Central Indiana STEM
Talent Expansion
Program (CI-STEP):
Transforming Education
Kathleen A. Marrs, Associate Dean†
Jeffrey X. Watt, Associate Dean†
Andy Gavrin, Chair, Department of of Physics †
Charlie Feldhaus, Associate Professor*
Stephen Hundley, Associate Dean *
Mariah Judd, Postdoctoral Fellow †
Howard Mzumara, Director of the IUPUI Testing Center
†Purdue
School of Science, IUPUI
*Purdue School of Engineering & Technology, IUPUI
U s i n g M i n i - G ra n t s t o I n c r e a s e S u s t a i n a b i l i t y,
Fa c u l t y B u y - i n a n d I n s t i t u t i o n a l i z a t i o n
AGENDA AND TIMELINE:
10:00 a.m. – History of Central Indiana STEM
Talent Expansion (CI-STEP) Grant
10:05 a.m. – Summary of CI-STEP Mini Grants
10:20 a.m. – Outcomes of CI-STEP Mini-Grants
10:30 a.m. – Role Play and Develop a Proposal
10:50 a.m. – Critique Actual Mini-Grant
Proposals
11:20 a.m. – Brainstorm ideas on how to modify
the RFP for other institutions
History
Indiana
September 2011, state-wide priority set to
improve college graduation rates.
“Changes are needed, especially when it
comes to remediation” Complete College
America Senior VP Cheryl Orr
IU
President McRobbie’s State of the
University address on September 28, 2010
stated that one of the highest priorities of
the university is to retain and graduate a
higher percent of its students on all of
the IU campuses.
Nation
Goals of CI-STEP is
directly aligned
with all of these
priorities.
The President’s Council of Advisors on
Science and Technology (PCAST) found in
2012 that economic forecasts point to a
need for producing, over the next decade,
approximately 1 million more college
graduates in STEM fields than expected
under current assumptions.
IUPUI CI-STEP
National Science Foundation, awarded September 2010, $1.99 M
“STEP seeks to increase the number of students receiving associate or
baccalaureate degrees in established or emerging fields within STEM.”
CI-STEP at IUPUI is creating a central Indiana pipeline to increase the number
of students obtaining STEM degrees of all demographic groups who:
(1) pursue STEM academic and career pathways;
(2) participate in STEM research, internships, and honors activities;
(3) graduate with an undergraduate degree in STEM fields; and
(4) transition into industry, graduate and professional programs.
“… STEP Type 1 activities should be aimed at adapting and implementing best
practices that will lead to an increase in the number of students (U.S. citizens
or permanent residents) obtaining STEM degrees.”
IUPUI CI-STEP GOALS
Our proposal aims to 'set the stage' for student success, removing barriers to
learning and promoting a vision of a career in STEM. As a result, we are targeting
for each year of the funding, a:
10% in the number of new and transfer students admitted to STEM majors,
10% in the number of minority students admitted to STEM majors
10% in the DFW rates for MATH, CS, PHYS, TECH and other courses
15 additional students participating in internship and research experiences
50 graduating seniors participating in honors seminars
17 departments in the School of Science and School of Engineering & Technology
Overall: The program has set a target of increasing the number of STEM graduates at
IUPUI by 10% per year -- an additional 782 STEM graduates by 2015, for a total of 3,067
STEM graduates by 2015.
THE TARGETED STEM
DEPARTMENTS
F08 Direct
Admits
F08
Transfers
F08 Total
Majors
F08
Minorities
08-09
Graduates
Sci – Biol, Chem, Geol, Phys
386
46
885
223, 25%*
123
Tech – EE, CM, CP, ME, CI, BM
55
108
967
230, 28%^
184
Engr – EE, ME, CPE, BME, MS
102
91
808
285, 38%^
110
Math – MA, CS
48
15
223
42, 19%*
40
591
260
2,883
780, 29%
457
STEM Program
Total
* Includes AA, Hisp/Latino, and Native American students, excludes Asians and females.
