LAUNCH: Learning Communities
Travis York, APLU
Learning communities (LCs) are opportunities for students to actively participate in their education. Learning communities connect students with others of similar interests or backgrounds, enrich the learning process and promote greater student success. Creating a rich learning environment, learning communities emphasize relationships and community building among students, faculty and staff. LCs usually feature small group interaction, common intellectual experiences, and mentorship from peers and/or faculty. Students gain insight into the context for course material, develop a social network and support, are exposed to new experiences and develop their critical thinking skills.

Purpose + Reach = Individuals Measured for Excellence (PRIME) STEM Project
Travis York, APLU
PRIME STEM/Student Support Services is a federally-funded TRiO program (U.S. Department of Education). The program supports college students pursuing STEM majors (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) who are first-generation, demonstrate a financial need, and/or have a documented disability.

Academic Investment in Mathematics & Science (AIMS)
W. Robert (Bob) Midden, Bowling Green State University-Main Campus
This is a comprehensive scholarship and support program designed to enhance the success of under-represented minority students and women in earning undergraduate degrees in STEM fields.

UC Davis Bridge to the Doctorate Program
Travis York, APLU
The UC Davis Bridge to the Doctorate program is funded by the National Science Foundation's Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation (LSAMP). The LSAMP program assists universities and colleges in their efforts to significantly increase the numbers of students matriculating into and successfully completing high quality degree programs in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines in order to diversify the STEM workforce. Particular emphasis is placed on transforming STEM education through innovative, evidence-based recruitment and retention strategies, and relevant educational experiences in support of racial and ethnic groups historically underrepresented in STEM disciplines: African Americans, Hispanic Americans, American Indians, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, and Native Pacific Islanders.

Faculty Study Circles
Bryan Dewsbury, University of Rhode Island
In this program we engage faculty in small study circles (<8 members) of books on race and privilege as they pertain to higher education. Study circles meet for three individual sessions, and discuss various elements of the chosen book. Books chosen in the past include Whistling Vivaldi (Claude Steele), Blindspot (Anthony Greenwald and Mahzarin Banjani) and the Righteous Mind (Jonathan Haidt). At the end of session three, the study circle identifies concrete changes the university community can engage in on issues relating to race and privilege, as suggested by the reading material.

STEM Professional Academy to Reinvigorate the Culture of Teaching (SPARCT)
Laura Frost, Florida Gulf Coast University
A multidisciplinary STEM faculty professional development program called STEM Professional Academy to Reinvigorate the Culture of Teaching (SPARCT) is completing its second year at Florida Gulf Coast University. SPARCT includes a 36-hour summer STEM academy and a commitment to a faculty learning community during the subsequent academic year. We chronicled faculty development progress through video interviews with participants, student retention, interest, and confidence in SPARCT participant classes, and faculty feedback on programming.

Teachers in Industry
Bruce Johnson, The University of Arizona
Teachers in Industry is a partnership between the University of Arizona College of Education, Tucson Values Teachers, Southern Arizona Leadership Council, and more than 40 industry partners along with Arizona school districts, schools, and teachers. We offer teachers a combination of paid summer work experiences in Arizona businesses and industries and intensive coursework leading to either professional development credits or a master's degree focused on STEM education. The purposes of Teachers in Industry are to 1) increase teacher retention rates and 2) to equip teachers with experiences needed to prepare their students for the 21st century workforce.

Teaching Rubric for Tenure Process
Chad Brassil, University of Nebraska at Lincoln
Developed a teaching rubric as a faculty in order to reduce variance among tenure cases.

Learning Environment and Academic Research Network (L.E.A.R.N.)
Travis York, APLU
A program that invites science, technology, engineering, and mathematics students to become a part of a supportive learning community. F-L.E.A.R.N. is for students entering UCF from high school. T-L.E.A.R.N. is for students entering UCF from a state/community college. L.E.A.R.N is for , students must be incoming freshman or transferring from a state college, who will start in summer or fall and major in one of the following disciplines: -Engineering and Computer Science -Science (Biology, Chemistry, Biomedical Sciences, Biotechnology, Math, Physics, Forensic Science, Psychology, and Statistics) -Optics and Photonics.

Unconscious Bias Faculty Training
Travis York, APLU
The Office of Faculty Development and Diversity and The Cornell Interactive Theatre Ensemble (CITE) offer a workshop focused on establishing an effective search and addressing issues such as unconscious bias in active recruitment.