AGU Diversity Plan

The AGU Diversity Plan was developed by the Committee on Education and Human Resources, with input from its Subcommittee on Diversity. The plan was approved by CEHR in May 2002.

Preface

The present Earth and space scientific community does not reflect the true diversity of the people that inhabit our planet. This population disparity is especially seen within the US scientific community. Women, racial and ethnic minorities, and persons with disabilities are under-represented as scientists when compared with their proportions within society. Thus, valuable human resources, that can bring insights, perspectives, and talents into our programs, are not being given the opportunity to add to the knowledge base of science.

The increasingly global relevance of the Earth and space scientific enterprise compels us to work to improve diversity within the field. Moreover, the 21st century changes in US demographics make the issue of increasing diversity urgent. Failure to improve diversity could have important ramifications for the economic, social, and scientific health of our fields.

Historically, AGU has aggressively worked to improve access of scientists within developing countries to modern scientific opportunities. Now, AGU is taking a leadership role in addressing diversity within the Earth and space sciences. Specifically, AGU Council has identified improving diversity of its membership as an explicit goal (EHR-4) in the 2002–2004 AGU Plan. In response to this goal, the Committee on Education and Human Resources (CEHR) established in 2001 a Subcommittee on Diversity (DSC), whose goals are to:

The following AGU Diversity Plan was developed by the DSC and approved by CEHR during a series of meetings held in late 2001-early 2002 (Appendix B). This report summarizes the motivation for and rationale behind an AGU diversity strategy and discusses some of the issues and obstacles that AGU must confront in order to address this problem. This document both lays out the framework for a long-term diversity strategy for AGU, by defining specific goals and objectives, and identifies specific programs that can be used to initiate implementation of this plan.

Statement of the Issue

The Earth and space sciences are in danger of losing a significant portion of the workforce necessary to ensure its future. Evidence for this problem includes:

The 21st century demographics of the US population in grades K–12, i.e., the future scientists of America, are shifting rapidly. Minority populations have had the greatest proportional increase within the United States during the decade of the 1990′s. Presently, racial and ethnic minorities, women, and persons with disabilities are not replacing the potential workforce shortfall. This is despite the fact that the percentage of ethnic and racial minorities in the resident US population is ~40% of the future talent pool, i.e. elementary school students (US Census Bureau, 2000). Students from minority groups are not choosing geoscience careers for a variety of reasons, not all of which are fully understood. AGU has a leadership role to play in addressing this problem. It is essential that new strategies for educating, recruiting, and retaining geoscientists from currently under-represented populations be developed in order to fill this future workforce shortfall. The potential ramifications of this situation — for individual investigators seeking students to fill classes or work in their research programs, for institutions looking to replace faculty and researchers, for the larger community looking to the public for continued research funding, and for the future US membership of AGU — could be crippling. Therefore, the challenge for AGU is to identify, promote, and implement effective strategies that increase diversity within the Earth and space sciences.

Background

Motivation

AGU is a worldwide scientific community that advances, through unselfish cooperation in research, the understanding of Earth and space for the benefit of humanity (AGU Plan 2004). AGU exists to advance the geophysical sciences by catalyzing and supporting the efforts of individual scientists within and outside the membership. We organize and disseminate information for the scientific community. As a learned society we have an obligation to serve the public good; we meet this obligation by fostering quality in the geophysical sciences and bringing the results of research to the public. By working to ensure diversity in the Earth and space sciences, AGU will be improving the workforce in and continued productivity and efficiency of science, while further expanding the public audience with whom we share our research product.

Science is improved through diversity. Research demonstrates that cooperative groups composed of diverse populations are able to perform more effectively in resolving and understanding issues from different perspectives (Johnson and Johnson, 1998; Butler and Kirwan, 2002). Yet, the Earth and space sciences community has done a poor job of tapping into the available human resource pool. As outlined in the AGU Plan for 2002–2004, this unexamined resource exists throughout both the developed and developing areas of the globe. AGU is concerned that, by not capitalizing on this large and essentially untapped supply of young people, we are not benefiting from the important insights they can offer. By developing incentives that foster inclusiveness, AGU will help to ensure that our scientific effort has the potential to reach the highest level of quality that is achievable.

