Background

In early 1997, the Provost charged the Academic Issues Subcommittee of the Provost's Committee on the Status of Women to lead an evaluation of the University's efforts to enhance the recruitment, retention, and professional development of women faculty at Johns Hopkins. An important objective was to document the progress that has been made in addressing the problems identified in earlier, in-depth studies carried out by the Provost's Committee in 1989 and 1990. Equally important, the Subcommittee was interested in identifying those areas where more needs to be done. To facilitate progress throughout the University, the Subcommittee also sought to identify practices that have been particularly effective within individual divisions. Such divisional models or "best practices" could be shared more widely to the benefit of other divisions, with the ultimate goal of further enhancing our collective efforts to improve the status of women faculty at Hopkins.

This report presents findings of the Subcommittee on Academic Issues. They are based both on a survey of Recruitment, Retention, and Professional Development of Women Faculty administered in July 1997 and on discussions with the deans and directors of the divisions, and, in some cases, with their associates. Our plan is to circulate to the University an overview of areas of special strength and those in need of improvement and also to share with the relevant dean or director a more detailed assessment of the status of efforts within individual divisions. The Subcommittee hopes in this way to provide helpful resources to the divisions as they respond to the President's and Provost's requests for a plan of action that outlines a timetable, specific strategies, and measurable goals.

Major Findings

While disciplinary differences and context-specific constraints can present particular challenges for certain divisions in enhancing the status of women faculty, the Subcommittee finds, across the campus, general support for, and, within some units, explicit commitment to, several important goals. The Subcommittee urges wider endorsement of the following objectives:

	To collect and analyze data regarding recruitment, retention, and promotion of faculty
	To develop division-specific analyses of remaining gender-based obstacles to career success of women faculty, and goals and interventions to address these.
	To increase the total number of women on the Hopkins faculty by recruiting more women in divisions where they are under-represented
	To retain women faculty
	To mentor junior faculty

Perhaps no single factor is more important in ensuring progress toward meeting these goals than leadership. In fact, a key finding of the Subcommittee is that where gains have been made, the leadership has been strongly and personally committed and has communicated that commitment positively and forcefully. When deans, directors, and, in some cases, key department chairs, have clearly stated that achieving gender equity is an important priority, it has sent a clear signal to faculty of both sexes that it is legitimate to invest time and energy in this effort.

The Subcommittee is gratified that both President Brody and Provost Knapp have expressed strong support for the present initiative and that they have outlined a series of next steps for which the divisions are accountable. Continuing, visible commitment to enhancing the status of women is essential if further progress is to be made.

Areas of Strength.

On the basis of our review, the Subcommittee is encouraged by several successful programs initiated by individual divisions. In particular, the Subcommittee finds the following to be especially noteworthy:

	Orientation and Faculty Development Programs in the School of Public Health through which new faculty are introduced to the School and its resources and younger faculty are given specific guidance on professional expectations for the various stages of the career ladder.
	Special faculty recruitment procedures by the School of Engineering which require active efforts to identify women candidates, including provisions for systematically contacting top engineering departments for the names of potential candidates.
	The requirement that at least two women be named to every search committee appointed in the School of Medicine.
	"Stop the clock" policies in the Schools of Arts and Sciences, Engineering, Nursing, and Public Health under which faculty whose family circumstances so warrant are allowed an interruption in progress toward promotion and tenure.
	Regular review of salary equity is now institutionalized in the School of Public Health, the School of Medicine, and, more recently, in the School of Arts and Sciences. In Public Health, the systematic examination of salary equity over a period of years has allowed the division to resolve gender-based salary differentials that may have existed. The analysis of salary equity is being implemented in other divisions, aided by Human Resources' Director of Compensation who is providing them with similar analytic tools.
	The comprehensive initiative undertaken in the Department of Medicine which has resulted in significant gains in the number and promotion of women faculty and, equally important, a more supportive professional environment for all faculty. Critical factors in the success of this initiative include the strong support of three successive chairmen, leadership by a faculty committee empowered to act, a systematic gathering and critical review of relevant data (including qualitative information), with data-based problem identification, tailored interventions, assistance of an organizational change specialist, and regular monitoring of progress in reaching specific goals.
	The use of an "Alumnae Network" at SAIS to support efforts to enhance the number of women, especially among the adjunct faculty, where the numbers have subsequently increased dramatically. By suggesting women for faculty positions and also for speakers, the network has expanded the pool of candidates and enhanced the presence of women at SAIS.
	The supportive environment fostered by the School of Hygiene and Public Health including an active faculty committee charged with the oversight of all aspects of affirmative action efforts within the School. The committee communicates concerns to the Dean and to the faculty.

