HSI Conference: Stakeholder Perspectives on Challenges and Opportunities for Improving Undergraduate STEM Education at HSIs

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The Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station, Angelo State University, El Centro College, West Texas A&M University, Del Mar College, Texas A&M University-Kingsville, Texas Tech University, Texas Woman's University, and the Texas Association of Chicanos in Higher Education, will conduct a conference titled Stakeholder Perspectives on Challenges and Opportunities for Improving Undergraduate STEM Education at Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs). Up to 140 students, faculty, staff, administrators, advocates, and funders will identify challenges and opportunities for improving STEM education at 2- and 4-year HSIs, building capacity for and student participation in STEM research, and implementing institutional change for addressing barriers to Latinx student success in STEM. Nationwide surveys of stakeholders will further explore themes from the conference, and results will be disseminated to the HSI community and NSF to inform funding and institutional initiatives. The conference was proposed in response to a Dear Colleague Letter issued by the National Science Foundation (NSF) calling for submission of conference proposals to inform the design of NSF's new Hispanic-Serving Institution program, to be established in fiscal year 2018.The conference will 1) identify the specific challenges 2- and 4-year HSIs face in adopting evidence-based institutional changes for improving STEM education and Latinx student success, with a specific focus on areas the National Science Foundation could potentially address through targeted funding opportunities; 2) identify challenges and opportunities for 2- and 4-year HSIs in building capacity for research and expanding STEM instruction and other Latinx student supports through collaborations with other institutions and by pursuing appropriate funding opportunities; 3) solicit Latinx STEM student and alumni perspectives on barriers to success in STEM and psychosociocultural tailoring of institutional changes to meet Latinx student needs and improve STEM education at HSIs; and 4) conduct a follow-up survey of stakeholders at 2- and 4-year HSIs across the country to capture a more representative cross-section of their needs, challenges, and priorities based on themes developed through focus groups, semi-structured interviews, and conference discussions. Attendees and presenters will participate in focus groups, semi-structured interviews, and roundtable discussions that will generate key themes of interest to NSF and the broader HSI community, and these themes will be integrated in a stakeholder survey to quantify related 2- and 4-year HSI needs and priorities. Results are expected to inform NSF's new HSI program and contribute to an improved understanding of institutional barriers/opportunities and student perspectives on improving Latinx student recruitment, retention, and advancement in STEM. In addition to informing NSF's new HSI program, conference and survey results will be disseminated to all HSIs and the broader student success research community by making reports available online, presenting results at relevant conferences, and publishing in peer-reviewed journals.