Since 2010, the ADVANCE Program has a proven track record of enhancing the climate for faculty professional growth. Examples of our impact include the following:
Faculty Development
- 655 faculty have participated in ADVANCE peer networks since 2010.
- Cohort analysis from 2010-2017 showed that participating in core ADVANCE programs decreased the odds of TTK faculty leaving UMD by 80.2%. From 2010-2017, 6.1% of TTK faculty who participated in peer networks left the university, compared to 17.9% of TTK non-participants.
- Cohort analysis also showed that TTK faculty that participated in core ADVANCE programs were more likely to be promoted compared to non-participants.
- Faculty who participate in peer networks report greater awareness about the requirements, standards, and review process for tenure and/or promotion; greater connections with faculty across campus; and enhanced tools to leverage for career advancement.
- Many faculty members that have participated in ADVANCE programs have gone to leadership positions across the campus, including as deans, associate deans, and within the provost’s office.
- Supported and facilitated opportunities for PTK professional development.
Education and Training
- Led efforts to increase the uptake of effective and fair faculty hiring practices.
Advocacy and Advising
- Supported the creation of the faculty parental leave policy (2012); facilitated faculty awareness and helped faculty navigate the policy.
- Supported the creation of the PTK promotion policy (2015)
- Based on empirical research, provided feedback and advocacy on behalf of faculty during the COVID-19 pandemic, including advocating for the inclusion of “personal contexts” in the pandemic impact statement.
- Designed and provided feedback on the FAMILE hiring process (2021).
- Provided strategic advice on the dual-career hiring policy (2023).
Research and Evaluation
- Faculty affiliated with the ADVANCE program have contributed to multiple NSF-funded projects focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion in the academic work environment, including research on faculty hiring, workload, and readiness for transformative change.
These results have been reported in the following publications:
- Culpepper, D., Lui, B.F., & O’Meara, K. (in-press). Building an infrastructure for mid-career faculty advancement: Lessons learned from faculty peer networks in the UMD ADVANCE Program. In Baker, V., Tersoky, A., & Lunsford, L. (Eds), A Toolkit for Mid-Career Academics: Cultivating Career Advancement. Routledge.
- Culpepper, D., & Kilmer, S. (2022). Faculty-Related COVID-19 Policies and Practices at Top-Ranked Higher Education Institutions in the United States. ADVANCE Journal, 3(2).
- O’Meara, K., Nyunt, G., Templeton, L., & Kuvaeva, A. (2019). Meeting to transgress: The role of faculty learning communities in shaping more inclusive organizational cultures. Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: An International Journal, 38(3), 286-304.
- O’Meara, K., & Stromquist, N. P. (2016). Faculty peer networks: Role and relevance in advancing agency and gender equity. In Globalised re/gendering of the academy and leadership (pp. 150-170). Routledge.