Areas in Need of Development.

Notwithstanding some innovative programs, divisional approaches have generally been ad hoc. This has resulted in slow and uneven progress. Too few senior women have been recruited to the faculty and appointed to leadership roles within departments and divisions. Only 27% of all full-time tenured and tenure-track faculty are women, and women hold only 12% of full professorships. Moreover, only 20 of the 172 leadership positions in the divisions are occupied by women.

Because divisional contexts differ, the Subcommittee recognizes that it is both ill- advised and inappropriate to offer a "one-size fits all" formula for successfully enhancing the status of women faculty. Nonetheless, the above examples of positive strategies and programs may be instructive for other divisions seeking to make similar gains. Time, attention, energy, and resources will be required in order to improve the representation and status of women at Hopkins. The following list suggests specific areas in need of development:

	Goal Setting. To be effective, each division should establish explicit written goals based on analysis of current gender-based obstacles.
	Faculty Involvement. Existing faculty governing bodies should be used more effectively to identify potential problems and develop strategies for addressing them.
	Recruitment and Retention Incentives. It may be necessary to develop financial packages to attract and retain distinguished female faculty. The possibility of creating an endowment for the purpose of enhancing the diversity of the faculty should be explored as part of the University's capital campaign. Ways should also be found to create incentives to departments to make effective efforts, perhaps by authorizing positions to be filled when the opportunity is present to attract outstanding candidates who would contribute to the academic distinction of the department and to the diversity of the faculty, even though their areas of expertise may be different from current departmental recruiting priorities. Such "target of opportunity" appointments or other mechanisms to relax constraints may assist departments in dealing with competing priorities. Spousal employment considerations are often critical factors in recruitment, and efforts to assist in meeting the needs of dual career couples should also be encouraged.
	Affirmative Action Forms. Review of "Affirmative Action Reports for Faculty Appointments" is required at Johns Hopkins. It is essential that this be a systematic and substantive process. The divisions should review their internal procedures to ensure consistent practice and compliance with the University policy statement. The Subcommittee recommends that, in consultation with the Affirmative Action Office, a memorandum be prepared and distributed to remind deans, directors, department heads, and search committees of the proper procedures.
	Enhanced Search Processes will contribute to the likelihood of successful recruitments, and division heads and department chairs should be encouraged to make the necessary effort to design effective strategies and mechanisms. Care in the selection of search committees is critical, and efforts to identify women candidates must be proactive. In addition to the search handbook prepared by the Provost's Office, other publications and consultants are available. The process in place at the School of Engineering, for example, may be a helpful model for other divisions. Another approach might be to hold workshops on conducting effective searches.    Attention should also be paid to the kinds of questions that are asked during interviews with candidates. For example, when searches are conducted for leadership positions such as deans, directors, and department chairs, it is important to examine the commitment of candidates (male or female) to goals of achieving diversity and gender equity, as well as candidates' histories of mentoring junior women faculty.
	Career Development Initiatives. Several initiatives supportive of faculty career development have been successful in one or more divisions and merit wider implementation. These include: Mentoring Programs. Effective mentoring is a key ingredient not only for career advancement for women faculty, but for their male colleagues as well. The School of Medicine has recently initiated a division-wide program under the auspices of the Women's Leadership Council aimed at fostering the promotion of current associate professors by providing mentoring. The Department of Medicine has also focused on developing mentoring programs, including monthly sessions to provide information and skills for all women faculty and one-on-one programs for fellows and junior faculty. The Subcommittee urges that other divisions of the University take similar professional development initiatives. Such systematized programs would enhance the levels of productivity and of satisfaction for junior faculty, create benefits for senior faculty, and strengthen the sense of community within the University. The School of Public Health presents a good model for mentoring programs. Orientation Programs. A formal process of orientation for new and junior faculty is both an effective way of introducing faculty to the resources of the university and a way of addressing gender issues more generally before they become issues for individuals. Leadership development opportunities are important at all career stages for both men and women, but it may be necessary to make a special effort to ensure that women are afforded the chance to hold key leadership positions in the departments and divisions and that current women faculty receive the networking and training appropriate to develop future leaders. Annual reviews of individual faculty constitute an effective means of providing feedback on performance and stating expectations. Equally important, such reviews allow faculty a formal opportunity to express concerns, seek clarification, and discuss resource needs, etc. Such face-to-face conversations should be afforded all faculty members at least once a year. Those who conduct these reviews may benefit from training to enhance the quality of these reviews, as well as their expertise in exploring career obstacles, including those that are gender based.
	Information Needs. The Subcommittee is struck by the absence of reliable and accessible data on a number of topics. In the absence of such data, systematic analysis and informed policy-making cannot take place. The Subcommittee believes that the University and its divisions should move immediately to regularize information gathering and its systematic review by appropriate governing bodies. Mechanisms to meet information needs include the following: Databases. Those divisions that lack them should create faculty databases capable of supporting analyses of current situations, the informed design of interventions, and monitoring of progress. Such databases should contain basic faculty demographic data as well as information that will facilitate analyses of promotion rates and retention efforts. What is needed, in addition, is the ability to integrate the divisional databases into a university-wide data system that has similar capability for aggregate analyses and assessment of institutional progress. Climate Surveys can yield extremely helpful information about gender-based obstacles to career success. They bring attention to concerns that may not be brought forward in other ways and may be useful "reality checks" to assumptions that may otherwise too easily be made. Exit Interviews with departing faculty can yield valuable information not otherwise available. This information is essential to a full understanding of the factors that influence the decision to leave Hopkins. For most faculty, these are complicated decisions that too easily can reduce to "a better offer" from another institution. To enhance retention efforts, divisions need to learn more about the environmental factors that contribute to career decision-making and to understand the calculus at more than a superficial level.
	Legitimization. Most importantly, if further progress is to be made, it is critical that University and divisional leaders send clear signals to present and prospective faculty, staff, and students that gender-related issues are legitimate and important concerns. Legitimization of these issues requires not only the right rhetoric, but also meaningful involvement of the most respected and senior faculty in the service of these efforts. Moreover, junior faculty must be encouraged to play a role, knowing from the outset that such involvement will not result in adverse career consequences. If more than marginal gains are to be achieved, neither the issues, nor the people who are charged to address them can be seen as marginal. In order to institutionalize a commitment to gender equity, faculty governing bodies must help to lead the effort to develop effective strategies, policies, and programs.

