Inclusion, belonging, and institutional climate - overlooked factors driving diverse STEM faculty turnover?

Abstract

Faculty turnover at institutes of higher learning disrupts educational continuity, compromises scholarly activity, has negative impacts on learner experiences, and is costly. As such, understanding the reasons why faculty leave-especially in cases where they plan to stay in academia-is critically important with respect to designing and implementing informed retention initiatives. We conducted a survey of STEM faculty who recently switched institutions to gain insights into factors driving their decision to leave. Across all respondents, we found that factors relating to culture/climate were more important than factors relating to pay/compensation or position title. This relative prioritization was even more apparent among women faculty and faculty from disadvantaged backgrounds. We contextualize and discuss the implications of our findings and provide strategies for cultivating inclusive climates to promote faculty retention.