Murray State ADVANCE
The Hire Interactive Theatre
The phases of a faculty search are established by university policy and by law, but the process is shaped by implicit and explicit values and behaviors that affect decision-making. This workshop is comprised of short scenes that dramatize key decisions in one search. The narrative begins with the welcome of the new hire, and then moves back intime, scene by scene, to the formation of the search committee. As the story unfolds, facilitated discussion invites participants to question the characters and even to redirect the action by requesting alternate scenarios that support -- or impede-- inclusion and diversity.
OBSERVE witness actors portray brief, familiar moments of bias and challenging interpersonal behavior.
INTERACT stop the action. Ask the characters questions about their experience. Dig into what motivates the characters behaviors. Uncover human reactions that might be difficult to express in the workplace.
REPLAY offer the characters suggestions about how to navigate these situations more successfully. The actors will replay the scene in realtime, utilizing these strategies.
April 7th, 2021
2:00-3:30 PM
Zoom
The Hire Interactive Theatre Register HERE
ADVANCE Adaptation: Leveling the Playing Field, Strategic Equity Initiatives at Murray State University
In a continuation of our ADVANCE work, Murray State University will adapt successful programs from institutions such as University of New Hampshire and University of Washington for use at MSU. Based on our 2017 Climate Survey, we know there are challenges that women STEM faculty face. Through MSU-LEARN, we will develop interactive theatre modules to address implicit bias in search, tenure and promotion processes. Through MSU-GROW, we will develop programs to improve the retention and advancement of women faculty. We will enhance work-life balance at MSU through MSU-LIVE strategies. This $1 million initiative is supported by the National Science Foundation.
ADVANCE In the News
Catalyst Grant: Differences and Deficits Affecting Women STEM Faculty
The final report for our Catalyst award is available here. We appreciate the support
of NSF for this project. We accomplished a great deal in our first three years of
NSF support and are excited about leveraging our accomplishments into our Adaptation
award.
Differences and Deficits Affecting Women STEM Evaluation Report
Differences and Deficits Affecting Women STEM Final Project Report
Recently the work of the ADVANCE Grant was featured on the WKMS program So Good. The interviewed followed the fall workshop with PowerPlay Interactive Theatre addressing
Implicit Bias in search and tenure committees. Dr. Maeve McCarthy had the chance to
share information about the workshop along with details regarding the ADVANCE Grant
with Tracy Ross at WKMS.
WKMS: MSU ADVANCE Program Receives Grant to Continue Education on Minority Implicit
Bias in STEM
Contact Us
- MSU ADVANCE
- 216 I&T Building
- Murray, KY, 42071
- msu.advance@murraystate.edu
- 270.809.2489
Project Team
- Dr. Maeve McCarthy
- Assistant Dean
Jones College of Science, Engineering & Technology
Professor of Mathematics
- 203A I&T Building
- mmccarthy@murraystate.edu
- 270.809.2489
Dr. Maeve McCarthy, Interim Assistant Dean and Professor of Mathematics and Statistics, will serve as the Principal Investigator. She will lead the program, supervise the program coordinator and administrative assistant, and conduct some of the policy review. As the former Executive Director of the Association for Women in Mathematics, she is passionate about gender issues in STEM. Through her work as former Chair of the MSU Insurance and Benefits Committee and PI of the MSU Catalyst grant, she has strong relationships with the MSU administration.
- Dr. David Balthrop
- Dean
Humanities and Fine Arts
Professor of Theatre
- 100 Faculty Hall
- dbalthrop@murraystate.edu
- 270.809.4634
Dr. David Balthrop, co-PI, is the Dean of the College of Humanities and Fine Arts and a Professor of Theatre. He brings valuable experience in theatre to the PI team that will enhance the MSU-LEARN program. His administrative experience and position on the Dean’s Council will be of great benefit. He served on the Internal Advisory Board for the MSU Catalyst grant.
- Dr. Claire Fuller
- Dean
Jones College of Science, Engineering & Technology
Professor of Biological Sciences
- 201A I&T Building
- cfuller@murraystate.edu
- 270.809.5497
Dr. Claire Fuller, co-PI, is the Dean of the Jones College of Science, Engineering and Technology and a Professor of Biological Sciences. She served as a mentor circle facilitator and later co-PI on the MSU Catalyst grant. She brings extensive administrative experience to the project. She will be instrumental in advancing the changes identified as necessary by our project. Dr. Fuller is uniquely positioned to disseminate information amongst administrators and to begin to develop plans to implement changes based on findings.
- Dr. Paula Waddill
- Chair
- Professor of Psychology
- 212 Wells Hall
- pwaddill@murraystate.edu
- 270.809.3539
Dr. Paula Waddill, Chair and Professor of Psychology. She served as a co-PI on the MSU Catalyst grant. She has specialized training in research design and statistical analyses and has served as program evaluator for a variety of grants including projects funded by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the U.S. Department of Education, and the Kentucky Department of Juvenile Justice. She will work closely with the project evaluator, Mariko Chang, to apply her unique expertise in quantitative research to the design, implementation, and analyses of the quantitative survey and the existing institutional data.
- Dr. Robin Zhang
- Chair
Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences
- 335 Blackburn
- qzhang@murraystate.edu
- 270.809.6760
Dr. Robin Zhang, Chair and Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences, co-PI, led a subcommittee to study dual-career policies at other institutions and their possible adoption at MSU. She served as a co-PI on the MSU Catalyst grant. She will coordinate MSU-LIVE with the program coordinator.
Internal Steering Committee
- Bob Jackson, President
- Tim Todd, Provost
- Robert Pervine, Associate Provost
- David Eaton, Arthur J. Bauernfeind College of Business
- Claire Fuller, Jesse D. Jones College of Science, Engineering & Technology
- David Balthrop, College of Humanities & Fine Arts
- Tony Brannon, Hutson School of Agriculture
- Ashley Ireland,University Libraries
- Cami Duffy, Office of Institutional Diversity, Equity & Access
- Joyce Gordon, Human Resources
- Susana Bloomdahl, President's Commission on Diversity & Inclusion
- Melony Shemberger, Faculty Regent
External Steering Committee
- Karen Graham, University of New Hampshire
- Cristina Villalobos, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
- Joan Herbers, Ohio State University
- Mary Anne Holmes, University of Nebraska Lincoln
- Bobby Lee, West Kentucky Community & Technical College, Murray State Biology alumna
- Lauren Schmidt Martin, Appriss, Murray State Math/CS alumna
- Joyce Yen, University of Washington
Announcements
ADVANCE 2017 Climate Study Recommendations
The ADVANCE PIs have made the following recommendations to Murray State based on the
2017
Climate Study:
- Improve perception that work/life balance is a priority at Murray State.
- Provide childcare facility for employees.
- Develop faculty support network by institutionalizing the mentoring circles through
the
Faculty Development Center. - Assess workload expectations, particularly regarding teaching and service.
- Increase salaries to be comparable to peer institutions and establish mechanism for
annual
increases. - Introduce optional bias training with a view to improving recruitment activities,
and tenure
& promotion processes. - Increase exposure to policies about extension of the probationary period (see Faculty
Handbook).