^ Includes AA, Hisp/Latino, Native American and female students, excludes Asians.
Goal:
10% increase each year from 457 in baseline  782 STEM graduates
PROFILE OF STUDENTS AND
CHALLENGES FACING THE STEM
TALENT GAP AT IUPUI
Hours employed
% of new students that are FT
% in top 10% of HS class
1-yr retention rate of FT/FT
6-yr graduation rate
Undergraduate degrees awarded to
total number of undergrads in unit
IUPUI SoS
IUPUI SoET
IUPUI
Total
IUBL
23.8 hr/wk
30.3 hr/wk
25.8 hr/wk
7.2 hr/
wk
83%
53%
69%
96%
43.6%
28.8%
17.9%
31.2%
79%
75%
68%
90%
45.9%
29%
32%
73%
163 / 1,108
(14.7%)
294 /
1,775
(16.6%)
3,356 /
21,423
6,352 /
31,626
(15.7%)
(20.0%)
In 2008, the IUPUI undergraduate student population was:
46% FT/FT, 23% transfer, 12% returning adults, 9% non-degree,
7% inter-campus transfer, 2% FT/FT international, and 1% all other.
CI-STEP INITIATIVES
4 major categories of initiatives:
Student Centered Pedagogies
Career Services
Student Success
Articulation with Ivy Tech
For each initiative:
Major research and education activities.
Major findings resulting from these activities.
Opportunities for training, development and
mentoring.
Opportunities for outreach activities.
STEM Faculty Courses
Proud student
presenters at
the 2011 STEM
Showcase
Transformation grants
Expansion of PLTL, JiTT, Peer Mentoring
Students engaging in
Peer Lead Team
Learning
Student working
on new
microscopy
lab
Honors Seminars
STEM Mentoring
Programs
STEM Summer Bridge
StudentCentered
Pedagogies
Career
Services
Student
Success
Articulation
with 2 yr.
Colleges
2011-2012
Women in Science
House (WISH) cohort
STEM Summer Bridge 2011.
IUPUI student mentors
with their mentees
New CI-STEP Internship
Program
New School of Science
Career Development
Services
Math
Professor
Jeffrey Watt
giving math
students one on
one attention
New Mathematics Courses
Collaboration with Bridges to the
Baccalaureate
Revised Articulation with Department of
Engineering and Technology
Mini-Grant RFP Purpose
• CI-STEP proposals are expected to help increase
the numbers of students of all demographic
groups who:
• pursue STEM academic and career pathways;
• participate in STEM research, industry
internships, and honors activities;
• graduate with an undergraduate degree in STEM
fields; and
• transition into industry, graduate and
professional programs.
Mini-Grant RFP Characteristics
• The proposal must involve work that is above
and beyond the normal requirements of the
individual’s position(s); and
• Successful achievement of the objectives or
outcomes will promote retention and
persistence in STEM; and
• The proposal must clearly identify the
methods to be used for assessing outcomes
Mini-Grant RFP Preferences
• Seeking awards ranging between $5,000 $25,000 ($250K available to award)
• Involve collaborators;
• Have immediate impact on a broad range
students.
• Demonstrate Innovativeness, Effectiveness
and Inclusiveness
Mini-Grant RFP Eligibility
• Full or Part-time faculty at IUPUI, Ivy Tech and
Butler University are all eligible
• Proposals may be implemented over a single
semester, multiple semesters or summer
• Proposals must include project description,
evidence of significance, timeline, expected
outcomes, evaluation plan, dissemination plan
and budget
Submission Process
• Dean and/or Department Chair reviews and
approves proposal
• The CI-STEP Award Committee reviews and
approves the proposal
• Receive notice of award and begin work
according to approved timeline
Review Criteria
• Work is above and beyond the normal
requirements of the applicant’s position
• Proposal promotes the goals and objectives of
the CI-STEP initiative and promotion of
retention, persistence and graduation are
clear.
