Sylvia Hurtado

Professor and Director

Higher Education Research Institute, UCLA

The Need to Diversify the STEM Workforce Broaden participation among native-born talent

Dramatic demographic shifts in the population

Diversity as an asset

Overview/History of Project Based on HERI surveys www.heri.ucla.edu

Surveys

2004 Freshman Survey (TFS) 63,000 STEM aspiratns, 350 institutions

2005 Your First College Year Survey 5,100 longitudinal student respondents, 160

institutions

2008 College Senior Survey 6,224 longitudinal (TFS) student

respondents, 240 institutions

2007 and 2010 Faculty Surveys More than 11,000 STEM faculty

2010 Classroom Survey 3,205 students, 76 classrooms

2011 Post-Baccalaureate Survey 13,500 longitudinal (TFS) student

respondents, 500 institutions

Qualitative Data

2007 Site Visits

71 students in undergraduate research

programs (focus groups)

12 program directors (interviews)

2010 Focus Groups

150 graduate students, 6 institutions

2011 Site Visits

241 students in introductory STEM courses

(focus groups)

26 faculty members teaching introductory

STEM courses (interviews), 8 institutions

2012 interviews with STEM pioneers

33 pioneers

Characteristics of STEM Aspirants

Higher HS GPAs (B+/A-) than non-STEM aspirants (B/B+)

Higher SAT scores (1174) than non-STEM aspirants (1105)

More likely to have participated in pre-college research programs

Higher level of academic self-concept at college entry

Many URM STEM aspirants appear as talented and well-prepared as their White and Asian American peers

22

35.8

40.4

24

38.5

43

29.6

46.6

52.4

12.3

24.3

29

9.4

18.2

21.8

11.6

20.2

24.9

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

4-Year Completion 5-Year Completion 6-Year Completion

Percentage of 2004 STEM Aspirants Who Completed STEM Degrees in Four, Five, and Six Years, by Race/Ethnicity (TFS & NSC data)

All students (N=56,499) White (N=39,160) Asian American (N=7,621)

Latino (N=3,863) Black (N=4,695) Native American (N=1,160)

Key Transitions along STEM Pathways College adjustment and introductory STEM courses

STEM persistence through the first year

Cultivating academic and social supports

Degree completion

Graduate school enrollment

The Role of Introductory STEM Courses The pre-med phenomenon

When I know that someone is pre-med, I mean, I can be friends with the person, but there’s always gonna be, if I know…that there is an internship for a hospital, I’m not gonna tell the person next to me that. I’m gonna get it, I’m gonna find out…sometimes I am very selfish when it comes to that. Because it’s – survival of the fittest.

(Marian, Southwestern Public Research University)

Resistance to innovation – both students and faculty

The Role of Introductory STEM Courses Authentic lab experiences – identifying as a scientist

Faculty accessibility cues and ethic of care Engaging pedagogy

Affirming student participation and engagement

I try to make whatever answer they say to be the right answer to

some question…I’ll say, “That would be true if we were doing this, but now we’re doing this, so why is this not true?” I think you can ask without making a student feel—I think they know I care about them. I think they know that I want them to learn....I think they know when I don’t let them off the hook it’s because I care about them.

(Professor Alpert, Southwestern Private Research University)

Persistence in Science through the First Year Prior preparation and achievement*

Identifying as a scientist

Research opportunities

Science clubs

Early academic success

Relevance of coursework to personal lives

Context matters

Institutional selectivity

Structures of opportunity

STEM Completion and Persistence Persistence through four years

Identifying as a scientist

Undergraduate research

STEM-related clubs

Relevance of coursework to personal life and career

Completion in six years

Prior preparation

Background characteristics (i.e., race, gender, income)

Institutional context

Selectivity

Faculty pedagogy and involvement in research

Student characteristics (e.g., concentration of STEM majors)

Matriculation into STEM Graduate and Professional Programs Prior preparation

HS science courses

HS GPA

Demographics

Race

Socioeconomic status

Financial concerns

College experiences

Research with faculty

Research programs

Mentorship from faculty

Academic clubs

Key Takeaways Innovation in introductory STEM courses

Undergraduate research programs make a difference

Context matters

Importance of Introductory STEM Courses Innovation in introductory STEM courses

Identifying

Scaling up

Demonstrating an ethic of care

Providing challenge to students with appropriate support

The Role of Undergraduate Research

Findings show they are working…

But there are a few caveats:

The earlier the better

Authentic experiences are important

Focus more on talent development

More research is necessary regarding the specific components of programs that are most effective

Contexts Matter

The contradictory role of institutional selectivity

Positively related to degree completion (any field)

Negatively related to STEM persistence

Selective institutions are sorting twice

Admission to the institution

Acceptance/admission into the major

Student-Centered pedagogy matters

Contact Info

This study was made possible by the support of the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, NIH Grant Numbers 1 R01 GMO71968-01 and R01 GMO71968-05, the National Science Foundation, NSF Grant Number 0757076, and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 through the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, NIH Grant 1RC1GM090776-01. This independent research and the views expressed here do not indicate endorsement by the sponsors.

Papers and reports are available for download from project website:

http://heri.ucla.edu/nih

Project e-mail: herinih@ucla.edu

Faculty/Co-PIs: Sylvia Hurtado Mitchell Chang Kevin Eagan Tanya Figueroa Gina Garcia Juan Garibay

Postdoctoral Scholar: Josephine Gasiewski

Administrative Staff: Dominique Harrison

Graduate Research Assistants:

Bryce Hughes Michael Soh