact information for CU-ADVANCE Liaisons

Solicit written remarks from those that met with or interviewed candidates. A rating form can be developed for this purpose...

Short Biography on Marjolein van der Meulen. Includes contact information.

If the department hires a woman and/or minority candidate, consider the factors that may have enabled it to do so and keep a record of good practices and successful searches for future reference.

Guidebook For Managing the Campus Visits

Top 10 Tips on How to get Funding

List of publications and references on mentoring

Presentation of Communication and Conflict Resolution

List of resources on Mentoring.

This presentation covers why climate is important, job satisfaction, climate dimensions, and some statistics.

Short Biography on Kim Weeden. Includes contact information.

CU-ADVANCE offers professional development events throughout the year to gain skills useful in a faculty career.

Understanding Faculty Satisfaction

This presentation from the 2011 PI Meeting covers an evaluation of ADVANCE programs at Cornell University, job satisfaction, empowerment,climate study, integration and support for women faculty,

This presentation from the 2011 PI Meeting covers an evaluation of ADVANCE programs at Cornell University, job satisfaction, empowerment,climate study, integration and support for women faculty,