PROMOTING GENDER EQUITY IN ACADEMIC DEPARTMENTS: A STUDY OF DEPARTMENT HEADS IN TOP-RANKED CHEMISTRY DEPARTMENTS

Although the proportion of doctoral degrees in chemistry that have gone to women has increased markedly over the past few decades, the representation of women among higher education faculty has not increased at the same rate. This paper reports the results of a systematic effort to change this pattern by increasing the commitment of department heads in leading departments to the hiring and support of women faculty. Results indicate that participants in a carefully planned intervention changed their attitudes regarding reasons underlying women's underrepresentation and barriers to their progress in the field from pre- to postworkshop. Participants also reported commitment to change immediately after the event and engaging in a number of specific change efforts in the following months. While the quality of these change efforts was not related to changes in attitudes, those with fewer women in their department were more likely to report more fully on change efforts.