Annual Census of Finance Faculty & PhD Students
Problem
There are large and persistent gender gaps in the finance sector.
Relatively few women enter and stay in the field of finance, particularly at senior levels, and similar gender gap persist in the field of economics. To understand the factors contributing to this disparity and explore potential solutions, the Academic Female Finance Committee (AFFECT) of the American Finance Association (AFA) was formed in 2016. The committee now hopes to track the demographic data of finance faculty and PhD students to promote greater gender diversity in the finance sector.
Solution
NORC is collecting demographic data on finance departments.
The AFFECT Committee of the AFA contracted NORC to collect data on the demographics of finance faculty and PhD students at participating business schools. In close collaboration with AFA/AFFECT, NORC developed and administered a census form, which is expected to be repeated on an annual basis. Responses to the census form will provide insight into the total number of finance faculty and PhD students at U.S. business schools by sex and race/ethnicity. After data collection, NORC will share the dataset with the AFA/AFFECT. Individual responses will not be disseminated, and the AFA/AFFECT will make a summary of this year’s data available on their website.
Result
Findings yield insight into demographic trends of finance departments.
A summary of this year’s data will be made available on the AFA/AFFECT website once the data are compiled.
Project Leads
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Erin Knepler
Senior Research DirectorPrincipal Investigator
FAQ for Study Participants
The intent of the census form is to collect data on the demographics of finance faculty and PhD students at U.S. business schools, to further the AFFECT Committee of the AFA‘s mission of improving its understanding of the professional climate in finance, focusing on equity, diversity, and inclusion.
The AFFECT Committee of the American Finance Association (AFA) is sponsoring the census form. They contracted with NORC at the University of Chicago to administer the census form and collect the data.
You were selected to participate in this important census form due to your institutional role.
We will send you a personalized link to the census form. The census form is available online and is formatted for all computers and mobile devices (computers preferred).
If you believe that you are in the study population but have not received a census form link, please contact us for assistance by email at afacensusform@norc.org.
Your participation is encouraged but not required. Likewise, should you choose to participate, you may skip any questions that you do not wish to answer.
Each institution will be asked to complete a web-based census form requiring an average of 30-minutes to complete and may be completed at their convenience. If you are unable to complete it in one sitting, the survey instrument will save your progress so you can return to it later.
Individual responses will not be disseminated, and the AFFECT Committee of the AFA will make a summary of this year’s data available on their website.
NORC is a non-profit corporation affiliated with the University of Chicago that conducts survey research in the public interest for government agencies, educational institutions, private foundations, non-profit organizations, and private corporations. NORC collects data to assist policy makers, researchers, educators and others with crucial issues facing the government, organizations, and the public. Past uses of NORC's work have included shaping public policy, drafting laws, and determining how tax dollars and other resources are utilized.
If you have any questions or concerns pertaining to your participation in this census form, please contact NORC at the University of Chicago by email at afacensusform@norc.org.
