Diversity dynamics modeled as a complex system in institutional contexts

The purpose of this work-in-progress paper is to identify barriers and drivers occurring in academic institutions aiming to diversify their engineering faculty. We recognize that institutions of higher education are complex systems driven by a multitude of internal and external forces that play a role when trying to enact institutional change. Examples of these factors are limited resources, conflicting needs of multiple stakeholders, and different academic cultures. To better understand how these factors affect change, we consider engineering education as a complex system. In this early-stage project, we are using literature, existing theories, and ASEE data to identify causal loops that illustrate a particular space of institutional change related to faculty diversification in terms of gender, through the evaluation of the effect of ADVANCE initiatives. The goal is to explore the feasibility of using the complexity theory method of Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) to identify leverage points and persistent barriers to change. We will summarize the potential of QCA as a methodology to explore the challenge of faculty diversification in STEM, and other intricate problems in higher education.