Collaborative Research: Inspiring Networks and Sustainability of Postsecondary Inclusivity and Racial Equity with the Computing Alliance of HSIs

鼓舞人心的中学后包容性和种族公平网络和可持续性(INSPIRE)项目将解决维持以公平为中心的学生成功实践的重大问题，这些做法试图缓解STEM和STEM教育企业中的系统性不平等。关于这种做法的组织可持续性的研究很少，特别是在西班牙裔服务机构(HSI)和其他少数群体服务机构。此外，随着时间的推移，很少有这样的举措得到显著的持续。西班牙裔服务机构计算联盟(CAHSI)是一个有16年历史的联盟，由40个HSI计算机科学系和其他合作伙伴组成，致力于改善种族公平，是这一领域罕见的长期倡议。研究这一联盟提供了机会，为组织变革和适应战略提供信息，以减轻导致不公平参与计算领域的长期体制做法。INSPIRE的目标是(1)加强对以公平为中心的学生成功策略的理解，以缓解计算企业中的系统性不平等；(2)支持HSI中以公平为中心的学生成功策略的组织可持续性；(3)将以公平为中心的学生成功计算的可移植模型推广到其他机构。该项目旨在实现三个主要成果。首先，推进以公平为中心的学生成功实践的研究，以减轻制度种族主义，促进计算领域的种族公平。第二，创建一个平台，提升学生、教职员工、教职员工和管理人员的发言权，开发实用的方法来整合和维持这些战略。最后，开发一种可转移的、文化可持续的组织变革模式。该项目的范围包括与CAHSI计算部门的混合方法、定量和定性研究。INSPIRE团队还将努力在这些计算部门建立能力，以维持朝着种族平等的组织变革。该方法将包括定量调查、定性访谈和对CAHSI四个部门的深入定性案例研究。案例研究将包括访谈和观察，以研究关键利益攸关方如何在实施和维持以公平为中心的做法方面遇到挑战和机遇。这些利益相关者包括教职员工、管理人员、员工和学生。项目组将分享数据并产生反馈，以建设各部门在这些活动期间维持注重公平的组织变革的能力。一个预期的结果是加深了对以公平为中心的学生成功战略的理解，以及阻碍或促进这些战略的采用和可持续性的组织条件。另一个是计算学生成功的模式，以减轻所有机构在计算和STEM方面的制度性种族主义。INSPIRE团队将通过网络研讨会、出版物、演讲和互动研讨会来传播研究和专业发展。传播将侧重于包容性和公平的部门做法，例如社区建设和跨部门学习和研究方法，可直接用于提高小规模学生的计算成功。传播工作将面向不同角色的受众，包括学生、教职员工和管理人员。该项目由STEM教育种族平等项目(EHR种族平等)资助。该计划支持研究和实践项目，调查种族平等因素如何影响科学、技术、工程和数学(STEM)教育和劳动力的改善。获奖项目寻求集中受STEM企业内部系统性不平等影响最大的个人、社区和机构的声音、知识和经验。该计划符合NSF的核心价值，即支持来自全国不同人口群体、地区和组织类型的杰出研究人员和创新思想家。EHR种族平等的资金从整个EHR的项目中汇集起来，以表彰其项目与董事会四个部门的集体研发推动力的一致性。这一奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The Inspiring Networks and Sustainability of Postsecondary Inclusivity and Racial Equity (INSPIRE) project will address the significant problem of sustaining equity-centered student success practices that attempt to mitigate systemic inequities within the STEM and STEM education enterprise. Studies of organizational sustainability of such practices are rare, particularly in Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) and other Minority-Serving Institutions. Also, few such initiatives have been sustained significantly over time. The Computing Alliance of Hispanic-Serving Institutions (CAHSI), a 16-year-old consortium of 40 HSI computer science departments and other partners dedicated to improving racial equity, is one rare long-lasting initiative in this arena. Studying this consortium provides the opportunity to inform organizational change and adaptive strategies to mitigate often long-standing institutional practices that have led to inequitable participation in the computing field. INSPIRE’s goals are to (1) strengthen understanding of equity-centered student success strategies to mitigate systemic inequities in the computing enterprise, (2) support organizational sustainability of equity-centered student success strategies in HSIs, and (3) extend a transferable model of equity-centered student success in computing to other institutions.The project aims to achieve three primary outcomes. First, to advance research on equity-centered student success practices that mitigate institutional racism and advance racial equity in computing. Second, to create a platform to elevate and give voice to student-, staff-, faculty-, and administrator-developed practical approaches to integrate and sustain these strategies. Finally, to develop a transferable and culturally sustaining model of organizational transformation. The project’s scope includes mixed methods quantitative and qualitative research with CAHSI computing departments. The INSPIRE team will also strive to build capacity in these computing departments to sustain organizational change toward racial equity. The approach will include quantitative surveys, qualitative interviews, and in-depth qualitative case studies of four CAHSI departments. The case studies will involve interviews and observations to study how key stakeholders encounter challenges and opportunities to implementing and sustaining equity-centered practices. These stakeholders include faculty, administrators, staff, and students. The project team will share data and generate feedback to build departments’ capacity to sustain equity-oriented organizational change during these activities. One expected result is an enhanced understanding of equity-centered student success strategies and the organizational conditions that hinder or enhance the adoption and sustainability of these strategies. Another is a model of computing student success to mitigate institutional racism in computing and STEM at all institutions. The INSPIRE team will disseminate research and professional development through webinars, publications, presentations, and interactive workshops. Dissemination will focus on inclusive and equitable departmental practices, such as community-building and intersectional approaches to learning and research, that can be directly applied to raise minoritized students’ computing success. Dissemination efforts will address audiences in multiple roles, including students, staff, faculty, and administrators. This project is funded through the Racial Equity in STEM Education program (EHR Racial Equity). The program supports research and practice projects that investigate how considerations of racial equity factor into the improvement of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and workforce. Awarded projects seek to center the voices, knowledge, and experiences of the individuals, communities, and institutions most impacted by systemic inequities within the STEM enterprise. This program aligns with NSF’s core value of supporting outstanding researchers and innovative thinkers from across the Nation's diversity of demographic groups, regions, and types of organizations. Funds for EHR Racial Equity are pooled from programs across EHR in recognition of the alignment of its projects with the collective research and development thrusts of the four divisions of the directorate. Institutions may include those with significant percentages of low-income undergraduate students.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.