Faculty Inclusion before and after COVID-19: Investigating the Effects of Caregiving, Health, and Gender

Despite much research on the immediate disparate impacts of COVID-19 on faculty members, less work considers longer-term disparities. We examine the continuing pandemic effects on faculty equity and inclusion. Survey data from before (2018) and after (2022) the acute pandemic period show a significant decline in faculty’s feelings of inclusion, controlling for gender and caregiving status, race, sexuality, rank, and field. On average, faculty feel that campus life has gotten worse since the pandemic. Controlling for demographic variables, faculty with health disadvantages feel more excluded. Interestingly, simply being a caregiver does not predict greater feelings of exclusion; however, faculty whose caregiving responsibilities took them away from work during the pandemic feel more excluded. Research on the continuing unequal effects of the pandemic is needed to address and improve feelings of inclusion, and thus to retain a more diverse faculty.