AdvanceVT Annual Report : Year 2 : September 2004 - June 2005

The overall goal of AdvanceVT is to contribute to the development of a national science and engineering academic workforce that includes the full participation of women at all levels of faculty and academic leadership, particularly at the senior academic ranks, through the transformation of institutional practices, policies, climate and culture at Virginia Tech. The program has four major elements: advancing women into faculty careers, increasing the representation of women faculty in science and engineering, empowering women as leaders and scholars, and institutionalizing change through policy review.
Significant accomplishments during year two include increased visibility for gender issues campus wide through an annual workshop with nationally recognized speakers; intensive work with department heads including two presentations to the campus-wide department heads’ breakfast roundtable, discussions at college level department head meetings on university policies, and a two-day orientation program for new department heads; education of search committees on unconscious bias; discussions with faculty focus groups on work/life issues; implementation of a campus-wide faculty survey; and initiation of an intensive leadership development program for women faculty.