Belonging in STEM: an interactive, iterative approach to create and maintain a diverse learning community

Ayala, Marina J; Carter, Javan K.; Fachon, Avani S.; Flaxman, Samuel M.; Gil, Michael A.; Kenny, Heather V.; Laubach, Zachary M.; Madden, Sage A.; McDermott, Molly T.; Medina-García, Angela; Safran, Rebecca J.; Scherner, Ellen; Schield, Drew R.; Vasquez-Rey, Sabela; Volckens, Julie

doi:10.1016/j.tree.2021.08.004

Cited by 6 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…SMART clearly aligns with these stated values and the support of the University has been instrumental in allowing the program to thrive beyond the initial support from HHMI. In future studies, we hope to investigate the aspects of community cultural wealth that are used by our students once their time in SMART is over (DiMaggio, 1982;Ayala et al, 2021;Stanton et al, 2022).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Our goal was to develop a curricular and co-curricular environment in which our students could persist and thrive in STEM disciplines, by providing high impact educational experiences early in their careers in an environment that would support their sense of belonging in STEM. The foundational values of the course included rejection of deficit-minded thinking (viewing historically marginalized demographic groups as having inadequacies that have led to underrepresentation) that was pervasive in our disciplines, embracing the individual and intersectional identities of our students with a focus on their assets, and a belief that each of our students could be supported in their self-empowerment to learn and succeed in STEM (Harper et al, 2009;Ayala et al, 2021;Stanton et al, 2022;Stoddard, 2022). This work required building of instructor, social, and positional self-awareness through reflection and ongoing professional development, as well as significant investment in student relationships and facilitation of supportive cohort communities.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A SMART decade: outcomes of an integrated, inclusive, first-year college-level STEM curricular innovation

Jones,

Blake,

Corado-Santiago

et al. 2023

Front. Educ.

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In the early 2000s, our primarily undergraduate, white institution (PUI/PWI), began recruiting and enrolling higher numbers of students of color and first-generation college students. However, like many of our peer institutions, our established pedagogies and mindsets did not provide these students an educational experience to enable them to persist and thrive in STEM. Realizing the need to systematically address our lack of inclusivity in science majors, in 2012 faculty from multiple disciplines developed the Science, Math, and Research Training (SMART) program. Here, we describe an educational innovation, originally funded by a grant from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, designed to support and retain students of color, first generation college students, and other students with marginalized identities in the sciences through a cohort-based, integrated, and inclusive first-year experience focused on community and sense of belonging. The SMART program engages first-year students with semester-long themed courses around “real world” problems of antibiotic resistance and viral infections while integrating the fields of Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, and an optional Computer Science component. In the decade since its inception, 97% of SMART students have graduated or are on track to graduate, with 80.9% of these students earning a major in a STEM discipline. Here, we present additional student outcomes since the initiation of this program, results of the student self-evaluative surveys SALG and CURE, and lessons we have learned from a decade of this educational experience.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A SMART decade: outcomes of an integrated, inclusive, first-year college-level STEM curricular innovation

Jones,

Blake,

Corado-Santiago

et al. 2023

Front. Educ.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…At NCEAS, we have a code of conduct and reporting policy publicly posted on our website and share this document with all residents and visitors [ 53 ]. By engaging everybody in the creation of expectations and policies, you can foster a sense of belonging through participation and empower team members to hold each other accountable in a positive light, grounded in shared principles [ 23 ].…”

Section: Rule 4: Comfort Through Clarity : Set Cle...mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These barriers are larger for members of historically excluded groups, who may additionally experience hiring and promotion discrimination, less access to quality education, and a lack of role models, encouragement, and self-confidence [20][21][22]. Dismantling these barriers will require largescale structural change, both in research institutions and in society as a whole [10,23,24]. Here, we describe one way to reduce barriers while leveraging the strengths of diverse team members: cultivate a sense of belonging in collaborative data science research teams.We define belonging as the feeling of deep connection to a community in which one is valued, accepted, and secure (adapted from [25][26][27]).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Ten simple rules to cultivate belonging in collaborative data science research teams

Gaynor

Azevedo²,

Boyajian³

et al. 2022

PLoS Comput Biol

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“…Yet, individuals from marginalized groups (e.g., gender and racial minorities) and those in positions with less privilege (e.g., junior faculty, graduate students, staff) often face discrimination and structural biases within their institutions, leading to inequitable and negative experiences within the workplace [10][11][12]. Creating a positive climate for individuals across all demographic groups and employment categories is critical to achieving a more equitable and just workplace [13]. While a positive climate alone is worthwhile, research indicates such shifts in climate also increase the productivity and success of academic departments [14,15].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Equity, community, and accountability: Leveraging a department-level climate survey as a tool for action

Barrile,

Bernard,

Wilcox

et al. 2023

PLoS ONE

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Organizational climate is a key determinant of diverse aspects of success in work settings, including in academia. Power dynamics in higher education can result in inequitable experiences of workplace climate, potentially harming the well-being and productivity of employees. Quantifying experiences of climate across employment categories can help identify changes necessary to create a more equitable workplace for all. We developed and administered a climate survey within our academic workplace—the Department of Zoology and Physiology at the University of Wyoming—to evaluate experiences of climate across three employment categories: faculty, graduate students, and staff. Our survey included a combination of closed-response (e.g., Likert-scale) and open-ended questions. Most department members (82%) completed the survey, which was administered in fall 2021. Faculty generally reported more positive experiences than staff. Graduate students often fell between these two groups, though in some survey sections (e.g., mental health and well-being) students reported the most negative experiences of departmental climate. Three common themes emerged from the analysis of open-ended responses: equity, community, and accountability. We discuss how these themes correspond to concrete action items for improving our departmental climate, some of which have been implemented already, while others constitute future initiatives and/or require a collective push towards systemic change in academia. Finally, service work of this type often falls outside of job descriptions, requiring individuals to either work more or trade-off productivity in other areas that are formally evaluated. With the goal of minimizing this burden for others, we detail our process and provide the materials and framework necessary to streamline this process for other departments aiming to evaluate workplace climate as a key first step in building a positive work environment for all employees.

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Belonging in STEM: an interactive, iterative approach to create and maintain a diverse learning community

Cited by 6 publications

References 8 publications

A SMART decade: outcomes of an integrated, inclusive, first-year college-level STEM curricular innovation

A SMART decade: outcomes of an integrated, inclusive, first-year college-level STEM curricular innovation

Ten simple rules to cultivate belonging in collaborative data science research teams

Equity, community, and accountability: Leveraging a department-level climate survey as a tool for action

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