Note: Thank you for your interest in ADVANCE Project TRACS, our NSF funded Institutional Transformational Grant which ended August 31, 2017. The pages that follow are historical documents for informational purposes only.

Work-Life Initiative Leads

Former Team Leads: Sara Rushing and Susan Dana

 

ADVANCE generated new programs, such as a dual career assistance program, and built on existing programs, such as the donated sick leave pool, providing more flexible solutions for work-life integration in general and during major life transitions. Many of these programs are sustained through the Provost's Office or in Human Resources.

View the MSU Work-Life Resource List
Explore the comprehensive guide to work life practices and polices from the University of California Hastings

Provost Office Family Advocacy Program

MSU's Family Advocate role is to help parents and other family members navigate the University System and serve as a "first stop" for faculty, students, and staff to receive information regarding who to contact with questions.

Email [email protected] or visit the Family Advocate website

Interested in enhancing work-life integration for women in STEM/SBS at your institution?

Highlighted IMPACT OF THE ENHANCING WORK-LIFE INTEGRATION INITIATIVE

During the five years of ADVANCE Project TRACS, infrastructure increased to support the lives of faculty during difficult life transitions: 3 policies were created or modified: The Stop the Tenure Clock Opt Out policy, the Faculty Modified Duties Policy (with centralized funding in the Provost's office), and the Sick Leave Donation Pool Policy (maintained and managed by HR); 6 new family care-rooms were created including one in the high profile space in the student union building (see Figure 1); and 4 job descriptions were broadened: 2 new job candidate family advocates, 1 Student Family Support Program Manager, 1 faculty dual-career community liaison, and 1 work-life HR specialist. A total of 386 job candidates were supported by a Family Advocate; and approximately 130 people received one-on-one assistance from a Family Advocate. The HR supported "Dual Career Community Liaison" met with 96 private sector partners to assist with job opportunities. ADVANCE Project TRACS worked on more than 70 academic partner accommodation cases resulting in 33 tenure-track faculty who accepted positions in 21 different departments (63% women) over five years. Their partners were accommodated in either a tenure-track (53%) or non-tenure-track academic position (47%).

Figure 1: An example of Family Care-rooms (pictured, Reid Hall 316).

Family Care Rooms