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教员提供机会，考虑他们可以在教学和其他专业实践中采用、适应和实施的可行变化，从而服务于国家利益。为了实现这一目标，将为两年制大学(2YC)的地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。会议将由以下个人领导：(1)在校园和所在地区担任教职领导(变革推动者)；(2)在《催化变革：干系教师作为变革推动者》(Baer，Layou，&amp；Macdonald，2022)中的书面文章，关于他们作为变革推动者的工作的《社区学院新方向》卷；以及(3)书面资助资助提案。这一职业发展经历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。这些变化将加强两年制STEM学生的招生、留住和支持。本次会议还将解决2YC教师参与NSF提案构思和创建的障碍，并为希望制定拨款提案的参与者提供支持、反馈和时间。增加2YC教职员工对联邦助学金的参与可能会对招聘和保留不同的STEM员工群体产生巨大影响，因为2YC的许多学生所属的群体在STEM中的代表性历来较低。项目负责人将利用《催化变革》中的文章为2YC地球科学教师召开一次为期五天的虚拟会议，其中大部分文章是由2YC教师撰写的，他们在SAGE 2YC(支持和推进两年制学院的地球科学教育)计划的背景下领导教师专业发展和/或有资助拨款提案的经验。由“催化变革”章节的作者领导的会议将讨论有效的教学和学生学习；多样性、公平和包容；以及支持学生的职业生涯和转学途径。会议将传播“催化变革”文章的内容，并帮助与会者作为教师变革推动者和助学金提案作者制定未来工作的想法。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，他们制定想法，推动他们在校园内的工作，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扩大2YC教师变革代理的现有社区，继续推进SAGE 2YC项目的目标，并鼓励更多的2YC地球科学教师参与提交NSF和其他拨款提案。随着教员加强他们的专业实践，这些努力最终将有助于学生的成功。NSF IUSE：EDU计划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NSF的法定使命，并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。

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.