Research & Evaluation
A central goal of the ADVANCE program is to be a resource to University administration and provide information that can guide institutional decision-making, particularly on issues that concern faculty. Our efforts include collecting and monitoring institutional data, conducting research studies to inform institutional policy and practice and regularly assessing the climate in individual units and campus-wide.
The U-M ADVANCE Program aims to improve our campus environment for faculty in four general areas: recruitment, retention, leadership, and climate. The ADVANCE Program assesses the campus climate through a series of campus-wide faculty surveys (reports from those surveys can be found below) as well as individualized assessments of schools and departments.
ADVANCE Research & Evaluation Services
For almost 25 years, the ADVANCE Program has provided individual climate assessments to academic units at the University of Michigan. We also offer salary equity analysis and customized research services to schools, departments, and programs. Learn more about our services and how we can support your unit’s needs.
Research & Evaluation Report Topics
ADVANCE’s research is organized by the following key topic areas. Click on a topic to view the research that falls under each key topic area, along with more details about each research item.
CLIMATE EXPERIENCES
FACULTY COMPOSITION
RETENTION
EXPERIENCES OF FACULTY GROUPS
COVID-19 IMPACT
INTERACTIVE DASHBOARD DATA
Climate Experiences
The Importance of Work-Life Balance for Faculty
Published: 2025
Subtopics: Faculty Track, Work-life Balance, Job Satisfaction
The Importance of Work-Life Balance for Faculty uses ADVANCE’s 2023 campus-wide survey of faculty to explore work-life balance among all faculty tracks (tenure-track, clinical, research, and lecturer). While faculty on all tracks reported spending more hours weekly on work than personal time, the ratio of work versus personal time hours varied across tracks. Of importance, greater work-life balance reported by faculty also predicted greater satisfaction with their current U-M positions.
Report document links:
Faculty Mentorship Reports
Subtopics: Gender, Race/Ethnicity, Rank
Faculty Receiving Mentorship by Rank, Gender, and Race and Faculty Serving as Mentors by Rank, Gender, and Race pull insights from ADVANCE’s 2023 campus-wide faculty survey to explore mentorship between faculty. These reports examine which faculty receive mentorship and which faculty serve as mentors for other faculty, assessing patterns by rank, gender, and race. Of these factors, rank alone has a significant relationship with mentorship, with assistant professors having mentors significantly more than other ranks, and full professors serving as mentors significantly more than other ranks.
Report document links:
2023 Faculty Climate Report 1
Subtopics: Gender, Race/Ethnicity, Rank
This report describes the results from the fifth wave of ADVANCE’s campus-wide faculty survey administered in 2023. The report specifically focuses on the experiences of tenure-track faculty by intersectional groups (gender by race/ethnicity) as well as tenure-track faculty by rank.
Campus Climate and Faculty Diversity at U‐M: Three Critical Factors
Subtopics: BIPOC, Faculty Recruitment & Retention
This report describes three critical factors linking campus climate and faculty diversity that underscore the importance of recruiting and retaining underrepresented faculty at U-M.
2017 Campus-Wide All Faculty Climate Report
Subtopic: BIPOC
This report describes the results from the fourth wave of ADVANCE’s campus-wide faculty survey administered in 2017. The report specifically focuses on the experiences of tenure-track faculty campus-wide within three broad disciplinary groups, with an emphasis on the work environment for women and faculty of color. Further, the work environment for faculty in 2017 is compared to the work environment as assessed in the previous climate assessment conducted in 2012.
Study of Named Lectureships
This preliminary study documents the rates at which men and women are invited to deliver high status, named lectures campus-wide.
Relationship between Faculty Influence/Voice and Bias/Exclusion to Job Satisfaction and Turnover Intent
Subtopic: Faculty Recruitment & Retention
The analyses in this report utilized measures from the ADVANCE Program’s aggregated climate assessment data. This data set includes tenure-track faculty from U-M departments, schools, and units that took part in ADVANCE climate assessments between 2008 and 2015. These analyses provide another way to assess important climate indicators and their consequences.
