2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Abstract

The research associated with this project is made possible by a National Science Foundation grant. Minoritized students (MS) (defined in this work as African American and Latinx) often experience increased instances of exclusionary academic environments compared to their non-minoritized counterparts [1]. As a result, MS are more likely than their peers to attrit from their STEM majors. Faculty play a significant role in the development of either a positive or negative academic culture. For this reason, there is a need to bring meaningful faculty engagement into the classroom to address the challenge of STEM degree completion disparities between MS and non-MS students. To directly address STEM faculty’s perception of access, diversity, equity, and inclusion, this project examines the impact of participation in a two-year professional development series on faculty conceptions of diversity and inclusion in the classroom to strengthen MS undergraduate degree completion.

To assess faculty perceptions before, during, and after the first year of the professional development series (PDS), we deployed Likert Surveys, while also soliciting their responses to open ended questions, about the PDS which is focused on enhancing their understanding of inclusion and equity. The PDS is supported by STEM school deans, academic personnel, the leadership overseeing undergraduate education, and diversity, equity, and inclusion; underscoring the importance of institutional commitment to providing STEM faculty with meaningful ways to strengthen their understanding of access, diversity, equity, and inclusion towards enhancing their pedagogy and academic practices.

Preliminary findings from this research demonstrates that STEM faculty often are not confident about having conversations with colleagues about anti-racist and culturally inclusive curricula. Further, they desire more developmental experiences whereby they can learn more about access, diversity, equity, and inclusion issues, and expressed discomfort having conversations with students about STEM inequity and how it is relevant or related to their social and cultural lived experiences.

Findings from this work have significant implications for policy and practice at higher education institutions, particularly related to STEM disciplines. Specifically, with increasing student diversity in STEM, faculty must have access to tools, resources, and strategies that aim to enhance their pedagogy. Postsecondary institutions must support efforts that are focused on creating an inclusive culture for STEM faculty that seek to strengthen their pedagogy to reach more students. The preliminary findings from this study shows that STEM faculty are able to develop an enhanced understanding of the STEM culture and practices that contextualize degree completion disparities between MS and non-MS students. Moreover, faculty are able to employ an intervention that advances access and equity for MS in STEM. Given this work requires a nuanced approach, institutional policies must provide faculty in STEM with opportunities that allow them to access information to further understand the ways in which they influence the academic outcomes of MS.

KEYWORDS
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, STEM, minoritized-students