HR: 1340h
AN: ED23B-0099    [Abstracts]
TI: Hiring and Retention: Key Factors in Increasing Gender Diversity in the Geosciences
AU: * Holmes, M
EM: mholmes2@unl.edu
AF: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Department of Geosciences, 214 Bessey Hall Geosciences Dept-UNL, Lincoln, NE 68588-0340 United States
AU: O'Connell, S
EM: soconnell@ wesleyan.edu
AF: Wesleyan University Department of Earth & Environmental Sciences, Department of Earth & Environmental Sciences Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT 06459 United States
AU: Frey, C
EM: cfrey@siue.edu
AF: Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice, Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville Department of Sociology, Edwardsville, IL 62026-1455 United States
AB: Graduation and hiring data of geoscientists over the last ten years indicate that the largest leak in the academic pipeline for women geoscientists is at hiring into tenure-track positions. Anecdotal explanations for this leak generally cite a lack of females in the applicant pool, but women in tenure-track positions anecdotally cite a lack of family-friendly practices by academic departments. Both ideas are currently being tested via surveys of geoscience departments. Is there a way to attract more women to the field to increase the applicant pool? Results of focus groups of geoscientists indicate that both men and women are attracted into the field of geosciences by the same types of events: over one-third became a geoscientist by randomly walking into an undergraduate class and finding themselves captivated by the topic and/or a dynamic instructor. The subject matter itself attracts another one-fourth, and family members encourage another one-fifth of geoscientists to initially enter the field. Slightly more women cite the first attractor of undergraduate class, but the principal draw for our future workforce, male and female, is good instruction of freshman courses. Retention of women in academia is another key issue. The proportion that considers leaving after working towards one or more degrees is highly skewed by gender: one-half of female and only one-third of male geoscientists considered leaving the field at some time in their career. The reasons for considering leaving also differ by gender. Males cite financial issues, including an uncertain job market. Females cite two principal reasons for considering leaving: family issues and difficulties with a graduate advisor. Strategies currently exist for "family issues", including stop-the-clock (of tenure for family needs), assignment shift, on-campus daycare facilities, and unflinching administrative support for such practices. Graduate advising is a learnable skill, and more attention needs to be paid to this critical issue for female retention in the geosciences.
UR: http://www.awg.org/gendereq.html
DE: 6605 Education
DE: 6620 Science policy
DE: 6630 Workforce
SC: Education and Human Resourcese [ED]
MN: 2004 AGU Fall Meeting