Assessing the Academic Work Environment for Clinical-Track and Research-Track Faculty
Subtopic: Faculty Retention
Assessing the Work Environment for Clinical-Track Faculty at the University of Michigan Medical School in 2012: Gender and Race as Factors in School Climate and Career Experiences
Assessing the Work Environment for Research-Track Faculty at the University of Michigan in 2012: Gender and Race as Factors in Climate- and Career-Related Experiences
Predictors of Job Satisfaction for Tenure-Track Faculty at the University of Michigan in 2012
Subtopic: Faculty Retention
These reports examine the climate experiences, qualities and characteristics of faculty work life, career experiences, and job satisfaction for faculty at U-M, based on surveys conducted by the U-M ADVANCE Program. Three of the reports provide an analysis of overtime comparisons from previous years (i.e. 2001, 2006, 2012) and the third report examines predictors of job satisfaction at U-M in 2012. These reports and accompanying tables include group differences by gender, race, and discipline, and discuss implications for women faculty and faculty of color (see Assessing the Academic Work Environment for Tenure-Track Faculty at the University of Michigan in 2012: Predictors of Job Satisfaction).
The role of Gender, Race, and Discipline in Climate Factors for Tenured/Tenure-Track Faculty in 2006 and 2012
Subtopic: Faculty Retention
These reports examine the climate experiences, qualities and characteristics of faculty work life, career experiences, and job satisfaction for faculty at U-M, based on surveys conducted by the U-M ADVANCE Program. Three of the reports provide an analysis of overtime comparisons from previous years (i.e. 2001, 2006, 2012) and the third report examines predictors of job satisfaction at U-M in 2012. These reports and accompanying tables include group differences by gender, race, and discipline, and discuss implications for women faculty and faculty of color (see Assessing the Academic Work Environment for Tenure-Track Faculty at the University of Michigan in 2012: Predictors of Job Satisfaction).
The role of Gender and Race in Climate Factors for Science and Engineering Tenured/Tenure-Track Faculty in 2001, 2006, and 2012
Subtopic: Faculty Retention
These reports examine the climate experiences, qualities and characteristics of faculty work life, career experiences, and job satisfaction for faculty at U-M, based on surveys conducted by the U-M ADVANCE Program. Three of the reports provide an analysis of overtime comparisons from previous years (i.e. 2001, 2006, 2012) and the third report examines predictors of job satisfaction at U-M in 2012. These reports and accompanying tables include group differences by gender, race, and discipline, and discuss implications for women faculty and faculty of color (see Assessing the Academic Work Environment for Tenure-Track Faculty at the University of Michigan in 2012: Predictors of Job Satisfaction).
Faculty Composition
2025 Indicator Report: Faculty Leadership & Recognition
Published: 2026
Subtopic: Faculty Leadership & Recognition
The ADVANCE Program 2025 indicator report includes an update of the demographic composition of tenure-track faculty at U-M, and provides an examination of leadership and recognition composition by gender and race-ethnicity at four time points: AY2016, AY2019, AY2022, and AY2025. We found that women are increasingly represented in leadership positions, there is inconsistent growth in faculty of color leadership, and that recognition is an area for attention. Perceptions of leadership exclusion did not vary by gender or race-ethnicity, and suggest the need for continued support as nearly 1 in 4 faculty feels excluded from leadership opportunities.
2024 Indicator Report: Faculty Retention & Departure
Published: 2026
Subtopic: Faculty Retention & Departure
The ADVANCE Program 2024 indicator report includes an update of the demographic composition of tenure-track faculty at U-M, and provides an examination of faculty retention and attrition from AY2015-AY2024. We found that White men faculty have remained largely constant over time and U-M appears to be retaining faculty in all groups fairly effectively. Data on the departures and experiences of URM faculty suggest that enhanced retention efforts designed for all faculty may address URM faculty retention in particular.
