Alabama Alliance for Graduate Education and the Professoriate Planning Activity

University Of Alabama At Birmingham, Birmingham AL

Investigators

Abstract

Alabama's participation in the NSF Alliances for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (AGEP) activities ended in 2008. Alabama AGEP began with twelve institutions, six doctoral granting institutions and six non-doctoral granting institutions. The undergraduate institutions served as feeders for the doctoral granting institutions and are now supported by the Alabama Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP) Program. Thus, it is now appropriate to develop a planning proposal to establish a new alliance consisting of only doctoral degree granting institutions that will collaborate with the LSAMP program for the recruitment of underrepresented minority STEM students and focus fully on the achievement of AGEP goals and objectives. While the former alliance was successful in increasing doctoral degree recipients, this move will serve to increase doctoral degree output even more, as well as include postdoctoral training. Planning is needed for this new alliance to re-align human resources, the research infrastructure, project management, budget priorities and develop an outstanding postdoctoral training program. In addition, an education component directed at preparing students for the professoriate is planned. Data collection and research on activities and programs that will maximize student networking and interactions across the alliance also require planning. To accomplish this, it is proposed that a planning committee consisting of faculty and administrators from the doctoral institutions, external consultants and graduate students be formed. The committee will review STEM education research findings and effective implementation strategies as well as STEM program assessments and evaluations. Data collection and analysis will also be a focus of the committee along with postdoctoral training and mentoring. The proposed planning committee will hold meetings and a retreat with stakeholders. In addition, a subset of the planning committee will visit an AGEP program considered to be a model based on the number of students graduated, postdoctoral faculty produced and number of AGEP participants entering the professoriate. To accomplish these tasks four subcommittees will be formed to address STEM data collection and analysis; AGEP goals, strategies, activities, assessment and evaluation; post doctoral training, mentoring and retreat planning; and resources. Intellectual Merit The proposed planning activities for Alabama AGEP are important to advancing knowledge and understanding of the elements of STEM graduate education and postdoctoral training within the fields. The proposal team consists of faculty, administrators and graduate students eminently qualified to implement the proposed project. The proposed postdoctoral training and mentoring will explore creative, original, and potentially transformative concepts. The proposed project will have sufficient access to resources. Broader Impacts The proposed planning activities will advance discovery and understanding while promoting teaching, training, research and learning, and by the nature of the project participants will broaden participation of underrepresented groups. The infrastructure for research, education, networks and partnerships will be enhanced and project results will be disseminated broadly.