Talk Title:  Raising our expectations for DEI work in geoscience faculty evaluation systems: an insight into who sustains this work and how this labor is recognized and rewarded

Abstract: The geosciences have an ethical obligation to increase the low racial and ethnic diversity among our geoscience students, faculty, and professionals. Unfortunately, these demographics have remained stagnant over the past two decades, despite the improvement in gender representation and balance and continual effort to achieve and retain diversity. Institutional initiatives generally approach diversity efforts by increasing the number or representation of individuals from diverse backgrounds. However, growing and sustaining diversity in the geosciences requires the discipline to address and significantly alter institutional and cultural systems, including career advancement structures. Previous studies that focused broadly on faculty experiences in academia identified that faculty hiring, and evaluation frameworks would benefit from a DEIvalued restructuring. Despite significant scholarship highlighting the positive effects of inclusive hiring practices, these standards have largely been limited to the hiring stage, creating a disconnect between hiring and evaluation practices. To better understand faculty perspectives and motivations related to DEI work, we interviewed 45 faculty members from various academic institutions across the US. Results from the interviews indicate that 36% of geoscience departments have less than 25% of faculty actively engaged in DEI initiatives. Also, of those involved, most identify as early career, non-male, and/or minoritized faculty. Additionally, of the interviewees >75% reported that DEI work is not valued in promotion and tenure, and that this work is overwhelmingly voluntary. This research aims to identify potential barriers preventing wider faculty engagement in impactful DEI work, with the goal of developing example evaluation and reward structures that explicitly value DEI work that can be adopted/adapted by geoscience departments.

Hosts:  EPS Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DIB) Council

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