HBCU-UP RAPID: HBCU Leadership Crisis on STEM Broadening Participation and Research Capacity Building - Impact and Implications

历史上的黑人学院和大学本科项目(HBCU-UP)支持在有关数据、设施或专业设备的可用性或访问方面的紧急情况下的快速项目，包括对自然灾害或人为灾难以及类似的意外事件(如新冠肺炎疫情)的快速反应研究。在新冠肺炎疫情期间和之后，几所高等教育机构的校长和校长职位发生了变化。对于历史悠久的黑人学院和大学(HBCU)来说，仅在2022年就宣布了23次领导层变动，2023年宣布了41次变动，几乎在一年内翻了一番。基本上，四分之一的HBCU经历了最高行政级别的辞职或离职。这些领导层变动对许多HBCU正在进行的恢复工作构成了额外的挑战，这些努力也受到了全球大流行的不成比例的影响。HBCU对于科学、技术、工程和数学(STEM)教育和劳动力发展及其对STEM研究的贡献至关重要。HBCU是帮助国家保持全球竞争力的关键参与者，考虑到HBCU获得STEM学位的大量不同学生，HBCU是一项国家资产。不幸的是，过度的行政领导更替可能会对这些努力产生负面影响。这项研究将探索HBCU总裁/总理和执行内阁级别更替的制度影响。通过使用在HBCU高管年度会议上收集的与HBCU领导层更替的影响和影响相关的试点数据，我们建议召开的会议收集丰富的定性数据，以及他们对试点调查结果的反馈，将动态和战略性地洞察这一前所未有的挑战。该项目将有助于更好地了解领导层更替的影响，并为最佳做法提出建议。最终，这项研究的结果旨在提高正在经历领导层更迭的HBCU的稳定性，以便HBCU能够继续在扩大STEM参与、开展重要的STEM研究和提供优秀的STEM教育计划方面发挥重要作用。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。

The Historically Black Colleges and Universities - Undergraduate Program (HBCU-UP) supports RAPID projects when there is an urgency concerning the availability of, or access to, data, facilities, or specialized equipment, including quick-response research on natural or anthropogenic disasters and similar unanticipated events, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. During and after the COVID-19 pandemic, several higher education institutions experienced changes in the president and chancellor positions. For Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), in 2022 alone, there were 23 leadership changes announced, and in 2023, 41 changes were announced, almost double within one year. Essentially, one in four HBCUs experienced a resignation or termination at the highest administrative level. These leadership changes have been an added challenge to the ongoing recovery efforts of many HBCUs that were also disproportionately impacted by the global pandemic. HBCUs are critical for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and workforce development and for their contributions to STEM research. HBCUs are critical players in helping the nation stay competitive globally and are a national asset, considering the large numbers of diverse students earning degrees in STEM from HBCUs. Unfortunately, excessive executive leadership turnover could negatively impact those efforts.This research study will explore the institutional impact of turnover at the President/Chancellor and executive cabinet levels at HBCUs. By using pilot data collected at one of the largest annual convenings of HBCU executives related to the impact and implications of HBCU leadership turnover, our proposed convening to collect rich qualitative data, and their feedback on the pilot survey results, will dynamically and strategically gain insight on this unprecedented challenge. This project will contribute to better understanding the impacts of leadership turnover and create recommendations for best practices. Ultimately, the results from this study are intended to increase stability at HBCUs experiencing leadership transitions so HBCUs can continue to play their important role in broadening participation in STEM, undertaking important STEM research, and providing excellent STEM educational programs.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.