Broadening Access to the Sciences

This site is a collection of materials to assist faculty members, administrators and institutions in improving success in STEM education with domestic students of color and women. Materials have been developed via a number of workshops which brought faculty and administrators together from across the AALAC schools to work on particular issues of interest to liberal arts colleges and broadening access to the sciences.

Case Studies

We have a growing collection of case studies of efforts at broadening access to the sciences submitted by member institutions. Check out the collection and submit a case study of your own.

Workshops

Learning and Teaching Physical Sciences in the Liberal Arts College and Universities

This workshop was held at Carleton College in November 2011.

2010 AAC&U Meeting Workshop

This small workshop took place at the 2010 AAC&U Meeting in Washington, D.C.

Broadening Access to STEM Fields

A workshop titled Broadening Access to STEM Fields was held at Carleton College in Northfield, MN in June of 2009. Participants examined some case studies for comprehensive strategies, discussed various strategies for change in different contexts, and began drafting a public document detailing how a Liberal Arts college can go about developing a comprehensive diversity plan in STEM.

About the AALAC

Formerly known as the Mellon 23, the Alliance for the Advancement of Liberal Arts Colleges (AALAC) is a group of 23 national liberal arts colleges are collaborating on faculty development efforts. The group originally received funding in 2006 from an Andrew P. Mellon Faculty Career Enhancement Grant. The 23 schools involved in the effort are Amherst, Barnard, Bryn Mawr, Carleton, Dennison, DePauw, Furman, Grinnell, Harvey Mudd, Haverford, Macalester, Middlebury, Oberlin, Pomona, Reed, Phodes, Scripps, Smith, Swarthmore, Vassar, Wellesley, Wesleyan, and Williams.