Kelly McKeon, Class of 2020
Clemson’s faculty members are being trained to identify and combat gender bias and discrimination as Tiger Advocates through Tigers ADVANCE, a $3.4 million National Science Foundation grant.
The Tiger Advocates workshops have been tailored to Clemson through the examination of case studies on gender bias at Clemson. Currently, 94 faculty and staff members and 22 administrators at Clemson have been trained as Tiger Advocates through the program.
The Tiger Advocates group aims to “unlock the potential residing in all faculty at Clemson University by fostering and encouraging a more inclusive community via engagement with the men of Clemson to address existing gender bias and ingrained inequities.”
Training sessions are free and specifically tailored to male faculty. They were created by Senior Advocates Harry Kurtz, Murali Sitaraman, Joshua Summers, Tom Britt and Mark Schlautman. The next training session will take place from 1 to 3 p.m. Nov. 16 in 538 Edwards Hall. Register here.
“Tiger advocates is one of many valuable opportunities on campus for faculty to step outside themselves and glimpse the world from someone else’s perspective,” said Brian N. Dominy, Ph.D., the associate dean of the graduate school. “These opportunities provide us with the opportunity to grow into better colleagues, better mentors, better teachers, and better people.”
Attendees of a Tiger Advocates workshop will learn about the climate of gender bias at Clemson and to discuss the case studies from Clemson.
Tigers ADVANCE is currently developing training sessions tailored to male staff members and female faculty and staff members.
In the meantime, female faculty and staff can become involved with the Advocate Advisory Board. The all-female group meets monthly with the Senior Advocates to ensure that the female perspective and experience is included in the development of the training sessions.
“Our community will benefit from a committed group of partners with the knowledge and skills to recognize instances of gender bias, challenge problematic cultural norms, and champion policy and procedural changes that promote diversity and inclusivity,” said Heidi Zinzow, Advocate Advisory Board lead.
Learn more about Tigers ADVANCE initiative here.
