{"138441":{"#nid":"138441","#data":{"type":"news","title":"ADVANCE Program Announces Equity Initiative","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech\u2019s ADVANCE Program has announced a new initiative that is meant to promote more equitable practices when it comes to faculty advancement at the Institute.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cTech has always been committed to excellence and equity in its hiring and promotion practices,\u201d said Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Rafael L. Bras. \u201cBut excellence and equity requires constant vigilance and adherence to best practices and clear processes. The work of the ADVANCE professors will help us in our \u2018relentless pursuit of institutional effectiveness.\u2019\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe ADVANCE Program seeks to increase the participation of women in science and engineering by increasing their representation and advancement in academia; there is an ADVANCE professor based in each of Tech\u2019s colleges. The group suggested the creation of the Equity Program as part of its ongoing commitment to recruit and retain a diverse, world-class faculty at Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe program\u2019s focus will be on fair processes for evaluating faculty members for advancement. Potential components of the program, which could be in place as early as Spring 2013, might include the following:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EA means to support awareness of equity such as equity advisors who would provide information and advice on practices that maximize the likelihood of recruitment, retention and the advancement of excellent and diverse faculty members.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EClear and easily accessible procedures regarding evaluation procedures for reappointment, tenure and promotion.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EFocusing a discussion on equity at the annual department and school chairs orientation.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EA managed mentoring program for assistant professors and a launch committee for each new faculty member hired that would help successfully integrate the person into the institution and ensure a successful start.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cNo other academic institution has approached institutional transformation as centrally as Tech has,\u201d said Mary Frank Fox, ADVANCE professor in the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts and lead author of the 2012-2014 ADVANCE Plan that proposed the Equity Program. \u201cThe GT initiative was one of the very few, if not the only, ADVANCE initiative nationally that has addressed clarity and equity in evaluation. This is not a prescriptive formula for evaluation \u2014\u0026nbsp; but rather a focus on fair and transparent processes. Equity is an ongoing process that requires continuous attention and that is the impetus for this plan.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn the fall, Tech\u2019s ADVANCE professors will work with the college deans, focus groups comprised of faculty members, Bras and Vice President for Institute Diversity Archie Ervin to finalize the components of the program.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe ADVANCE program and the new Equity Program are a new and integral step toward the institutionalization of fair processes, advancement and diversity of faculty,\u201d Ervin said. \u201cThis is a critical part of Georgia Tech\u2019s national leadership and stature and competitiveness as a premier 21st century world leader in the advancement of faculty.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech\u2019s ADVANCE Program has announced a new initiative that is meant to promote more equitable practices when it comes to faculty advancement on campus.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech\u2019s ADVANCE Program has announced a new initiative that is meant to promote more equitable practices when it comes to faculty advancement on campus."}],"uid":"27445","created_gmt":"2012-07-02 10:30:37","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:12:29","author":"Amelia Pavlik","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2012-07-09T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2012-07-09T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.advance.gatech.edu\/","title":"ADVANCE at Georgia Tech"}],"groups":[{"id":"1259","name":"Whistle"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"}],"keywords":[{"id":"714","name":"ADVANCE"},{"id":"37511","name":"advancement practices"},{"id":"736","name":"diversity"},{"id":"306","name":"equity"},{"id":"37491","name":"equity program"},{"id":"37501","name":"faculty ADVANCE program"},{"id":"3976","name":"mary frank fox"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}