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Developing Sustainable and Continuing Practices for Diversity and Inclusion in a Civil and Environmental Engineering Department

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Conference

2022 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Location

Minneapolis, MN

Publication Date

August 23, 2022

Start Date

June 26, 2022

End Date

June 29, 2022

Conference Session

NSF Grantees Poster Session

Page Count

4

DOI

10.18260/1-2--42101

Permanent URL

https://peer.asee.org/42101

Download Count

259

Paper Authors

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Tiago Forin Rowan University

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Tiago Forin is a lecturer at Rowan University.

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Stephanie Farrell Rowan University

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Stephanie Farrell is Professor and Founding Head of the Department of Experiential Engineering Education (ExEEd) in the Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering at Rowan University. Stephanie is past president of the American Society for Engineering Education and serves as 2021-2022 IFEES President-Elect.

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Harriet Hartman Rowan University

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Kauser Jahan Rowan University

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Stephanie Lezotte Rowan University

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Dr. Lezotte (she/her/hers) is Assistant Dean in the School of Graduate Studies. Dr. Lezotte earned her Ph.D. in Education from Rowan University, with a concentration on postsecondary and higher education, and her research focuses on examining organizational structures and systems that inhibit postsecondary access and success, particularly STEM fields and graduate education. Her research has been published in Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, School Science and Mathematics, Journal of Professional Issues in Engineering Education and Practice, Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education, Improving Schools, and William and Mary Educational Review. She has taught master’s and doctoral courses in higher education leadership as well as undergraduate reading, writing, and literature courses in both New Jersey and Alaska since 2005.

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Savanna Dautle Rowan University

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Adriana Trias Blanco Rowan University

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Theresa Bruckerhoff

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Abstract

This is a summary of Rowan University’s efforts to initiate changes in diversity and inclusion with a Civil and Environmental Engineering Department. After having six years of an NSF grant, the research team initiated multiple efforts to increase a body of diverse students in the department, develop inclusive pedagogy, and develop a means for sustainable change within the university after the grant’s end. To increase the number of diverse students, the department looked at a holistic approach to recruitment and enrollment. To better understand the students’ experience, surveys and interviews were conducted with specific questions regarding how they viewed the climate of diversity and inclusion within their classes and the university at large. Multiple mentoring efforts were also started so that students received support in their collegiate careers. With regards to inclusive pedagogy, the department faculty were encouraged to develop relevant examples for students’ career developments. These examples addressed diversity from a global perspective as well as domestic issues of inequality. With the grant approaching its end, there was increased efforts to make sustainable change within the whole university. With backing from the grant, faculty members received internal funds that focused on the develop of inclusive pedagogy. This occurred twice during the lifetime of the grant. The researchers also developed a workshop series that would include all strategies used to develop inclusive pedagogy for faculty outside of the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department. This workshop was done to support changes made to promotion practices where faculty would receive encouragement and credit for addressing diversity and inclusion in their tenure with the university. This poster will highlight the research team’s role in developing and implementing these changes for the sixth year of the grant.

Forin, T., & Farrell, S., & Hartman, H., & Jahan, K., & Lezotte, S., & Dautle, S., & Trias Blanco, A., & Bruckerhoff, T. (2022, August), Developing Sustainable and Continuing Practices for Diversity and Inclusion in a Civil and Environmental Engineering Department Paper presented at 2022 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Minneapolis, MN. 10.18260/1-2--42101

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