Villanova is an institution in transition, as evidenced by the University’s elevation by the Carnegie Foundation to a Doctoral Research Institution in 2016, implementation of a new ten-year Strategic Plan in 2020, and changes in leadership at both the University and college level. The arrival of COVID-19 in 2020 brought additional change for all institutions of higher education, including differential impacts of the pandemic on scholars, an economic downturn, and calls for addressing racial inequities in society.
In a landscape of shifting University identity and expectations, faculty members experience additional pressures. Research shows that in institutions undergoing change, women and members of other minoritized groups are more vulnerable to these shifting—and often unspoken—expectations.
As Villanova continues to evolve, it is imperative that our institutional transition occurs in such a way that all faculty participate in and benefit from the changes. This project will help the University to transform by both studying and managing these shifts in faculty culture and expectations.