2025 Collaborative Network for Engineering & Computing Diversity (CoNECD)

STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) graduate teaching assistants and their ability to create inclusive, supportive learning environments play an important role in the education and overall success of undergraduate STEM students. However, graduate students typically lack experience and opportunities with professional development (PD) that is focused on inclusive teaching. This is problematic in the short and long term, as graduate students may not be prepared or supported in their immediate work as teaching assistants and in their potential future role as faculty. In response to this challenge, a PD program for engineering graduate students was developed at a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI; 59% Latino students), which serves students with diverse and intersectional identities in terms of race/ethnicity, transfer, low-income, and first-generation status. As an HSI, the university is well positioned to contribute to the diversification of the STEM workforce.

The PD program's purpose is to create a community of practice for graduate students and build their knowledge and skills around creating equitable learning environments, growth mindset, and sense of belonging. The overall goal is to cultivate greater sense of belonging and community on campus, improve pedagogies and interactions in undergraduate engineering courses with historically high failing and withdrawal rates, and increase student learning, retention, and graduation. Six engineering graduate students participated during the first year of the pilot PD program, which consisted of six hybrid modality workshops, discussions, and activities to apply their learning. To evaluate the program and understand graduate student outcomes, data from pre- and post-surveys and five reflective journal assignments were collected for analysis. This paper will describe the key features of the PD program, share qualitative and quantitative results from the first year, and discuss future plans and strategies for expanding and sustaining the program. The PD program is part of a larger institutional transformation project, and this proposed work has implications for understanding how PD for STEM graduate students can align with institutional policies and structures to best serve its students and instructors of all levels.