The Missouri University of Science & Technology's ADVANCE Adaptation project aims to improve the workplace environment for all faculty by promoting policies and practices grounded in fairness and based on merit. Every year, the university’s considerable output of engineering graduates influences the professional composition of the national engineering workforce. The high visibility of engineering faculty at Missouri S&T creates the potential for us to transform what it means to become an engineer to citizens in the region and to make Missouri S&T a true destination of choice for all qualified candidates.

The specific goals of the project are to address underlying barriers to recruitment and advancement identified in a self-study, namely:

1. Foster a welcoming and supportive professional climate for all faculty that also pushes their own thinking and tests their capabilities;
   
2. Interrupt and address biases that impede fairness in hiring and promotion processes so that we can recruit and retain the best faculty regardless of background;
   
3. Ensure fair and merit-based access to and distribution of resources and opportunities.

The project aims to achieve these goals by adapting evidence-based strategies from prior ADVANCE projects to the unique STEM-focused and rural context of Missouri S&T. It applies a comprehensive lens by adapting activities and measuring outcomes in ways that consider multiple facets of professional experience, rank, and qualifications of program participants and beneficiaries.

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