INCREASING DIVERSITY IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATHEMATICS

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INCREASING DIVERSITY IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY,
ENGINEERING, AND MATHEMATICS

• Computing Alliance of Hispanic-Serving
  Institutions First Annual All-Hands Meeting
• University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX
• Carlos Rodriguez, Ph.D.
• American Institutes for Research
• CRodriguez_at_air.org

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The Model Institutions for Excellence (MIE)
Project

• A joint venture between NSF NASA to increase
  the number of underrepresented minorities in STEM
  at a select group of minority-serving institutions

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A Vital Need

• Under-represented minorities critical for STEM
  workforce vitality
• 3/4 STEM workforce male
• 4/5 STEM workforce non-minority

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The MIEs

• Universidad Metropolitana of Puerto Rico
• Xavier University of Louisiana
• University of Texas at El Paso
• The Oyate Consortium (South North Dakota)
• Oglala Lakota College
• Sitting Bull College
• Sisseton-Wahpeton College
• Spelman College in Georgia
• Bowie State University in Maryland

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The MIE Study Goal

• To assess the degree of implementation of the
  factors necessary to obtain diversity and the
  relative effectiveness of different MIE project
  models

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Each MIE is Remarkably Different

• Two of the MIEs are HSIs (Universidad
  Metropolitana and University of Texas at El Paso)

• Three of the MIEs are HBCUs (Spelman, Xavier and
  Bowie)

• The three schools involved in the Oyate
  Consortium are TCCs

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Research Questions

• Is there evidence of project success in
• student recruitment, retention, graduation and
  advancement in STEM careers?
• strengthening institutional infrastructure (i.e.,
  courses, equipment, faculty, etc.)?
• Are there distinct models and core variables?
• Are the project models transportable?

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MIE Study Design
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Secondary Data Analysis

• Reviewing extant data on STEM students and
  faculty and the ability of the MIEs to serve
  students needs
• Reviewing national datasets to place MIE findings
  in a larger context

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Case Studies

• Reviewing MIE proposals and reports
• Conducting site visits

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Benchmarking

• Benchmarking the core components of the model(s)
  against national criteria

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Secondary Data AnalysisSTEM Enrollments 1997-98
to 2002-03

• Universidad Metroplitana 106
• Xavier University of Louisiana 19
• University of Texas at El Paso 24
• Spelman College 8
• Bowie State University 71

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Secondary Data AnalysisSTEM Degrees 1997-98 to
2002-03

• Undergraduate STEM degrees conferred and STEM
  proportion of all degrees awarded increased
  considerably in all MIE institutions except for
  Spelman

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Secondary Data AnalysisFaculty Resources
1994-95 to 2001-02

• 29 in STEM faculty at the MIEs (from 382 to
  492 individuals)

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Secondary Data AnalysisDegrees Awarded 1996-97
to 2000-01

• In MIEs 9.4
• In HBCUs overall (excluding MIEs) -4
• In HSIs overall (excluding MIEs) 1.7

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Case Studies

• The role of local contexts and cultures cannot be
  overestimated
• Four of the MIEs specifically target low-income
  minority students
• Many of these students are also the first in
  their families to attend college
• Low-income and/or first-generation students are
  also more likely to come to college academically
  under-prepared

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Benchmarking

• A panel of recognized national experts met for
  two days to identify the essential
  characteristics and features associated with each
  MIE model component

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Conclusions

• Eight distinct institutions forming six MIE
  projects opened and expanded the STEM world to
  hundreds of underrepresented minority students

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Question 1A. What evidence is there of project
success in meeting project goals with respect to
student recruitment, retention, graduation and
advancement inSTEM careers?

• Comprehensive approaches address
• Recruitment
• Retention
• Increasing Graduation Rates
• Advancement in STEM Careers

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Question 1B. What evidence is there of project
success in meeting project goals of strengthening
institutional infrastructure (i.e., courses,
equipment, faculty, etc.)?

• Infrastructure improvements address
• Course content and pedagogy
• Equipment
• Physical renovations
• Faculty recruitment and professional development
  initiatives

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Question 2. What project models have been
created? What are the major elements in each
project? Are there 8 (6) distinct models, core
variables?

• There is one MIE model with seven essential
  components
• Pre-college initiatives
• Student support
• Undergraduate research
• Faculty development
• Curriculum development
• Physical infrastructure development
• STEM graduate school and employment initiatives

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Question 3. Are the project models transportable,
credible (i.e., do they align with current
research models for encouraging diversity within
a university)? Can project models be identified
to guide national efforts for achieving and
sustaining diversity in the STEM workforce?

• The MIE model is readily transportable when
  aligned to the context and culture of the
  institution
• The seven MIE components cover every aspect of
  STEM education and, taken together, can ensure
  that minority students can be recruited,
  retained, graduated, and launched into STEM
  graduate projects and careers

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MIE Impact

• The MIE model can achieve and sustain
  diversity in the STEM workforce with
• institutional and individual commitment
• a unified and financially supported effort
• hard work over time to transform and build the
  capacity to sustain success

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Research Recommendations

• Examination of the influence of cultural factors
  unique to underrepresented minorities that
  influence their postsecondary STEM successat
  MSIs and non-MSIs
• Exploration of factors that influence supportive
  STEM faculty and departmental cultures
• Analyze Resolve the impediments to PERSISTENCE

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Our Mission Help STEM Departments Broaden
Participation in Graduate School

• We are a well funded
• faculty driven cooperative
• providing mentoring and
• support for STEM students
• in a growing multi cultural scientific
  community.
• At Colorado its all about
• NETWORKS and
• QUALITY MENTORING

STEM Summer Internship Class 2005
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Colorado Diversity InitiativeCurrent Trajectory
STEM Graduate Schools
STEM Minority PhD Candidates
Retention rate of underrepresented graduate
students is the same as their majority counter
parts c.a. 70
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Meet the Colorado Diversity Initiative Computer
Science in the College of Engineering
Currently, the main areas of graduate study
specialization at CU are artificial
intelligence, cyber security, numerical analysis,
parallel computation, and software engineering.
Computer Sciences Program Info http//www.cs.color
ado.edu
CONTACT Prof. Mark Hernandez and the
CDI Mark.Hernandez_at_Colorado.Edu Barbara.Kraus_at_Colo
rado.Edu
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The Eight Stage Change Process

• The first four steps help to defrost a hardened
  status quo. They are
• establishing a sense of urgency
• creating the guiding coalition
• developing a vision and strategy
• communicating the change vision

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The Eight Stage Change Process

• The first four steps help to defrost a hardened
  status quo. They are
• establishing a sense of urgency
• creating the guiding coalition
• developing a vision and strategy
• communicating the change vision

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The Eight Stage Change Process

• The next stages then introduce many new
  practices
• empowering a broad base of people to take action
• generating short term wins
• consolidating gains and producing even more
  change
• The final stage is required to ground the changes
  in the corporate culture, and make them stick
• institutionalizing new approaches in the culture