2023 Indicator Report: Faculty Hiring & Departure
Published: 2023
Subtopic: Faculty Recruitment & Retention
The ADVANCE Program 2023 indicator report includes an update of the demographic composition of tenure-track faculty at U-M. The report discusses the turnover, replacement and growth of historically underrepresented tenure-track faculty.
2021 Indicator Report: Leadership & Recognition
Subtopic: Leadership & Service
The ADVANCE Program 2021 annual indicator report includes an update of the demographic composition of tenure-track faculty at U-M, provides an examination of the demographic makeup of faculty in leadership positions across campus and assesses formal recognition of faculty accomplishments through named professorships and awards. In sum, results suggest differentials in the leadership pipeline experience such that gaining opportunities to lead is a shoofly for some and a side bend or bottle neck for others. On the other hand, results pertaining to formal recognition are mixed. The awarding of named professorships is shown to be inclusive and equitable, while the results for diversity awards suggest challenges for equity and inclusion. Overall, these findings raise questions as to the “how,” “who” and “why” of leadership and recognition, “what” type of leadership and contributions are recognized, and “where” leadership and recognition are located in terms of faculty rank and academic discipline.
2020 Indicator Report: Faculty Hiring (Recruitment)
Subtopic: Faculty Recruitment & Retention
The ADVANCE Program 2020 annual indicator report includes an update of the demographic composition of tenure-track faculty at U-M, provides an examination of faculty hiring over the prior ten year period and models prediction of faculty representation in the future. In sum, there has been a moderate increase in the diversity of tenure-track faculty over time at the University. However persistent hiring patterns are unable to achieve short- or long-term growth in the diversity of faculty, since hiring advantages, particularly at the senior levels, continue to accrue to white male faculty. The report details several institutional efforts to increase the representation of currently underrepresented tenure-track faculty on campus via strategic faculty recruitment and hiring programs.
2019 Indicator Report: Faculty Departure (Retention)
Subtopics: Faculty Recruitment & Retention, Exit Interviews
The ADVANCE Program 2019 annual indicator report includes an update of the demographic composition of tenure-track faculty at U-M, provides an examination of faculty turnover and voluntary departures the prior ten year period and details reasons for faculty departure. In sum, high proportions of new underrepresented faculty hires (e.g., women and faculty of color) are simply going towards replacing faculty from those demographic groups who have left the University. A number of career-related factors and climate factors are importantly associated with career satisfaction, and ultimately, intention to leave. Overall, the findings of this report underscore the importance of focusing on identifying and implementing strategies for faculty retention in addition to recruitment and hiring.
2018 Indicator Report: Leadership & Recognition
Subtopic: Leadership & Service
The ADVANCE Program 2018 annual indicator report includes an update of the demographic composition of tenure-track faculty at U-M, provides an examination of the demographic makeup of faculty in leadership positions across campus and assesses formal recognition of faculty accomplishments through named professorships and awards. In sum, results identified several areas where women’s leadership experiences differed importantly from men’s and that women faculty also receive less formal recognition than men. Regarding differential experiences by race/ethnicity, although the numbers of Asian/Asian-American faculty have increased on campus over time, these data indicate that they remain consistently disadvantaged in their opportunities for leadership and recognition. Finally, important differences in leadership experiences and receipt of recognition are also reported by rank, which is salient to faculty satisfaction and intention to depart at distinct career stages. Overall, the findings of this report further highlight that addressing issues of faculty recognition and leadership is critical in the pursuit of retaining excellent faculty.
