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Moderator: Martina Arndt, Bridgewater State University

A Call to Action! Strategies for STEM Department Chairs in Creating Equity-Minded Faculty Workloads
Gypsy Denzine, Virginia Commonwealth University

"This highly interactive session focuses on how department chairs can be courageous academic leaders by setting the policies, culture, and climate to ensure equity in faculty workloads. Although service typically does not receive the attention, as the “big two” (teaching and research), service is where strong academic leaders can provide the necessary direction and transparency to foster faculty workload equity. This session begins with department chairs reflecting on the types of faculty members in their department. We will review a faculty identity model that identifies one’s commitment to their discipline, as well as one’s commitment to their university/college. Understanding faculty profiles is an important first step before assigning workloads. Next, we will review the research on ""glamour service"" versus ""academic housework."" Most importantly, we will discuss strategies for how department chairs can be transparent with faculty and facilitate workload equity. The latest work on faculty discretionary spaces will be reviewed and we will explore the ACE-ENgAGE report (O’Meara, et a.l, 2021) on equity in faculty workloads. Several models for how to share a faculty workload document will be presented. Department chairs will be guided through an exercise to create a specific plan for addressing workload equity. The call to act now to ensure equity at the department level just arrived!

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