Metacommunity for Broadening Participation in STEM Undergraduate Education

Association Of American Colleges And Universities, Washington DC

Investigators

Abstract

The Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) and its Project Kaleidoscope (PKAL) propose to develop an interlacing metacommunity of practice for broadening participation of underrepresented minorities in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). The proposed metacommunity mirrors the goals of the National Science Foundation Human Resource Development (NSF HRD) Division to significantly increase the quality and quantity of underrepresented minorities who successfully complete baccalaureate degrees in STEM disciplines, and who continue on to graduate studies in these fields. This metacommunity will strategically expand the existing STEM Central web platform to meaningfully include the scholarly works of NSF HRD principal investigators (PIs), who lend both cultural sensitivity and authority to broadening participation theory, research, and practice. The welcomed addition of NSF HRD PIs to STEM Central, and the diverse perspectives and expertise that they will contribute, are critical in addressing, advancing and accelerating the capacity of contemporary STEM higher education reform efforts to meet increasingly complex, multicultural, and multidimensional challenges. STEM Central will provide a "digital habitat" for STEM faculty from a broad range of institution types to: 1) network, both synchronously and asynchronously; 2) expand institutional perspectives to include shared goals, commitments and challenges related to broadening participation; 3) allow for collective and individualized reflection that can create new knowledge at a faster pace; 4) foster innovative possibilities; and 5) deepen professional connections. The specific objectives of the Metacommunity for Broadening Participation are to:1) expand the STEM Central web platform to meaningfully include NSF HRD principal investigators; and 2) enhance a network of support for broadening participation professional development within mainstream STEM higher education. The metacommunity will immediately impact 7,000+ STEM faculty through the STEM Central online platform; and, either directly or indirectly, impact the tens of thousands of students these faculty encounter, in the classroom or laboratory, by providing tactical tools, strategies, and evaluation methodologies for broadening participation and measuring its effectiveness.