Board 194: Advancing Access, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in STEM for Minoritized Students Through Faculty Professional Development

Pheather R. Harris; Tayloria Adams

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Conference: 2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: Portland, Oregon
Publication Date: June 23, 2024
Start Date: June 23, 2024
End Date: June 26, 2024
Conference Session: NSF Grantees Poster Session
Tagged Topic: NSF Grantees Poster Session
Page Count: 6
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--46759
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/46759
Download Count: 74

Paper Authors

biography

Pheather R. Harris University of California, Irvine

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Dr. Harris has worked in postsecondary education for over two decades in various capacities. She began her career at Santa Monica College as a counseling aid at the Extended Opportunities Programs and Services office prior to her role as an Assistant Director of Admissions at the University of Southern California. She then moved to Cambridge, MA to pursue her Master’s Degree in Higher Education, with a focus on Risk and Prevention, and began working at Tenacity, a non-profit organization focused on social-emotional learning and literacy development for middle school youth, as a Prevention Specialist. Dr. Harris formally moved to the east coast when she began her work at the Gates Millennium Scholars Program as a Senior Program Manager – managing the Academic Empowerment Program across partner organizations: the United Negro College Fund, The Asian Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund, The Hispanic Scholarship Fund, and the American Indian Graduate Center Scholars. Dr. Harris received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication from the University of Southern California, a Master of Arts degree in Education from Harvard University, and a Doctorate in Higher Education Administration from The George Washington University. She is also an NSF IASPIRE Fellow and the Principal Investigator on a nearly $3-million dollar grant aimed at advancing access, diversity, equity, and inclusion in STEM . Her research interest includes exploring the relationship between faculty mentor engagement and minoritized student STEM persistence. She is a critical methodologist who uses both post positivism and postmodernism to guide her inquiries.

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Tayloria Adams University of California, Irvine orcid.org/0000-0002-4990-0611

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Abstract

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

Citation
Format

Harris, P. R., & Adams, T. (2024, June), Board 194: Advancing Access, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in STEM for Minoritized Students Through Faculty Professional Development Paper presented at 2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Portland, Oregon. 10.18260/1-2--46759

TY  - CPAPER
AB  - 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

AU  - Pheather R. Harris
AU  - Tayloria Adams
CY  - Portland, Oregon
DA  - 2024/06/23
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - Board 194: Advancing Access, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in STEM for Minoritized Students Through Faculty Professional Development
UR  - https://peer.asee.org/46759
DO  - 10.18260/1-2--46759
ER  -