Faculty Inclusion Before and “After” COVID-19: Investigating the Effects of Caregiving, Health, and Gender

Despite significant research on the immediate disparate impacts of COVID-19 on facultymembers, very few studies consider longer-term disparities. We examine the continuing effectsof the pandemic on faculty equity and inclusion. Survey data from before the pandemic (2018)and from the post-acute pandemic period (2022) show a significant decline in feelings ofinclusion, controlling for gender and caregiving status, race, sexuality, rank, and field amongfaculty. On average, faculty report that campus life has worsened. Controlling for demographicvariables, faculty with health disadvantages feel more excluded. Interestingly, simply being acaregiver does not predict greater feelings of exclusion; however, faculty whose caregivingresponsibilities took them away from work during the pandemic feel more excluded. Research onthe continuing unequal effects of the pandemic is needed to address and improve feelings ofinclusion, and thus to retain a more diverse faculty.