Broad efforts to attract and retain new scientists will benefit all as more diverse populations become fascinated with science and its potential for serving humanity. Of greater impact to individual investigators, a healthy influx of young, talented students interested in the Earth and space sciences will ensure the vitality of their undergraduate and graduate courses and provide the necessary workforce for the research enterprise. It is also worth noting that a public that understands and appreciates the importance of the Earth and space sciences will be more likely to continue financial support of research in these disciplines, as well as utilize the results of that research more wisely in making policy decisions that affect all of our futures. AGU recognizes that the numerous benefits produced by exposing underrepresented populations to Earth and space science concepts will help us to fulfill the multiple missions of our organization.

Attracting persons under-represented in the Earth and space sciences will require work and collaborations at all levels. K-16+ academic institutions, school boards, industry, political and other social organizations, and scientific, mathematics, and engineering societies must be included in this endeavor. It is particularly essential that AGU coordinate its efforts with those of the other scientific societies, in order to minimize duplication, avoid conflicting strategies, and leverage the limited resources available to address this problem. Furthermore, all of the efforts these organizations make must be culturally sensitive to the populations that we wish to attract (Barstow et al., 2002).

Demographic Changes in the United States

Rapid demographic changes in the resident US population will have a dramatic impact on the scientific workforce (United States Census Bureau, 2001a, b; NSF Workforce Doc, 2000). As seen in Figure 1, the proportion of non-white, college-aged students is expected to increase to nearly 40% of the total population by the year 2010. Although the African American and Native American groups will increase little, the number of Asian Americans, a population significantly underrepresented in the Earth and space sciences, is projected to experience the most rapid growth rate in the United States for the next 20+ years, especially in the western states. By the year 2025, more that 50% of the populations in New Mexico, Texas and California will be comprised of racial and ethnic minority groups. In particular, the Hispanic populations of those states are presently the majority or will be the majority ethnic group by 2025. These changes in demographics will especially be seen in academic institutions. The Chronicle of Higher Education (2001), for example, notes that > 50% of the student population in California colleges and universities are presently comprised of racial and ethnic minorities.

The Earth and space science workforce lags behind all other sciences in engaging and retaining women and minorities, amplifying the impact of these demographic changes on our community. Of all scientific fields of study pursued by African Americans and Hispanics, the geosciences rank last (R. Czujko, pers. comm., 2002; note this table will be added when the report is released). Figure 2 shows the number of degrees granted in the geosciences between the period 1980 to 2000, separated by gender and ethnicity (AGI, 2001). Although the proportion of women undergraduate students within the Earth and space sciences has increased (due to decline in the number of male students), the overall numbers of women entering the field has not, particularly relative to their proportion in the US population (51%). Further, the proportion of women receiving post-graduate degrees in these fields has decreased at all levels. This decline further occurs at the professional level (AGI, 2001). Moreover, the proportion of all minority groups studying the Earth and space sciences, nationwide, never approached 10% of the overall population. Clearly, recruitment and retention are critical to future success in improving diversity.

Cultural Factors

In order to provide successful leadership at this critical juncture, AGU must understand the factors that shape this issue, including demographic trends, community and cultural issues, and weaknesses in current education and outreach programs that have caused limited participation of diverse groups within the Earth and space sciences. We currently have an insufficient understanding of the barriers to participation for minorities and women in these fields. Of the numerous factors that are known to influence this situation, many relate to issues of lifestyle, cultural expectations, and differences in educational pathways. Although there is some overlap, the obstacles for women and cultural/ethnic minorities differ. For women, retention is as important an issue as recruitment, whereas for other minorities, exposure to and recruitment into these fields is the primary hurdle to overcome at this stage. If the number of participating minorities were to increase, retention issues could become more apparent, and anecdotal evidence suggests that a significant proportion of minorities who begin their post-secondary lives in geoscience leave early in their careers (B. Cuker, pers. comm.., 2002). Physical constraints imposed on scientists with disabilities probably define an additional category of obstacles, but without representation of this segment of the population on the DSC, it is difficult to assess these concerns. It is imperative that AGU fully gauge and understand the nature of these cultural disincentives if we are to change diversity within the Earth and space sciences. The DSC recognizes the following specific issues are likely to be important factors that will need to be addressed:

