Establishing a Journey of Inclusion, Identity and Intersectionality through Guided Pathways to Enhance Latinx Success in Engineering and Computer Science

该项目将联合北德克萨斯大学（UNT）和北德克萨斯中北部学院（NCTC），以缩短工程和计算机科学（ECS）转学生的毕业时间，并更好地满足拉丁裔学生的需求。项目领导层采用基于资产的方法来促进拉丁裔社区工程学生的种族和性别平等和包容。主要项目组成部分包括为 NCTC 和 UNT 共同注册而设计的指导途径、与研究经验相结合的体验式学习机会以及教职员工研究员计划。此外，该项目还为 NCTC 和 UNT 管理人员、学生、教职员工共同举办活动，以增加拉丁裔学生的招募、参与和支持。多层次的项目设计支持参与机构接受拉丁裔学生的优势、经验和观点，作为创建一个广泛、有凝聚力的社区的努力的一部分。该项目由“改善本科 STEM 教育：西班牙裔服务机构”（HSI 计划）资助，将传播一系列由他们的协作努力产生的最佳实践，这些实践可以作为社区学院和大学之间合作伙伴关系的典范，旨在增加拉丁裔社区在工程和计算机科学劳动力中的代表性。多个项目组成部分旨在体现“服务”精神，使 HSI 从单纯的“西班牙裔招生”发展到更深入地接受其指定： “西班牙裔服务。”该项目将探讨包容性、身份和交叉性（三个 I）的各个方面，以及它们如何结合起来支持三个主要目标。首先是扩大拉丁裔学生学习 ECS 专业的招生和转学机会。其次是在 HSI 的教师、学生盟友和倡导者之间建立共享的机构身份。第三，通过发展工程身份来促进具有交叉身份的拉丁裔学生的坚持。三个研究问题将指导项目工作。 1) 拉丁裔学生如何在 HSI 的工程领域中游刃有余？他们在 HSI 的机会和经历与他们的成果有何关系？ 2) 教职员工如何将拉丁裔学生的集体文化财富纳入他们的课程和课外活动中？ 3) 拉丁裔学生的社区大学经历如何影响他们在 HSI 攻读工程和计算机科学课程的道路？通过该项目，UNT 和 NCTC 将提供新计划，采用基于资产的方法来促进拉丁裔学生的成功。 HSI 计划旨在加强本科 STEM 教育、扩大 STEM 参与并建设 HSI 的能力。考虑到 HSI 的多样性和背景，实现这些目标需要创新的方法来激励机构和社区转型，并促进基础研究 (i) 关于学生的积极学习，(ii) 如何有效地实现 STEM 多样化和增加参与，以及 (iii) 提高我们对如何建设 HSI 机构能力的理解。 HSI 计划支持的项目也将从这些方法中汲取灵感，以产生有关如何实现这些目标的新知识。该奖项反映了 NSF 的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This project will bring together the University of North Texas (UNT) and North Central Texas College (NCTC) to decrease the time to graduation for transfer students in engineering and computer science (ECS) and better meet the needs of Latinx students. The project leadership takes an asset-based approach to promote racial and gender equity and inclusion for students in Latinx communities in engineering. Major project components include guided pathways designed for co-enrollment at both NCTC and UNT, experiential learning opportunities paired with research experiences, and a faculty and staff fellows program. In addition, the project features co-hosted events for NCTC and UNT administrators, students, faculty and staff to increase the recruitment, engagement and support of Latinx students. The multi-level project design supports the participating institutions' embrace of the strengths, experiences, and perspectives of Latinx students as part of an effort to create a broad, cohesive community. Funded by the Improving Undergraduate STEM Education: Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI Program), the project will disseminate a collection of best practices arising from their collaborative effort that can serve as a model for partnerships between community colleges and universities designed to increase representation of the Latinx community in the engineering and computer science workforce.The multiple project components are designed to embody the spirit of "servingness," whereby an HSI grows from being merely "Hispanic enrolling" to more deeply embrace its designation as "Hispanic serving." The project will explore aspects of Inclusion, Identity, and Intersectionality (the three I’s) and how they combine to support three major goals. First is to broaden the recruitment and transfer opportunities for Latinx students to study ECS majors. Second is to build a shared institutional identity among faculty, student allies, and advocates at an HSI. Third is to promote persistence among Latinx students with intersecting identities by developing their engineering identity. Three research questions will guide the project efforts. 1) How do Latinx students navigate the engineering fields at an HSI and how do their opportunities and experiences at an HSI relate to their outcomes? 2) How do faculty and staff incorporate Latinx students’ collective cultural wealth into their curricular and co-curricular programs? 3) How do the community college experiences of Latinx students inform their pathways through engineering and computer science programs at an HSI? Through the project, UNT and NCTC will offer new programs to incorporate an asset-based approach to promote the success of Latinx students. The HSI Program aims to enhance undergraduate STEM education, broaden participation in STEM, and build capacity at HSIs. Achieving these aims, given the diverse nature and context of the HSIs, requires innovative approaches that incentivize institutional and community transformation and promote fundamental research (i) on engaged student learning, (ii) about what it takes to diversify and increase participation in STEM effectively, and (iii) that improves our understanding of how to build institutional capacity at HSIs. Projects supported by the HSI Program will also draw from these approaches to generate new knowledge on how to achieve these aims.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.