ADVANCE: A Bottom Up and Top Down Approach to Diversifying College Campuses Spurty Surapaneni, BA, Lisa M. Larson, PhD, Bonnie Bowen, PhD, Luiza Dreashear, PhD, Joel Geske, PhD Iowa State University Abstract Diversity is stifled on college campuses because emphasis is placed on targeting diverse individuals rather than fostering a diverse environment. ADVANCE, an NSF funded program, initiated Collaborative Transformation, a focus group study examining areas of major concerns across nine STEM departments (Bird, Fehr, Larson & Sween, 2011). The current study focuses on identifying two processes to address these concerns; a bottom up approach focusing on departmental level change and a top down approach focusing on institutional/administrative level change. The interaction between the two approaches and the implications of each will be examined as well. References Sharon R. Bird, Carla Fehr, Lisa M. Larson, and Molly Sween "ISU ADVANCE Collaborative transformation Project: Final Focal Department Synthesis Report (April 2011)." 23 pages. Ames, Iowa: Iowa State University ADVANCE Program. ADVANCE Defining ADVANCE NSF institutional transformation grant, 2006 to 2011, $3.3 million Help recruit and retain female & racial ethnic faculty in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) fields. Goals of ADVANCE Overcome known barriers in the advancement of women and racial ethnic faculty in STEM fields Identify and eliminate department-specific barriers to advancement Increase the representation of women and racial ethnic minorities in senior faculty or leadership roles Institutionalize positive change across the university Process of ADVANCE Bottom Up Approach Collaborative Transformation Project Demographics Nine focal departments chosen from three STEM colleges (Engineering, Liberal Arts and Sciences, & Agriculture and Life Sciences (STEM fields) 278 department faculty participated (74%) and nine department chairs (100%) Procedure and Results Focus groups by academic rank participated in hour-long interviews concerning conditions under which they do their best work, hiring, promotion. Chairs interviewed individually twice for 90 minutes Transcriptions examined; themes identified. ADVANCE Researchers met with Departmental ADVANCE committees and met with Chairs to share themes and form action plan. 9 themes identified. Examples include Recruitment and hiring practices Clarity of criteria and consistency in feedback Worklife balance Action Taken Focus groups departments created actions plans that addressed the concerns by doing the following 1.Diversifying the applicant pool to include a true representation of women and racial ethnic minorities available in the discipline 2.Updating Governance documents to reflect consistent criteria for evaluating potential candidates 3.Hiring a higher percentage of women than hired in previous searches Results of Action Taken -Focus group departments hired more assistant professors, had increased levels of women faculty and increased full-time women professors than non-focus group departments (See Figure above for details) Top Down Approach Equity advisors Seven faculty members, one for each college at Iowa State Role is to implement the goals of the ADVANCE initiative, facilitate the Best Practices Search Best Practices Search Training in Liberal Arts and Sciences Procedure 1 hour mandatory training Extensive Online Resources Emphasizing Reduction of Implicit Bias, Fair and Transparent Processes Assessment Search departments were assessed prior (fall 2012) to conducting the search and after (Spring 2013) conducting the search Faculty asked whether Best Practices were followed in the Department Search Three practices were endorsed at a greater rate after search training compared to before search training (See Figure below for details) Discussion Implications Bottom Up (departmental level) Active work towards reducing or eliminating barriers to a positive, inviting environment Enhancing and encouraging practices that foster a positive environment Top Down (Institutional Level) Implementing change as a reflection received by departments Redefining the meaning of diversity and how to foster it The interaction between bottom up and top down processing holds everyone responsible for creating a thriving environment. ADVANCE WEBSITE: