Evaluation Core

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Project Summary (Evaluation Core) The Cornell FIRST Evaluation Core will provide program evaluation of the Cornell FIRST Cohort program and work collaboratively with the FIRST CEC to ensure overall program evaluation and outcome tracking. The proposed activities in this core address our Monitoring and Evaluation Initiative to critically assess the progress of the program, test our models to ensure that the above initiatives are generalizable, that they are implemented in an effective manner, and that lessons learned are incorporated throughout the program as it evolves. The activities of this core assess the primary NIH FIRST hypothesis that a cohort and cluster design model of faculty hiring, sponsorship, continual mentoring, and professional development, embedded within an institution implementing evidence-based practices will foster a culture of academic cultures of inclusive excellence. Assessing the primary NIH FIRST hypothesis requires a multi-faceted mixed-methods systems thinking approach. The Cornell FIRST Monitoring and Evaluation Initiative, in collaboration with the FIRST CEC, will follow a collaboratively developed program logic model and comprehensive evaluation plan. It will incorporate development and integration of program theory and program logic; integration of qualitative and quantitative mixed methods; the incorporation of a variety of stakeholders and participants; and both formative and summative design. We will do this by implementing Specific Aim #4 from the Overall Core, to evaluate and learn from our hiring, climate, and faculty development approaches by identifying which strategies and activities are most effective and sustainable at an institutional scale, by assessing and monitoring the FIRST programs and activities to ensure that they are meeting their planned goals, provide continuous learning and program improvement feedback to the Cornell Institutional Steering Committee to ensure the highest success of the FIRST cohort through the aims, strategies, and activities, and to ensure integration and synergy with FIRST CEC to facilitate overall FIRST program evaluation and outcome tracking. The evaluation will be carried out by a highly skilled team that includes two external evaluators with decades of equity focused evaluation experience in higher education, including experience evaluating the NIH Diversity Program Consortium.