Educational pathways are a particularly relevant consideration when considering effective methods for recruiting more cultural/ethnic minorities into the geosciences. Demographic analyses reveal that minority populations are opting to enroll into two-year colleges and Minority Serving Institutions (MSI) over majority four-year universities. Forty-six percent of African Americans, 55% of Hispanics, 46% of Asian/Pacific Islanders, and 55% of Native American undergraduate students are presently enrolled in two-year colleges (Phillippe, 2000). In addition, the majority of African American and Hispanic scientists and engineers graduated from MSI (Czujko, 2002a; 2002b [in preparation]). Yet, the number of geoscience programs or faculty with training in the Earth and space sciences (or related fields) in these types of academic institutions is extremely small, thereby greatly limiting the access of these students to these fields. Thus, effective collaboration with two-year colleges and MSIs will be critical in improving diversity in the Earth and space sciences.

Opportunities for Change

The 21st century changes in demographics provide an opportunity for professionals in Earth and space science fields to attract persons traditionally underrepresented in science. The executive and legislative branches of the Federal government have mandated advancing diversity and educational opportunities for underrepresented populations. As a result, Federal agencies are now instituting diversity initiatives. Further, Federal funding agencies now recognize diversity as a necessary component in achieving their societal goals, and utilize these criteria for award consideration. Corporations are also eager to engage in and foster efforts to promote diversity in the scientific workforce, both in response to obligations imposed by these federal policy changes and in recognition of the demand for a workforce that can function effectively in an increasingly global business climate, which is intrinsically diverse.

The Role of AGU

Recruitment and retention of persons under-represented in Earth and space sciences is viewed as being paramount to the future of AGU as an organization, and Earth and space sciences as a field of study. As a global community of over 40,000 Earth and space scientists, many of whom actively volunteer in support of its education and outreach programs, AGU is well positioned to play a major leadership role in improving diversity within the geosciences. Although AGU has initiated diversity-oriented education and outreach activities in the past — most notable is the Minority Participation Program, now administered by AGI — it has been approximately 20 years since AGU has taken the lead on issues related to diversity. Renewed efforts to promote diversity undertaken by AGU must be fully integrated with the overall goals of the Union, as defined in the current AGU Plan and the AGU Plan for 2004–2006, if real impact is to be achieved. In assessing the proper role for AGU, CEHR has outlined the unique strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats that the Union faces in trying to achieve its goals regarding diversity. Further, AGU must determine its most effective course of action within the context of the resources that are presently and/or potentially available.

Overview of Recommendations

To accomplish the goals established by the CEHR, it is recommended that AGU:

These efforts must be accomplished within the short-term and long-term goals of the AGU. Furthermore, they must be done in such a manner that the unique mission and identity of the AGU are honored and preserved.

Long-Term Goals

This overarching vision for improving diversity in the Earth and space sciences will require a long time commitment by AGU and the Earth and space sciences communities. As AGU moves into the future to realize this vision, it should work toward these four goals:

Educate and involve the AGU membership in diversity issues.

Evolving ethno-cultural demographics in the student talent pool and the significant turnover anticipated for the existing professional corps will soon have profound impacts on the future face of AGU and the ability of Union members to conduct their research and educational activities. Many AGU members are unaware of these projected demographic challenges, and some are ill-equipped to act effectively on such knowledge.

Enhance and foster the participation of scientists, Earth and space science educators, and “pre-service scientists” from under-represented groups in AGU activities.

Through committee and leadership appointments, honors and awards, AGU can acknowledge the pioneering efforts of the existing underrepresented scientific population, and encourage their leadership in advancing the visibility and success of underrepresented scientists. The meetings, publications and education and outreach programs sponsored by AGU offer excellent tools for exposing teachers and science students from underrepresented communities to knowledge about the Earth and space sciences and their effect on daily life. Providing opportunities for students and faculty from Minority Serving Institutions (e.g., HBCUs, Tribal Colleges) and two-year colleges to easily participate in AGU programs will be an important catalyst in achieving this goal.

Increase the visibility of the Earth and space sciences and foster awareness of career opportunities in these fields for under-represented populations.

Many minority students receive little exposure to the Earth and space sciences in K-12 or undergraduate curricula and have few opportunities to participate in research in these fields as college students. Most Minority Serving Institutions do not have the appropriate departments or expertise on the faculty, or do not offer majors in the relevant subjects. Many minority students get their science credits while enrolled at 2-year colleges, few of which only offer Associates degrees in fields related to geoscience. Lack of familiarity with these subjects hampers efforts to recruit minority students into graduate studies or careers in these fields. As career choices in many minority cultures are often influenced by considerations such as parental endorsement, new marketing tactics are required to reach these communities.