Next Steps

It has been almost a decade since the Provost's Committee on the Status of Women gathered data and undertook an analysis of the status of women at Johns Hopkins. With respect to women faculty specifically, that study called for several significant measures: improved recruiting practices; more rigorous and regular analysis of the composition of the faculty, salary equity, and rate of career advancement; and a stronger commitment to support the professional development of women faculty. Some strides have been made, but many of the same issues remain to be addressed.

With nine academic divisions reflecting different cultures and traditions, it is difficult to generalize about the current status of women faculty beyond two main observations: 1) there are, in various divisions, areas of real strength and examples of "best practices" that have produced quantitative and qualitative improvements; and 2) much remains to be done if more substantial progress is to be achieved in enhancing the recruitment, retention, and professional development of women faculty.

A third observation is perhaps also in order. Until gender equity, or, more broadly, meaningful diversity is emphasized explicitly as a core value of the University, progress is likely to remain insufficient. As with many matters at Johns Hopkins, if gains are to be achieved, the academic divisions must take ownership of these issues and determine, in concert with their faculty, what mechanisms will be most effective. The Subcommittee is pleased that the President and Provost have called upon the nine deans and directors to set five-year goals, to develop concrete strategies for achieving them, and to establish benchmarks for measuring progress. The Subcommittee trusts that the suggestions outlined above and those addressed more specifically in the individual divisional reports will be useful in realizing what the Subcommittee takes to be our common goal of enhancing the status of women at Johns Hopkins.

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