2017 Indicator Report: Research and Clinical track Faculty
Subtopics: Climate Experiences, Leadership & Service
2016 Indicator Report: Recruitment and Hiring
Subtopic: Faculty Recruitment & Retention
2015 Indicator Report: Retention, Leadership and Recognition
Subtopics: Climate Experiences, Leadership & Service, Faculty Recruitment
Retention
Tenure Outcomes by Gender and Race
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Published: 2026
Subtopic: Tenure & Promotion
This study examined the tenure outcomes of two cohorts of faculty, hired within a specific time period at U-M, using data from employment records. We found that tenure rates significantly increased over time and there were no differences in years to achieve tenure by cohort, race-ethnicity, or gender. While overall tenure rates do not differ by gender or racial and ethnic identity, some differences were observed among intersectional racial and gender groups.
The Importance of Coaching for Full Professors: Insights from ADVANCE Leadership Coaching Program’s 17-year Duration (2008-2024)
Published: August 2025
Subtopic: Faculty Retention
The Importance of Coaching for Full Professors examines the experiences and outcomes of faculty who participated in ADVANCE’s Leadership Coaching Program from 2008-2024. The report combines multiple data sources to identify key outcomes of the program, including skill development, migration into formal leadership roles within U-M, and improved faculty retention in departments led by chairs who had received coaching.
Time in Rank for Instructional Tenure-Track Associate Professors
Published: 2024
Subtopic: Faculty Composition, Climate Experiences
This memo looks at the time that associate professors spend in rank before becoming full professors by discipline, gender, and race/ethnicity. Unlike the assistant professor rank, there is not a university policy stating the maximum time that faculty can remain in the associate professor rank. Among the findings summarized in this memo, it was found that faculty who were hired as associate professors spent a longer time in the associate rank, than those who were hired as assistant professors and promoted to associate professors.
Why Do Tenure-Track Faculty Leave U-M?
Subtopic: Climate Experiences, Mentorship, Leadership & Service
This summary report describes the most common reasons why U-M tenure-track faculty leave. The report is based on exit interviews conducted with faculty by ADVANCE from 2011-2019.
Faculty Exit Interview Study
Published: 2020
Subtopic: Faculty Recruitment & Retention
This longer report describes the findings from exit interviews conducted by the U-M ADVANCE Program for tenure-track faculty who have voluntarily left the University of Michigan for other opportunities from 2011 to 2019. Over this time period,we interviewed a total of 218 tenure-track faculty to learn about their reasons for leaving, the factors they considered in accepting new positions, and their perspective on their new position compared to their former position with U-M. The report and accompanying tables summarize findings across faculty, as well as differences found by gender, race-ethnicity, rank and school or college. Analyses also assessed changes in faculty responses over time.
Tenure Cohort Analysis AY1998-AY2007
Subtopic: Faculty Composition
This report summarizes the findings of an analysis designed to assess one measure of promotion outcomes by gender and race-ethnicity. We calculate and report on the percentage of assistant professors hired between AY1998 and AY2007 who earned tenure within 10 years of hire.
The Role of Gender and Race in Retention-Relevant Career Experiences for Tenure-Track Faculty in 2001, 2006, and 2012
Subtopic: Leadership & Service, Climate Experiences
These reports examine the climate experiences, qualities and characteristics of faculty work life, career experiences, and job satisfaction for faculty at U-M, based on surveys conducted by the U-M ADVANCE Program. Three of the reports provide an analysis of overtime comparisons from previous years (i.e. 2001, 2006, 2012) and the third report examines predictors of job satisfaction at U-M in 2012. These reports and accompanying tables include group differences by gender, race, and discipline, and discuss implications for women faculty and faculty of color (see Assessing the Academic Work Environment for Tenure-Track Faculty at the University of Michigan in 2012: Predictors of Job Satisfaction).
Experiences of Particular Faculty Groups
Workplace Experiences of LGBTQIA+ Faculty
Published: 2026
Subtopics: Climate Experiences
This report compares climate experiences in 2017 and 2023 for LGBTQIA+ faculty, using results of the ADVANCE Campus-Wide Climate surveys. We examine personal leadership engagement, workload equity, experiences of discrimination, social belonging, academic belonging, and general well-being. LGBTQIA+ faculty reported similar perceptions of social belonging over time, but lower perceptions of academic belonging in recent years. We discuss findings for each topical area and offer recommendations to promote a more positive campus climate for LGBTQIA+ faculty.
