Longitudinal Analysis of a Diversity Support Program in Biology: A National Call for Further Assessment
Longitudinal Analysis of a Diversity Support Program in Biology: A National Call for Further Assessment
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DOI：
10.1093/biosci/biw187
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发表时间：
2017-04-01
期刊：
影响因子：
10.1
通讯作者：
Mason, Nicholas A.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Ballen, Cissy J.;Mason, Nicholas A.
国家呼吁提高来自历史上代表性不足的学生在科学领域的表现和坚持性，这导致了对包容性、循证教学方法的研究激增。更少的工作揭示了改善校园氛围和社区凝聚力的多样性支持倡议的效果。在这里，我们考察了参加康奈尔大学生物学学者计划(BSP)--一所著名大学的多样性支持计划--是否会影响代表不足的少数族裔(URM)学生的表现。我们发现，BSP参与者在进入大学时学术准备较少，但毕业时的GPA通常与非BSP参与者相似，从而缩小了成就差距。虽然战略规划似乎帮助了URM学生，但我们不能断言战略规划单独对这些影响负责；未来的工作应该孤立出有助于学生成功的有效策略。针对这些结果，我们列出了支持方案可以实施的战略，以最大限度地发挥积极影响。
National calls to improve the performance and persistence of students from historically underrepresented backgrounds in science have led to a surge of research on inclusive, evidence-based teaching methods. Less work has revealed the effects of diversity support initiatives that improve campus climate and community cohesion. Here, we examine whether participation in the Biology Scholars Program (BSP) at Cornell University-a diversity support program at a prominent university-affects underrepresented racial minority (URM) student performance. We found that BSP participants are less academically prepared when they enter college but typically have GPAs similar to those of their non-BSP counterparts at graduation, thereby closing achievement gaps. Although the BSP appears to help URM students, we cannot assert that the BSP alone is responsible for these effects; future work should isolate effective strategies that contribute to student success. In response to these results, we lay out strategies that support programs could implement to maximize positive impacts.