Enhancing the Participation and Advancement of North Carolina Community College Women Faculty in STEM Disciplines

Brunswick Community College, Bolivia NC

Investigators

Abstract

Brunswick Community College proposes to coordinate a comprehensive study of the status of community college women faculty in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) disciplines within a consortium of community colleges in southeastern North Carolina. These community colleges include Cape Fear Community College, Bladen Community College, Southeastern Community College, Robeson Community College and Fayetteville Technical Community College. This project represents the first of its kind in the North Carolina Community College System and in any of the community college systems in the United States. This project also focuses on Intervention activities that will be designed and conducted to build awareness of issues facing community college women. Such activities will include regular informative workshops to disseminate project results, faculty leadership development seminars, professional networking groups and human resources conferences. Intellectual Merit: The Brunswick Community College ADVANCE IT Catalyst is a novel project that will provide a unique opportunity to contribute to the basic knowledge of demographics of women STEM community college faculty across the nation. Additionally, the project focuses on empowering women community college faculty as practitioner researchers. This is expected to bring community college teaching activity into mainstream research and assist in enhancing the career advancement of this cadre of faculty. Broader Impacts: Project findings from BCC will be disseminated to the President of the North Carolina Community College System and the President of the North Carolina Community College Faculty Association during the course of the project and upon its conclusion. Also, community college administrations in other states will be notified of this study and be sent a copy of the study?s final report upon their request. In this way, this project has the potential to serve as a model for other community college systems and to impact all of higher education in a meaningful way.