Improving Department Climate Through Bias Literacy: One College's Experience.

Area of Science:

• Higher Education
• Diversity and Inclusion
• Organizational Psychology

Background:

• Institutions of higher education increasingly use implicit bias training to foster campus diversity and inclusion.
• Implicit bias can negatively impact workplace dynamics and hinder equitable practices within academic settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of a 3-hour implicit bias workshop for engineering faculty at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
• To assess changes in faculty awareness, individual actions, and departmental climate related to implicit bias.

Main Methods:

• A 3-hour "Breaking the Bias Habit®" workshop was delivered to engineering faculty.
• Post-workshop evaluation forms, 6-12 month follow-up surveys, and in-person interviews were used for data collection.

Main Results:

• Faculty awareness of implicit bias significantly increased post-workshop.
• Individual motivation, self-efficacy, and self-reported bias-reduction actions did not show significant increases.
• Departmental climates improved, and bias-reduction actions at the department level were observed.
• Women and faculty of color reported no increase in negative behaviors and more frequent departmental discussions on bias.

Conclusions:

• The implicit bias workshops enhanced faculty awareness and positively impacted departmental climates and actions.
• While individual behavioral changes were not immediately evident, the intervention shows promise for systemic improvements in diversity and inclusion.
• Continued implementation and measurement are supported by the observed positive effects on departmental processes and diverse faculty experiences.