Conference: Developing Effective Tools for Leading Sustainable Campus Culture Change in Hispanic-Serving Institutions to Eliminate Equity Gaps in STEM

With support from the Improving Undergraduate STEM Education: Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI Program), this conference proposal aims to create and validate institutional self-assessments to inform HSI campus academic leadership, as they lead culture change to increase the numbers of successful students in STEM courses and programs. This work will create a unique tool to help campus leaders understand the steps they can take to assure their campus’ culture really supports Hispanic students’ success. The impact of this work will increase the academic success of diverse students in STEM careers that is reflective of national demographics. Based on two years of in-depth research, four levers for campus culture change needed to remove equity gaps for student success were identified and validated. The National Center for Higher Education Management Systems (NCHEMS) plans to create campus-level self-assessment tools related to those levers to allow campus leaders at HSIs, to understand and share with institutional stakeholders how well they are doing in supporting Hispanic students in STEM fields. In addition, the convening of academic leaders will provide a space for them to identify the policies and practices needed to address equitable STEM academic success. Individuals within two groups of five HSI presidents each (one from community colleges, the other from four-year colleges and universities) will work together to help the researchers evaluate the practical application of the tools and allow them to create useable resources for other colleges/university leaders. The tools will enable leaders who are new to the HSI designation to have a starting place to reorient the campus community toward greater student success in STEM fields. The methodology is based on past successful practices in developing campus self-assessment tools. The tools will be disseminated through presidential associations where HSI leaders gather. The HSI Program aims to enhance undergraduate STEM education and build capacity at HSIs. Projects supported by the HSI Program will also generate new knowledge on how to achieve these aims. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.