HBCU Engineering Faculty Workshop 2019

Association Of Public And Land-Grant Universities, Washington DC

Investigators

Abstract

The Association of Public and Land-grant Universities Office of Access and Success is hosting an engineering faculty workshop in conjunction with the Thurgood Marshall College Fund 2019 Opportunity Funding Corporation Innovation and Entrepreneurship Program in Charlotte, North Carolina, May 20-21, 2019. Increasing the number of underrepresented groups earning engineering degrees is critical to the nation's economic competitiveness and national security because of major demographic shifts on the near horizon. Research has shown that faculty mentoring, role models and overall experience play a critical role in the success of students from underrepresented groups in science, technology, engineering and math. Historically Black Colleges and Universities provide a unique environment for African American students because of the presence of a critical mass of students from similar backgrounds and a more diverse faculty. The goal of the workshop is to assist Historically Black College and University faculty members in becoming more effective and strategic educators, mentors, advisors, and researchers. Providing faculty with innovative pedagogy, mentoring and advising strategies will positively impact the retention and graduation of their students. Simultaneously, the faculty will improve their research capacity by developing effective research grant writing strategies. Faculty participating in the Historically Black College and University Engineering Faculty Workshop will (1) develop action plans aimed at improving student learning and increasing student retention and graduation rates, (2) identify tools and strategies needed to develop grant proposals and to compete effectively in national grant solicitations, and (3) develop a research grant proposal outline. The goals of the workshop are to increase student learning and retention while building the faculty member's capacity for research and education through successful grant writing. Another aim of the workshop is to establish a national network of Historically Black College and University faculty collaborating to implement high impact and innovative pedagogical practices in engineering education. 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.