Workplace Experiences of Lecturer Faculty
Published: 2026
Subtopics: Climate Experiences
This report examines the climate experiences of lecturer faculty using ADVANCE’s 2023 Campus-Wide Climate survey data. We examine several topics related to climate, including leadership engagement, track exclusion, and sense of belonging. Overall, lecturer-track faculty are satisfied with their careers and would not want to change tracks, but reported feeling unvalued and excluded because of their roles. We discuss findings for each topical area and offer recommendations to promote a more positive campus climate for lecturer faculty.
Workplace Experiences of Faculty with Disabilities
Published: 2026
Subtopics: Climate Experiences
This report compares the climate experiences of faculty with disabilities to faculty without disabilities using ADVANCE’s 2023 Campus-Wide Climate survey data. We examine several topics related to climate, including workload equity, general well-being, and perceptions of accessibility. Faculty with disabilities rated their unit climate as more ableist and less accessible than faculty without disabilities. We discuss findings for each topical area and offer recommendations to promote a more positive campus climate for disabled faculty.
Why do Associate Professors Leave the University of Michigan?
Subtopics: Climate Experiences, Faculty Retention
Associate Professors are in a career phase with unique challenges and opportunities after earning tenure. This report is to identify, based on exit interview data collected by ADVANCE since January 2023, factors associated with departure by Associate Professors compared to Assistant Professors.
Faculty and Staff Experiences in LSA with Disabilities & Accommodations
Subtopic: Disability & Accommodation
Faculty and staff shared their experiences with disability and securing accommodations at the university. The onus is on the person with a disability to learn and navigate the university to secure and extend their own accommodation. Suggested improvements included confidential, centralized support, increased awareness of disability challenges, and dismantling the culture of ableism.
Senior Women Faculty Members’ Views on Leadership Opportunities within and outside the College of Engineering
In fall 2013, the College of Engineering Dean’s Advisory Committee on Female Faculty asked the ADVANCE Program to examine how senior women Engineering faculty view leadership opportunities within and outside the College.
BIPOC Faculty Retention: Interviews with Michigan Faculty
Published: 2021
Subtopic: Leadership & Service, Climate Experiences, Faculty Retention
ADVANCE held discussion groups with current Black, Indigenous and People Of Color (BIPOC) faculty, department chairs and associate deans to understand the issues and concerns that lead to BIPOC faculty leaving U-M.
COVID-19 Impact
Faculty Equity & COVID-19: The ongoing impact on faculty careers
Subtopic: Faculty Recruitment, Caregiving, Wellbeing
In this report, we draw upon the literature and a survey of U-M faculty to discuss the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic faculty in three areas: Productivity, evaluations, and career advancement; Faculty mental health and career concerns; and Institutional responses. We end with principles and recommendations for a future with greater equity and inclusion.
The Effect of COVID-19 on U-M Faculty Experiences
Subtopic: Caregiving, Wellbeing
This is a follow-up study conducted in March 2021 to gain further understanding of pandemic effects on faculty experiences. Study results provide insight about how COVID-19 disruptions impacted all faculty and resulted in less time for scholarship and more time spent on teaching, mentoring, service, and caregiving at home. Additionally, the report highlights differential impacts and challenges to productivity have been especially felt by assistant professors, women, parents, and scholars in the arts and humanities.
The Effect of COVID-19 on U-M Faculty Life
Subtopic: Caregiving, Wellbeing
This report summarizes data from a limited survey of U-M faculty in August 2020. Faculty described the effect of the pandemic on their ability to do work, strategies to mitigate the pandemic, and supports that might help them.
Faculty Equity & COVID-19: The problem, the evidence, and recommendations
Subtopics: Mentorship
This report reviews the literature on how the pandemic may create and exacerbate inequities for faculty. It also offers recommendations for supporting and evaluating faculty.