New Resources for 2017-18

Inaugural IINSPIRE LSAMP Virtual Lunch and Learn

Hosted by Jim Swartz, Grinnell College and Cailin Huyck Orr, SERC at Carleton College

Wednesday, September 27, 2017

PLEASE FILL OUT BY MONDAY October 2, 2017 IINPSIRE Needs Assessment Form

12:00PM -1:00PM

WHO SHOULD ATTEND:Faculty and Staff at IINSPIRE LSAMP Alliance Institutions

ABOUT THIS SERIES:

IINSPIRE LSAMP is a 16 institution alliance funded by the National Science Foundation to increase enrollment and graduation of underrepresented minority STEM students (http://www.iinspirelsamp.org/ ). We are entering our seventh year of funding and would like to introduce a Virtual Lunch and Learn Series (see dates below) to connect faculty and staff with resources across the Alliance focused on URM STEM student success.

SESSION DESCRIPTION:

We invite faculty and staff at IINSPIRE LSAMP Alliance Institutions to our INAUGURAL Virtual Lunch and Learn on Wednesday, September 27thto familiarize them with pedagogical resources we have compiled in the first six years. You can review these resources here: https://serc.carleton.edu/ lsamp/index.html.

We are interested in continuing this work and expanding faculty/staff networks aimed at URM STEM student success. In this session, we invite an exchange of ideas and evidence-based practices from participants. We ask that you bring two things 1) ideas to share about what programs and interventions you have tried that have led to URM STEM student success; and 2) challenges you have faced that you'd like help with or input on from the other Alliance institutions.

TOPICS WILL INCLUDE:

• How to diffuse successful practices across the Alliance institutions;
• Challenges you are facing in terms of URM STEM student success;
• Evidence-based practices that you are using or want to learn more about; and
• Critical points where collaboration in smaller groups makes sense across our Alliance.

James Swartz presentation (PowerPoint 2007 (.pptx) 436kB Sep27 17)

INSTRUCTIONS TO JOIN THE VIRTUAL MEETING (This meeting has already happened)

PLEASE FILL OUT BY MONDAY October 2, 2017 IINPSIRE Needs Assessment Form

Notes from the webinar:

Questions about what we need moving forward:

• What information from other Alliance schools would help you to meet the challenges you are facing?
  
• Are there things you'd like to share with the Alliance?
• Do you have student experience models you are using or want to try?
• Are there critical points where collaboration in smaller groups would be helpful ?

Thoughts about existing programs at the IINSPIRE Alliance institutions:

• How to bring new people and maybe new faculty members into the program - what is the 'On-ramp" to accessing resources and beginning programming as a newer participant?
• More details about the supports already available for students and how the overall program works at the Alliance-Scale would be useful - especially for people who have joined the program recently
• Participants value face-to-face interactions and the interpersonal interaction is important to the program. Bringing students together at the annual meeting and across campuses is possible and part of the existing program.
• Could consider a for credit seminar to support student interactions, being careful not to have too many 'extra' expectations for students who are participating.
• I'd say that one of the most successful aspects of LSAMP on our campus have been helping to send students to events like SACNAS or the Richard Tapia celebration of diversity in computing. I know that's not in the current plans, but are there thoughts on how we might comntinue that support?

Some students come to STEM less prepared for the coursework than others. How do other institutions approach supporting those students ('remedial' classes, tutoring ... what else?) in being successful in STEM programs?

• Electrical engineering program at ISU has a system to support coding/programming skill development for students who haven't had it in high school (or have less than other students in the program). Issues arise related to confidence and self efficacy in addition to the technical skills. How to level the playing field for students who have equal capability but different backgrounds?
• Phase 2 proposal includes language about addressing Math interventions. NSF is interested in this topic. There are other institutions in and out of the Alliance working in this area that would be opportunities to draw from.
• There's a lot in the SIGCSE literature about dealing with different preparation levels. (SIGCSE is the Association of Computing Machinery Special Interest Group in Computer Science Education)
  
• Harvey Mudd uses different introductory courses for people with different preparation levels.

Are there less formal every day happenings on campuses that people might want to share and talk about?

• Responses to current events? Particularly with issues of diversity and the national conversations around politics?
• Multicultural student affairs offices running programs (DACA, know your rights etc.)
• Wartburg is also doing a "know your rights" session connected with Constitution Day.
  
• We have also created a "Community Response Team" to deal with any occurrences on campus that negatively impact out community.
• White nationalists or other groups visible on campus and maybe not following campus guidelines for presenting material. Do people want to talk about dealing with this?

Topics related to the existing list we need to come back to and/or build on?

• Supporting lower SES students in ways that model inclusive practice.
• There's a clear difference in preparation between students of high SES and low SES. At Grinnell, we level the playing field by choosing a language/environment that will be unfamiliar to everyone.
• I'd really appreciate some in-the-classroom tips for helping support (LSAMP participating) students (without singling them out) - a call for inclusive practice workshop.