Thread by @SarahJacobsonEc

At #ASSA2023, an important @AEACSWEP and @LGBTQ_Econ panel on strategies for diversity, equity, and inclusion in econ. Marionette Holmes kicks us off with sobering stats showing mixed progress in econ diversity in recent years. 1/n

With @anusha_chari chairing & Kitt Carpenter, Reena Aggarwal, & B Douglas Bernheim participating, so much to learn! Kitt says: we have very little data on how LGBTQ folks are doing in econ because we have so little data! We have blind spots re many minoritized statuses. 2/n

Kitt notes institutional hiring offices can help all stages of recruitment and hiring can be respectful and inclusive, everything from using the right pronouns to connecting folks to resources on campus that can help them navigate. 3/n

Doug echoes the importance of data. When he started as Stanford chair, he was astonished at the lack of diversity progress in econ PhD. Found that women were being lost at EVERY stage of the admission process - collection of problems! Examined criteria that had been used. 4/n

E.g. they found the requirement that students take Real Analysis b4 grad school wasn't helping prep and was excluding women! Revamped criteria. Must involve institutional counsel to ensure it's ok. Adopted new evidence based criteria. Found that grad student quality went UP! 5/n

Need to make the culture as well so we don't just recruit but also retain.
Having diverse faculty can make a huge difference.
Stanford also created a program w Spelman to create a pipeline to bring great diverse students into grad school. 6/n

Involve grad students! Many want to help increase diversity and can be creative & powerful partners w depts.
Bridge predoc can help build up diverse students w preparation gaps transition into the grad program (admit intro PhD program and have them do this the year before). 7/n

Write down a diversity and inclusion plan, to be intentional; share it widely to ensure you are held accountable.
Next, Reena notes that institutions can quantitatively monitor pay equity by demographics to overcome the "women don't ask" problem. 8/n

Course banking (shifting teaching) can provide flexibility that helps diverse folks succeed.
Women go less to conferences; help by providing kid/care related support, and make it very simple to apply.
Diverse identities of leaders matters! 9/n

Unequal service burdens are a real challenge.
Q: how DO you change culture?
A: just shifting the numbers is not enough. Doug called a mandatory meeting of grad students with inst Title IX folks to address issues; it was hard but it opened eyes and started changes. 10/n

Created a committee on dept culture w faculty, students, and (crucially!) staff.
Reena notes that a case re harassment takes a long time and can't be communicated about so folks think nothing is being done; but you can take visible actions like taking away courses. 11/n

Institutions need to provide support & mentoring, & connect people with each other.
Kitt notes LGBTQ folks will never be the majority of a dept. Cross disciplinary centers and help build community. Virtual events can help isolated minoritized folks connect and be supported. 12/n

Q: how open can LGBTQ folks be?
A: the corporate world is now more open & supportive - moving faster than academia, so we are losing folks to the private sector!
It's a personal decision, tho. Being open can foreclose some jobs, but those may be toxic places anyway. 13/n

Q: unintended consequences?
A: be alert to backlash and respond.
Parental leave policies have been shown to help men and harm women; should only be for primary caregiver. 14/n

Q: other strategies?
A: check @AEACSMGEP website re diversifying econ seminar speakers & minority job market candidates (CSQIEP website for LGBTQ candidates giving practice talks).
Send job ad to @LGBTQ_Econ & @AEACSMGEP to signal inclusion.
Read candidate DEI statements! 15/n

Reach out to diverse candidates - don't just wait for them to apply.
Learn what "soft" elements of job offers are going out - non pay amenities, teaching load, etc. Make it equitable!
Mentor and support new faculty.
16/n

Visible leadership on these issues in incredibly important.
This is the time - we can move the needle and really get things done on diversifying econ! 17/n

Comment: paper in Public Personnel Mgmt advises on how to do the salary equity analysis/adjustments. Be careful with the data.
C: NSF ADVANCE grants can support new initiatives.
C: demonstrate referring to colleagues the same way (first name vs title) regardless of demogs. 18/n

Q: what to do about "anti-woke" movements by government targeting DEI at our institutions?
A: ??? Not good, for sure.
C: this panel should be at the chairs' breakfast- this is preaching to the choir.
C: distribute diverse speaker list to chairs twice a year through AEA. 19/n

C: diverse grad students always being told they didn't deserve to get admitted, get the job, etc. Makes me so mad. Counteract that by explicitly telling folks they DO deserve to be here. 20/n

Q: was the grad student DEI position paid?
A: yes.
Q: bridge predoc?
A: they silly to the PhD program; ones fitting the profile are admitted and offered the option to start right away vs to take this predoc year since so many other students have a master's degree etc. 21/n

Q: how much of this diversifying work is done by the folks from underrepresented identities? How to share that burden out?
A: try to remove other commitments from these folks to offset.
C: to fight anti-woke: every class syllabus can have DEI on it. 22/n

What an important session! It will be on the @AEAInformation #ASSA2023 website - watch it if you missed it! 23/23