By: Leona A. Harris, Associate Professor of Mathematics, University of the District of Columbia, @DrLeona

In 2010, the American Association of University Women (AAUW) published a report indicating that there are clear gender disparities that continue to persist in the STEM educational and professional pipelines. The report, “Why So Few? Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM),” outlined eight key research findings that “provide evidence that social and environmental factors contribute to the underrepresentation of women in science and engineering.” Some of the barriers to success and advancement for women in STEM professions (including college and university faculty) highlighted in the report include stereotypes, gender bias, societal beliefs, implicit bias, and workplace bias/climate.

In 2016, women only held 17% of the tenured and tenure-track faculty positions and 11% of the full professor positions in PhD-granting mathematics departments, according to the Annual Survey for the Mathematical Sciences in the US. So why are the numbers still so grim? Why do so many women continue to fall out of the STEM pipeline? What can women faculty do individually and collectively to change the culture for themselves and others?

These are all questions that I have been pondering for some time while reflecting on my own career trajectory and the life stories of some dynamic women in the academy that I happen to know. When we get together or have individual/group discussions about recent achievements, current projects, career progression, and future goals, after the celebratory recaps of our successes, we ultimately end up sharing stories of professional obstacles that appear to have similar themes to what’s been found in the literature.

Studies have shown that some of the common barriers that limit career progression for women faculty in STEM disciplines include

• A lack of work-life balance;

•  Isolation and/or lack of camaraderie;

• A lack of departmental and/or institutional support;

•  A lack of professional development and leadership opportunities;

• A lack of mentoring or sponsorship;

•  Less than ideal or hostile work environments; and

•  Burn-out.

Why these barriers continue to exist for women in the academy, is a conversation for another day. But many of us, women in the academy, can attest to the fact that during the course of our careers, we have been faced with one or more of these barriers. I would argue that without having good mentorship relationships throughout the progression of one’s academic career, these experiences/obstacles could be almost impossible to overcome. While there is always a need for institutional support structures to be put in place by administrators to address any systemic barriers for women faculty that have been identified, we can shift the focus to what we can do as individuals to counteract any of these obstacles that we might face.

I think that it is important for us to realize that individual success is best achieved when one has a network of supporters who are invested in our success. In addition, one piece of advice that I was given early in my career still rings true: You must always be your own advocate! Most people think of self-advocacy as speaking up for oneself, but it also involves knowing who you are and what you need, and how to get those needs met. In this context, I believe that the best way for us to be strong advocates for ourselves is to have a well-defined plan for success independent of and quite possibly in the midst of the common barriers we might encounter along the way. This involves developing and implementing S.M.A.R.T. goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound goals) that clearly articulate our plans for successful career progression; identifying and soliciting the supports and opportunities that we’ll need to achieve those goals; and creating an actionable plan for seeking advisement, mentorship, collaboration, and/or sponsorship during critical transition points.

Strong mentoring relationships can change your life. I can attest to this from my own life experiences. I believe that mentorship is absolutely imperative for career progression. They can be the driving force to help you deal with obstacles head-on and are essential when your journey requires you to change course. Mentorship relationships not only affect the mentee and mentor, but they can have profound effects on organizational culture and climate. Some colleges and universities are beginning to answer the call and are exploring the best practices for systematically increasing faculty diversity and faculty success through formal mentorship programs (A list of some of the programs can be found here.). In addition, some schools and organizations have developed guides that outline the best practices for developing strong mentorship relationships. In their extensive mentoring guide, Columbia University explores research findings on effective mentoring strategies including the benefits of different mentoring models (traditional, peer, near-peer, group, network, and sponsorship) and the qualities of effective mentors and responsible mentees.

The mentoring guide breaks down the various mentor roles into two categories:

(1) A mentor with technical or instrumental career functions is

• An advisor for overall professional goals and career choices;

•  An advisor for development of academic scholarship;

• A facilitator of professional networking within and outside of the institution;

•  Sponsor who provides specific strategic opportunities with career relevance; and/or

• Advisor for the development of teaching skills.

(2) A mentor with psychosocial or expressive career functions is

• A promoter of scholarly values and professional integrity;

• An advocate;

• A role model;

• A coach;

• An intellectual challenger;

• A colleague; and/or

•  A supporter.

When you begin to explore the list of the different roles that you may need a mentor to take on in your own academic career, it becomes abundantly clear that it is difficult to find all of these attributes in one person. You will need different mentors for different reasons and as you progress through your career the types and numbers of mentors that you’ll need in order to maximize success will change over time. When we think of the mentor/mentee relationship, many of us still think of the traditional “hierarchical” model with a “senior” mentor and a “junior“ mentee. However, evidence is increasing that peer and near-peer mentoring models, group-based mentoring models, and network-based mentoring models are extremely beneficial for women in the academy. These models have been shown to increase feelings of “belonging” and “fit”, thereby decreasing feelings of “isolation” and inducing feelings of empowerment.   The Enhancing Diversity in Graduate Education (EDGE) Program is an excellent example of a successful program for women in the mathematical sciences that has each of the mentoring models uniquely woven into the structure of the program.

In her article, “When It Comes to Mentoring, the More the Merrier” Kerry Ann Rockquemore, Founder at National Center for Faculty Development & Diversity (NCFDD), gives pointers for faculty who are “not getting the information, resources, access, connections, sponsorship, and encouragement” they need to be successful in their academic careers. She stresses that we should shift from the “guru-based” mentoring model of searching for an “all-knowing” mentor to building a broad and deep network of mentors/advisors/sponsors who can assist with our various needs. And, she shares a Mentoring Map that faculty can use to assess the areas where they need assistance, determine what mentors they already have to help in certain areas, and identify the areas where they need new mentors to fill the gaps. 

I started this article with the question “When Strong Mentoring Relationships are Missing from the Equation, Can Women Maximize Success in the Academy?” I believe the answer is no and I really wanted this to be a call to action for each person reading this: each of us can build a strong network of mentorship relationships of our own to maximize our opportunities for success, and we can also be willing to be a part of someone else’s network. I believe that the network-based mentoring model has the ability to transform the academy. I’m in. What about you?

Dr. Leona A. Harris is an Associate Professor of Mathematics and a former Chair of the Division of Sciences and Mathematics at the University of the District of Columbia. Dr. Harris is the Executive Director of the National Association of Mathematicians and a Co-Founder of the Infinite Possibilities Conference. Throughout her career, Dr. Harris has forged strong partnerships with faculty colleagues, and professionals in education, industry, and government through academic support programs for underrepresented minorities and women, curriculum and program development, and interdisciplinary research.