Valerie M Conley - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Valerie M Conley

The Qualitative Report, 2020

While mentoring has been identified as a valuable resource in recruiting and retaining underrepre... more While mentoring has been identified as a valuable resource in recruiting and retaining underrepresented minority (URM) faculty, little research has examined the difference in mentoring needs of earlyand midcareer engineering URM faculty members. As these needs can change as they navigate academia and the tenure process, mentors can effectively provide guidance and support only when they have been identified. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to determine the mentoring needs and activities of earlyand mid-career URM engineering faculty who participated in the IMPACT mentoring program and how their needs were met (Moustakas, 1994). The IMPACT program and the associated research were supported by a National Science Foundation Office for Broadening Participation in Engineering award (15-42728 and 15-42524). The Ideal Mentoring Model for URM Faculty served as the theoretical framework and the study included interviews with 11 earlyto mid-career faculty who provided an in-dep...

International Journal of Doctoral Studies

Aim/Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore the efficacy of simulated interactive virtua... more Aim/Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore the efficacy of simulated interactive virtual conversations (chatbots) for mentoring underrepresented minority doctoral engineering students who are considering pursuing a career in the professoriate or in industry. Background: Chatbots were developed under the National Science Foundation INCLUDES Design and Developments Launch Pilot award (17-4458) and provide career advice with responses from a pre-programmed database populated by renowned emeriti engineering faculty. Chatbots have been engineered to fulfill a myriad of roles, such as undergraduate student advisement, but no research has been found that addresses their use with supplemental future faculty mentoring for doctoral students. Methodology: Chatbot efficacy is examined through a phenomenological design with focus groups with underrepresented minority doctoral engineering students. No theoretical or conceptual frameworks exist relative to chatbots designed for future fa...

The report focuses on the demographic characteristics, employment characteristics, workload, prod... more The report focuses on the demographic characteristics, employment characteristics, workload, productivity, compensation, and attitudes of full-time instructional faculty teaching humanities at 4-year institutions of higher education in the fall of 1992. Data tables cover the humanities generally and specific program areas of English and literature, foreign languages, history, and philosophy and religion. Comparisons are made between humanities faculty and faculty in business, law, and communications; natural sciences and engineering; and social sciences and education. Among the highlights noted are the following: (1) faculty holding the rank of full professor varies by discipline; (2) while about one-half of faculty in English and foreign languages were female, only 24 percent in history and 13 percent in philosophy and religion were; (3) a higher percentage of faculty in humanities reported teaching as a principal activity than those in natural or social sciences and education; and (4) humanities faculty were more likely to report dissatisfaction with their workload than faculty business and communications, natural or social sciences, and education. Appendixes include technical notes, standard error tables, and the faculty questionnaire used.(CH)

This study examined retirement and other departure plans of full-and part-time faculty and staff ... more This study examined retirement and other departure plans of full-and part-time faculty and staff in higher education institutions using data from the 1988 and 1993 National Studies of Postsecondary Faculty. Among the study's findings were: 22 percent of full-time and 38 percent of part-time faculty planned to leave their current position within the next three years; 57 percent of full-time faculty and staff planned to retire between the ages of 60 and 70; 28 percent of full-time faculty and staff indicated a willingness to take early retirement; and differences in retirement plans existed by gender, race/ethnicity, academic field, and type and control of institution. The study concluded that institutional policies such as early retirement incentives and part-time employment options may alter employees' retirement plans and behavior. Individual sections of the report detail the study's findings on: characteristics of full-time and part-time instructional faculty and staff; retirement and other separation and mobility plans; mobility to a job not in postsecondary education; expected retirement age or age when planning to leave postsecondary education; and interest in early retirement options. Appended are technical notes, standard error tables, and the survey questionnaires. (DB)

Education Statistics Quarterly, Mar 1, 2002

Part-time faculty members are a sizeable part of the workforce in postsecondary institutions toda... more Part-time faculty members are a sizeable part of the workforce in postsecondary institutions today. Forty-two percent of all instructional faculty and staff were employed part time by their institutions in the fall of 1992, and 44 percent of those individuals were teaching in two-year institutions. Data from the 1993 National Study of Postsecondary Faculty provide valuable insight into the characteristics of this group of faculty from a national perspective. Responses were received from 817 eligible institutions and 25,780 faculty and staff members. A nationally representative sample of faculty and instructional staff received questionnaires in 1993 that asked about their employment in the fall of 1992. This report contains estimates of the characteristics, qualifications, motivations, work patterns, and attitudes of part-time instructional faculty and staff in four-year and two-year institutions by program area in fall 1992. The report compares part-time and full-time faculty, examines some common perceptions about part-time faculty, and provides a comprehensive source of descriptive statistics about part-time faculty. Appendixes contain technical notes and a glossary. (Contains 69 tables, 7 figures, and 23 references.) (SLD) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document.

