TCUP Leaders Forum 2018

University Of Hawaii, Honolulu

Investigators

Abstract

The University of Hawai'i proposed to host the 2018 Tribal Colleges and Universities Program (TCUP) Leaders Forum (TLF). The TLF is a biennial gathering of TCUP Principal Investigators and Project Directors (PIs/PDs) and other members of the tribal college and university (TCU) community to discuss challenges and strategies for developing STEM research and education capacities at the TCUs, institutions that serve some of the country's most underrepresented groups in STEM. A goal of the TCUP is to increase the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) instructional and research capacities of tribal colleges and universities (TCUs) and institutions of higher education that serve significant numbers of Indigenous students. This project aligns directly with that goal and moreover, will catalyze partnerships between TCUP institutions and mainstream university or private sector entities. The conference theme will focus on the development of pathways for Indigenous students that support their success in STEM from K-12 through college and into the STEM workforce. The conference will convene TCU administrators, faculty, and staff, as well as experts in STEM education external to the TCU community, to collaborate on this work. Participants will focus on the application of high-impact practices in pathway development and explore the role of TCUs and TCUP-funded projects in serving as the connector between K-12, university, and workforce/career systems. Findings from the conference will be disseminated widely in hardcopy and online to reach a broad audience. The conference proceedings will have high applicability for Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, American Indian, and Pacific Islander settings and will be of value to TCUs, mainstream universities, and private industries seeking to partner with TCUs to increase the representation of Indigenous people in STEM degrees and professions. Conference proceedings will be published and disseminated broadly, offering insights to issues across STEM disciplines as TCUP-funded projects focus areas ranging from linguistics to education, engineering, and genomics. The University of Hawai'i will convene a 2017 Tribal Leaders Forum for NSF-TCUP project leaders. At this workshop, TCUP leaders, as well as experts external to the TCUP community, will share experiences and collaboratively develop strategies to strengthen STEM programs, with an emphasis on developing STEM pathways for Indigenous students. Pathways deliberations will extend from K-12 through college and on into the STEM workforce. The conference will serve as a catalyst for forming partnerships across these institutions, partnerships that will improve the STEM educational and research capacity at TCUs. During the three-day TLF, participants will immerse in formal sessions to share and explore innovative best practices related to building effective pathways that support Indigenous students' STEM outcomes. Participants will focus on context-specific issues related to STEM workforce challenges and opportunities for Indigenous people, and the economic impact of TCUP on tribal communities.