Originally funded by a National Science Foundation grant from 2006 to 2011, the goal of ISU ADVANCE was to increase the participation and advancement of women faculty in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics through transformational institutional change. Following the initial grant, ISU ADVANCE has evolved from a focus on women in STEM disciplines to a subsequent emphasis on underrepresented faculty and finally to an institutionalized program with broad impact across the university community.
Today, ISU ADVANCE is housed within the Office of the Senior Vice President and Provost and is a prominent vehicle to recruit, retain, and advance all faculty. Our program transforms structures to enrich Iowa State University faculty careers. Our team works with university administrators, faculty, and staff to cultivate policies, practices, and cultures to achieve a vibrant faculty across the university community. For example, through the work of the ISU ADVANCE team, flexible faculty career policies have been developed and institutionalized and hiring and advancement practices are more consistent and transparent across the campus community.
Leadership
Tera R. Jordan, Assistant Provost for Faculty Success, collaborates with the faculty success advisors from each academic college and university administrators, faculty, and staff to institutionalize positive changes.
Faculty success advisors
Faculty success advisors promote best practices in recruiting, retaining, and promoting high-quality diverse faculty and develop solutions to campus challenges. All faculty success advisors are tenured faculty who report to either the dean or a member of the dean’s cabinet. Faculty success advisors work with their respective deans, diversity committees, department chairs/school directors, faculty, and staff in their colleges to implement best practices for faculty searches and transform policies and practices that help faculty succeed in moving through the ranks and being successful.
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences: Aileen Keating
Ivy College of Business: Hui (Sophia) Feng
College of Design: Gary Taylor
College of Engineering: Carmen Gomes
College of Health and Human Sciences: Kere Hughes-Belding
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences: Chunhui Chen
College of Veterinary Medicine: Rachel Derscheid
Key achievements:
- Cultivate flexible faculty policies
- Lead search committee and promotion and tenure committee trainings
- Facilitate networking and professional development workshops
- Mentor faculty
- Lead college-wide faculty development and diversity initiatives