Promote changes in the academic culture that remove barriers and disincentives for increasing diversity in the student and faculty populations and that reward member-faculty wishing to pursue these goals.

The failure to diversify the faculties and student populations in most Earth and space science departments suggests that there are prohibitive barriers, inappropriate pedagogical practices, or insensitive policies that make the academic environment unattractive to underrepresented groups. Recent efforts to increase the diversity of faculty and students in academic institutions engaged in Earth and space science research and education have not been very successful, indicating that new strategies are required. AGU can benefit from general science education reform efforts (particularly in the physics and mathematics communities) that build on the new recognition that different learning styles, pedagogical methods and cultural paradigms need to be considered. AGU is at the heart of a planet-wide network of societies and individuals in the geophysical sciences. Through this network, and in partnership with other geophysical scientific societies, AGU can help to identify these barriers and disincentives and develop new strategies for mitigating their effects.

Near-Term Objectives

These objectives provide further guidance for Union activities that address the long-term goals of the diversity plan. Near-term refers to programs that will either be accomplished, or for which significant progress will have been made, by 30 June 2004.

Goal: Educate and involve the AGU membership in diversity issues.

Goal: Enhance and foster the participation of scientists, Earth and space science educators, and “pre-service scientists” from under-represented groups in AGU activities.

Goal: Increase the visibility of the Earth and space sciences and foster awareness of career opportunities in these fields for under-represented populations.

Goal: Promote changes in the academic culture that remove barriers and disincentives for increasing diversity in the student and faculty populations and that reward member-faculty wishing to pursue these goals.

Objectives that serve all four goals.

References

American Geological Institute, 2001, “Guide to Geoscience Departments” Barstow, D., E. Geary, H. Yazijian, and S. Schafer, 2002, “Blueprint for Change: Report from the National Conference on the Revolution in Earth and Space Science Education”, 100 p.

Butler, S.G., and W.E. Kirwan, II, 2002, “Investing in People: Developing All of America’s Talent on Campus and in the Workplace”, Business-Higher Education Forum, American Council on Education, Washington, DC, 50 p.

Chronicle of Higher Education, 2001, “Almanac Issue: 2001–2002″

Czujko, R., 2002a (in preparation), “African Americans in Physics and Geosciences”, American Institute of Physics

Czujko, R., 2002b (in preparation) “Hispanics in Physics and Geosciences”, American Institute of Physics

Directorate of Geosciences/National Science Foundation (NSF/GEO), 2000, Strategy for Developing a Program for Opportunities for Enhancing Diversity in the Geosciences (NSF 01–53)

Johnson, D.W., and R.T. Johnson, 1998, “Values, the Classroom and Cultural Diversity”, in Leicester, M. Modgill, C. Modgill, editors, Cooperative Learning, Values and Culturally Plural Classrooms, London: Cassell PLC., p. 1–17.

National Science Foundation, 2001a, Data Brief: “Growth Continued in Graduate Enrollment in Science and Engineering Fields”, NSF 01–312

National Science Foundation, 2001b, “Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering: Fall 1999″, NSF 01–315

Phillippe, K, 2000, “National Profile of Community Colleges: Trends and Statistics, Third Edition (2000) Community College Press, American Association of Community Colleges

United States Census Bureau, 2000, “NP-D1-A: Projections of the Resident Population by Age, Sex, Race, and Hispanic Origin: 1999–2100.

United States Census Bureau, 2001, “Population Projections: States, 1995–2025″, 6 p.

United States Census Bureau, 2001b, “Population Profiles of the United States: America at the Close of the 20th Century”, 89 p.

Subcommittee on Diversity

Claudia Alexander (Co-Chair) – Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Frank Hall (Chair) – University of New Orleans
Raymond Hall – Environmental Protection Agency
Michael Howell – University of South Florida
Gregory Jenkins – Pennsylvania State University
Roberta Johnson – University Corporation for Atmospheric Research
Rosaly Lopes – Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Dina Lopez – Ohio University
Eric Riggs – San Diego State University
Judith Vergun – Oregon State University