Planning For Higher Education, Jul 1, 2011

This study reports on a multi-faceted assessment effort for diversity underway at Virginia Polyte... more This study reports on a multi-faceted assessment effort for diversity underway at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. The four major elements of this project include: (1) archival research of the institution's history of segregation and desegregation; (2) a report on the status of women and minority faculty, staff, and students; (3) climate surveys of faculty, staff, and students; and (4) interviews with various constituents and benchmarking visits to other institutions. This paper focuses on the survey of faculty's assessment of the campus climate for diversity. The survey questionnaire, which was mailed to all 2,648 faculty members both on and off campus, included questions on professional treatment and social acceptance in the department, institutional climate, attitudes about affirmative action, level of commitment evidenced by institutional leaders, and personal experiences with discrimination and harassment. The response rate was 50 percent. The survey strongly suggests that experiences and perceptions of non-majority faculty differ in significant ways from those of majority faculty and that majority faculty are generally unaware of the extent of these differences. Both women and faculty of color expressed concern about the institutional commitment to creating a diverse faculty. The survey questionnaire is appended. (Contains 15 references.) (RH) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document.

The current economic downturn has raised awareness of particular challenges faced by colleges and... more The current economic downturn has raised awareness of particular challenges faced by colleges and universities during such uncertain times. Colleges and universities may well find themselves in a position of increased demand for their services at precisely the same time that they are most challenged for financial resources. The imperative for colleges and universities to manage their resources wisely and efficiently has never been more important than it is today. Such stewardship of resources may be a prerequisite for maintaining or increasing funding levels from public and private sources. On May 9, 2008, the TIAA-CREF Institute brought together senior administrators in higher education, leading academic researchers on higher education issues, and the senior leadership of TIAA-CREF to examine means for continuing to fulfill the mission of higher education through strategic management of finances, operations, the workforce and key institutional relationships during uncertain economi...

Colleges and universities sponsor retirement plans—both defined benefit (DB) and defined contribu... more Colleges and universities sponsor retirement plans—both defined benefit (DB) and defined contribution (DC)—to provide retirement income security for their employees. Plan sponsorship in higher education appears successful relative to other sectors of the economy. This makes plans in higher education, in particular, DC plans, models for consideration by public policy analysts. But plan designs in higher education are not static and unchanging. Colleges and universities must ensure that their plans are not only effective in providing retirement income security, but that they are cost-effective in doing so. In addition, sponsored plans must be competitive in the labor market. This report documents and examines " typical " retirement plan design (both DB and DC) in higher education, along with retirement-related programs, policies and practices. This includes the sponsorship of retiree health insurance and retirement incentives programs. Data is based upon a national survey of...

PsycEXTRA Dataset, 2000

Page 1. NATIONAL CENTER FOR EDUCATION STATISTICS Statistical Analysis Report March 2002 1993 Nati... more Page 1. NATIONAL CENTER FOR EDUCATION STATISTICS Statistical Analysis Report March 2002 1993 National Study of Postsecondary Faculty (NSOPF:93) Part-Time Instructional Faculty and Staff: Who They Are, What ...

New Directions for Higher Education, 2005

We focus in this chapter on a few basic questions underlying the rationale for and framing of pha... more We focus in this chapter on a few basic questions underlying the rationale for and framing of phased retirement policies. Our overall conclusion is that in the absence of mandatory retirement, policies need to strike a balance between the needs and interests of ...

Advances in Gender Research, 2014

NASPA Journal, 2001

Abstract This study investigated the demographic diversity of the labor pool for entry-level prof... more Abstract This study investigated the demographic diversity of the labor pool for entry-level professional positions in student affairs. Two sources were used: the data maintained by the National Center for Education Statistics on degrees conferred in fields related to student ...

Research in Higher Education, 2005

In this study, we use data from the 1999 National Study of Postsecondary Faculty (NSOPF:99) to me... more In this study, we use data from the 1999 National Study of Postsecondary Faculty (NSOPF:99) to measure the unexplained wage gap between men and women in academe. We pay particular attention to how these unexplained wage gaps have changed over time by comparing the results from the 1999 survey to published results from previous national surveys and test for the sensitivity of these findings to the method used for measuring the unexplained wage gap and the type of institution or field being examined. We found that there has been a notable reduction in the overall unexplained wage gap between men and women, and that there is no longer any evidence of a statistically significant pay differential between men and women in doctoral-level or liberal arts institutions. The results also show that significant pay differentials still persist in some segments of academe, and that overall women with comparable qualifications to men have lower salaries.

Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice, 2000

The Journal of Higher Education, 2011

This study examines pre-tenure faculty members' perception of collegial relationships with c... more This study examines pre-tenure faculty members' perception of collegial relationships with colleagues. We primarily focus on the organizational socialization of female faculty and faculty of color, and faculty in different pre-tenure career stages. We found differences in satisfaction with collegial relationships between faculty by gender, race, and pre-tenure career stages.