University Libraries

For the first time, a prestigious campus research grant has been awarded to faculty members in the University Libraries. The 2021-22 Gender Equity Research Fellowship has been awarded to Christina (Tina) Beis, associate professor and director of collections strategies and services for the University Libraries, and Kayla Harris, associate professor and archivist for the Marian Library.

Their joint project, “Policy and Practice: Evaluating Workflows and Communication for Maternity Leave,” will assess the experiences of faculty and staff who have taken maternity leave since the implementation of the 2017 policy offering six weeks paid leave. The project will also investigate how department chairs and supervisors understand and implement the policies regarding maternity leave across campus.

“The upside of two maternity leaves in four years while on the tenure track is that you become very invested in the process,” Harris said. “I’m excited to develop recommendations that will help our colleagues.”

Beis said she hopes the study will provide valuable data to assess not just the policy itself, but its application and interpretation.

“I am thankful to work on this research project with Kayla, a fellow mom of three boys, and we look forward to providing the University with some action items related to communication and policy around maternity leave,” Beis said. 

The Gender Equity Research Fellowship (GERF) is awarded to two faculty and/or staff members each academic year who work to advance gender equity and social justice through high-quality research and the development of recommendations to share with the campus community. The fellowship is sponsored by the provost’s office, the Women’s Center and the women’s and gender studies program. 

Research reports of past fellowship awardees are housed in eCommons, a service of University Libraries, and published under Reports from the Gender Equity Research Fellowship. 

For more information, visit go.udayton.edu/GERF.