2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Institutionalization Challenges for an NSF S-STEM Program

Presented at First-Year Programs Division Technical Session 10: Curricular & Program Design

Based on the experience of an R1, public, land-grant institution, this complete evidence-based practice paper employs a qualitative case study research design and identifies the successes and challenges of the institutionalization of a successful NSF-funded S-STEM recruitment and retention program. Institutionalization of successful educational programs is a goal of many NSF-funded programs. Reflection and critique of the institutionalization of our program will provide critical insights for similar programs on planning their institutionalization and contribute to the understanding of the institutionalization process, timeline, and effort areas. Throughout a “COVID-interrupted” 7-year period, this NSF-funded S-STEM program implemented research-based student success and retention strategies to serve 90 students and provided scholarship support to 42 students. As programmatic elements were “institutionalized” over the past few years, several institutionalization challenges were identified.

Some programmatic elements, including curricular development and adoption, department and research facility visits, tours of local engineering and computing sites, and student engagement activities were easily institutionalized, as long as funding was provided for off-campus transportation. The top three institutionalization challenges, however, were funding, recruitment of incoming underserved students, and significant institutional infrastructure changes. While many lessons were learned through the 7-year grant experience, this paper explains and explores those lessons specifically related to institutionalization.

Authors

Dr. Robin A.M. Hensel http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1858-6452 West Virginia University [biography]

Robin A. M. Hensel, Ed.D., is a Teaching Professor in the Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources at West Virginia University and an ASEE Fellow Member. As a mathematician and computer systems analyst, she collaborated in engineering teams to support energy research before entering higher education where she taught mathematics, statistics, computer science, and engineering courses, secured over $5.5M to support STEM education research, led program development efforts, and served in several administrative roles. She has been recognized for her teaching, advising, service, and research and as an Exemplary Faculty Member for Excellence in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
Dr. Xinyu Zhang Purdue University [biography]

Dr. Xinyu Zhang is an Assistant Professor of Practice in Environmental and Ecological Engineering (EEE) at Purdue University’s College of Engineering. She received her Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, is a North Carolina-licensed Professional Engineer, and currently leads an NSF project on recruitment strategies for engineering bridge and success programs. Her research interests include engineering education such as broadening participation in engineering, teaching technology innovations, and engineering entrepreneurship, as well as EEE discipline-based topics such as energy-water-environment nexus and sustainable biomanufacturing. Previously, Dr. Zhang was a Teaching Assistant Professor of Engineering at West Virginia University and has successfully led and expanded their summer bridge program for incoming first-year engineering students called Academy of Engineering Success (AcES).

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