Inspiring Innovation: Two-year College Geoscience Faculty as Agents of Change

该项目旨在通过为地球科学、环境科学和其他STEM教师提供机会来考虑他们可以在教学和其他专业实践中采用、适应和实施的可操作变化，从而服务于国家利益。为了实现这一目标，将为两年制学院（2YC）的地球科学教师举办为期五天的虚拟会议，以促进有关提高2YC学生成功和成为教师变革推动者的知识。会议将由以下人员领导：1)在各自的校园和地区担任教师领导（变革推动者）；(2)在《社区学院新方向》的一卷《催化变革：STEM教师作为变革推动者》（Baer, Layou, & Macdonald, 2022）中撰写关于他们作为变革推动者的工作的文章；(3)书面资助提案。这种专业发展经验将促使教师考虑如何改进他们的教学、包容策略和学生指导技能。这些变化将加强STEM学生在2YCs的招聘、保留和支持。本次会议还将解决2YC教师参与NSF提案构思和创建的障碍，并为希望制定资助提案的参与者提供支持、反馈和时间。增加2YC教师对联邦拨款的参与可能会对招聘和留住多样化的STEM工作者群体产生巨大影响，因为2YC的许多学生都是STEM中历史上代表性不足的群体的成员。项目负责人将为2YC的地球科学教师召开为期五天的虚拟会议，使用来自“催化变化”的文章，其中大部分由2YC的教师撰写，他们在SAGE 2YC（支持和推进两年制学院的地球科学教育）项目的背景下领导教师专业发展，或者有资助资助提案的经验。由“催化变革”章节作者主持的关于有效教学和学生学习的会议；多样性、公平和包容；支持学生的职业和转学路径将传播“催化变革”文章的内容，并帮助参与者制定未来工作的想法，作为变革的教师代理人和拨款提案作者。会议的互动形式将帮助不同的参与者群体，其中许多人可能是过去领导教师专业发展和/或撰写拨款提案的新手，在他们的校园中推动他们的工作，并制定个人或合作的NSF提案。该项目的目标是在全国范围内发展现有的2YC教师变革推手社区，继续推进SAGE 2YC项目的目标，并鼓励2YC地球科学教师更多地参与提交NSF和其他资助提案。这些努力最终将有助于学生的成功，因为教师提高了他们的专业实践。NSF IUSE: EDU项目支持研究和开发项目和会议，以提高所有学生STEM教育的有效性。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识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 aims to serve the national interest by providing opportunities for geoscience, environmental science, and other STEM faculty to consider actionable changes that they could adopt, adapt, and implement in their instructional and other professional practices. To achieve this aim, a five-day virtual conference for two-year college (2YC) geoscience faculty will be held to advance knowledge about improving 2YC student success and becoming a faculty change agent. The conference will be led by individuals who have (1) served as faculty leaders (change agents) on their campuses and in their regions; (2) written articles in “Catalyzing Change: STEM Faculty as Change Agents” (Baer, Layou, & Macdonald, 2022), a volume of New Directions for Community Colleges, about their work as change agents; and (3) written funded grant proposals. This professional development experience will prompt faculty to consider how to improve their teaching, strategies for inclusion, and student mentoring skills. These changes will enhance the recruitment, retention, and support of STEM students at 2YCs. This conference will also address barriers to 2YC faculty involvement in NSF proposal conception and creation, and provide support, feedback, and time for participants who wish to develop grant proposals. Increased 2YC faculty participation in federal grants could have a tremendous impact on the recruitment and retention of a diverse group of STEM workers as many students at 2YCs are members of groups historically underrepresented in STEM. Project leaders will convene a five-day virtual conference for 2YC geoscience faculty using articles from “Catalyzing Change,” most of which were authored by 2YC faculty who have led faculty professional development in the context of the SAGE 2YC (Supporting and Advancing Geoscience Education at Two-Year Colleges) program and/or have experience with funded grant proposals. Conference sessions — led by “Catalyzing Change” chapter authors — on effective teaching and student learning; diversity, equity, and inclusion; and supporting students’ career and transfer paths will disseminate the content of the “Catalyzing Change” articles and aid participants in formulating ideas for future work as faculty agents of change and grant proposal authors. The interactive format of the conference will aid a diverse group of participants, many of whom may be new to leading faculty professional development and/or writing grant proposals in the past, in formulating ideas for moving their work forward on their campuses and developing individual or collaborative NSF proposals. The goals of the project are to grow the existing community of 2YC faculty change agents across the country, continue to advance the goals of the SAGE 2YC project, and encourage increased 2YC geoscience faculty participation in the submission of NSF and other grant proposals. These efforts will ultimately contribute to student success as faculty enhance their professional practices. The NSF IUSE: EDU Program supports research and development projects and conferences to improve the effectiveness of STEM education for all 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.