Recruitment and Hiring

Faculty Horizons Workshop for Aspiring STEM Faculty (2004-2008)

The University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) is achieving national recognition for its role as a research university focusing on excellence and inclusiveness. We are changing the face of science and engineering. As part of our long-term commitment to develop and support women faculty, the Faculty Horizons program provides participants with the knowledge and tools to build successful and productive academic careers.

The two-day summer workshop targets upper-level graduate students and post-doctoral research fellows, particularly women, in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields. Due to national need, special attention is given to including women from underrepresented groups. Faculty Horizons is sponsored by UMBC's ADVANCE Program, funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF). Through panel presentations, interactive workshops and discussions, distinguished women scientists and engineers from universities, agencies and companies throughout the country share insights on what it takes to be successful.

Faculty Horizons Group Photo 2008

Professional Development topics include:

• The Success of Women Scientists in the 21st Century
• Securing Your First Faculty Position
• Successful Negotiating Techniques
• Getting That First Grant
• Tenure, Promotion and Mentoring
• Balancing a Research Career and Personal Life
• Handling Criticism and Rejection
• Keeping a Sense of Humor
• Time and Project Management
• Effective Teaching Strategies
• Laboratory Management
• Transitions through the Academic Career
• Female Faculty Thriving in STEM
• Addressing Challenges for Women of Color

The workshop has been held annually since 2003 and has attracted 322 participants, including 301 women. 45% of participants were from underrepresented minority groups.

Click here for a Sample Agenda

Departmental Diversity Plans (2000-Present)

To broaden the pool of applicants for faculty positions and thereby increase diversity, department diversity plans for new faculty searches were introduced by the Provost in August 2000. This university-wide requirement obligates all departments to submit a written plan detailing how each will create a diverse and inclusive pool of candidates for a new faculty search. Department Chairs and Search Committee Chairs must attend a workshop conducted by the Provost and the Deans to learn how to conduct an inclusive search. In this workshop, instructions are given on how to create and screen a broad applicant pool. The plan must include a clear commitment to:

• Consider diversity when establishing the search committee
• Advertise in publications focused on underrepresented groups
• Fully consider women and underrepresented minority applicants
• Arranging meetings for candidates with groups focused on diversity
• Address dual career issues

A concerted effort is made so that all STEM female candidates have an informational meeting with ADVANCE personnel and an informal meeting over coffee with a group (8-10) of WISE faculty during their interview.

In 2008, The ADVANCE Program in conjunction with the Office of the Provost currently conducted an analysis of gender diversity in interview pools and actual hires of women in STEM from 1998-2008. This analysis compares data from pre-ADVANCE activities to current data. In addition, gender diversity in candidate pools were analyzed.

ADVANCE Research Assistant (RA) Program for Chairs (2004-2009)

The ADVANCE Research Assistantship (RA) Program for candidates who are being offered tenure-track faculty positions at UMBC provides support for new women faculty being hired in the STEM fields. In providing the RA award, which is a full-time research assistantship, including tuition and health insurance, ADVANCE provides additional benefits to:

1. Assist the chair in successfully recruiting the candidate.
2. Ensure that the new faculty member will have resources necessary to establish a successful research program.

Chairs provide a letter of support for the newly hired faculty member, to include the chair’s commitment to initiate a Faculty Development Plan and identify a UMBC faculty/peer mentor. The Faculty Development Plan includes the chairs commitment to work with the newly hired faculty on setting short- and long-term goals, develop career strategies, and regular meetings to discuss progress.

At the end of the funding period, the chair will write a letter to ADVANCE laying out the Faculty Development Plan and the progress on the plan as well as identifying the peer mentor for the new faculty member.

Guidelines for Department Chairs

ADVANCE Program Goal
The goal of the National Science Foundation funded ADVANCE Program at UMBC is to profoundly change policies and practices affecting the recruitment, selection, promotion, and transition of women faculty in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields at UMBC so that women will be represented in all departments, will advance into leadership positions, and will reflect the diversity of UMBC’s student body.

Purpose of the ADVANCE Research Assistantship Program
The ADVANCE Research Assistantship (RA) Program for candidates who are being offered tenure-track faculty positions at UMBC will provide support for new women faculty being hired in the STEM fields. In providing the RA award, ADVANCE is providing additional benefits to:

• Assist the chair in successfully recruiting the candidate.
• Ensure that the new faculty member will have resources necessary to establish a successful research program.

Application Process
The chair of the hiring department will provide a letter of support for the newly hired faculty member, which should include the chair’s commitment to:

• Initiate a Faculty Development Plan.
• Identify a UMBC faculty/peer mentor.

Please submit the letter along with a copy of the faculty candidate’s CV to the ADVANCE Program Director so the faculty candidate can be considered for the award.

Benefits
The ADVANCE RA Program will award up to eight RA positions per year. Typically, no more than three ADVANCE RA Positions will be awarded to newly hired faculty through the Chairs nomination in any given year. Each individual award will support one full-time RA position, preferably a Ph.D. student, to support the research activities of the faculty member for 12 months beginning at the start of the academic year. The RA will include:

• Salary support for the graduate student compatible with departmental stipends.
• Tuition remission for up to 10 credits.
• UMBC health insurance.

Awards are not renewable.

Selection
A subcommittee of the ADVANCE Executive Committee will select awardees based upon the department’s track record with hiring and advancing women faculty and the need within the department to increase faculty diversity. The chair must have written approval from the ADVANCE Selection Committee prior to offering this RA position to the new faculty candidate.

Reporting
By the end of the award period, the chair will provide the ADVANCE Program with a copy of the Faculty Development Plan and the name of the UMBC faculty mentor for the newly hired faculty member.