• Evaluation and Assessment of project
outcomes are clear
Summary of CI-STEP Mini-Grants
Title
Student Video STEM Projects
Investigators
Goal
Andres Tovar and Randy Begin to develop video repository for students
Newbrough
learning process to improve performance, retention
and persistence to degree.
Summer Industrial Projects Program
Robert Durkin
Rekindle Soph/Jr. MET students' desire to become
engineers, promote retention and persistence.
Develop a Rigorous Two-Year Mathematics Degree Janet Dalzell
Have 5 students complete their degree by 2013.
Engineering and Technology Alliance for Retention Patrick Gee
Raise GPAs. Increase minority retention and
for Multicultural Students
accelerate time to graduation.
Transfer Student Recruitment and Support
Terri Talbert-Hatch
Teach a learning community at IVYTech. 20 students
in June for 1.5 day orientation to increase retention.
Using the Inductive Learning Methodology to
Paul Yearling
Reduce DFW rates in the course Intro to
Reduce Student Failure Rates in MET
Thermodynamics and Heat Transfer.
From Studio to Student: e-Mentoring in Computer Jan Cowan and Dan
Attract, retain new and existing students.
Graphics Technology
Baldwin
Exploring the Causes and Involving Faculty in
Barbara Christie
Alter instructors behaviors and attitudes.
Persistence
Improving the Retention of Freshman Engineering Stanley Chien
Increase freshman engineering retention by at least
Students through Proactive Peer Mentoring.
12%
Promoting STEM Course via Introductory Videos Sohel Anwar
Recruit students.
Enhancing Student Comprehension and Success in Mariah Judd and
Retain students.
Genetics through Recitation
Brittiney Reese
Reduce DFW rates in Intro course
Organic Chemistry Workshop Series
Rob Minto, Ryan Denton Improve learning outcomes/reduce attrition/peak
and Sarah Wilson
student curiosity
Creating a Physics Learning Space
Andy Gavrin
Improve learning outcomes/reduce attrition
Mini-Grant Outcomes
Seamless transitions for AS/BS degrees (2-year to 4-year STEM programs)
Improved course grades -- Decrease in failure (%DFW) rates for
targeted courses
Increased number of students who enroll and successfully
complete STEM courses
Increased support of new or transfer students enrolled in
STEM majors
Increased number of minorities enrolled in STEM majors
Improved rates of retention, persistence, and success of
students in STEM majors
Improved satisfaction among students taking STEM courses
Mini-Grant Outcomes
continued
Increased student participation, completion, and success rates
in STEM Bridge / Residential Programs
Increased number of students using peer-mentoring or tutoring
services
Increased number of students participating in internships or
research experiences
Increased number of STEM students using Career Development
Services (CDS)
Sustained increase in number of students completing STEM
degrees within the duration of the STEP grant period
O VERALL P ROJECT A SSESSMENT
Two-Phase Project Assessment Framework
Assessing Processes
•
Qualitative Data Sources
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Questionnaires
Interviews
Focus Groups
Participation & Completion Rates
Student Surveys
Faculty/Mentor Surveys
Course Evaluations
Event Tracking
Attendance / User Sign-up Sheets
Assessing Outcomes (Impact)
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
STEM-related Retention & Persistence Rates
STEM Degree Completion Rates; Bachelor’s Degree
Awarded per Year (by disciplines)
Academic Performance (Scores, Grades, GPAs)
Self-reported Learning Outcomes
Student Satisfaction
Faculty/Mentor Satisfaction
Student Engagement
Student Internships /Research Experiences
STEM-related Graduate Studies Pursued
Career Placements in STEM disciplines
19
Types of Evaluation Measures Solicited
Direct Measures:
Indirect Measures:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Course-embedded assessments
- Exams/Tests, Papers, Assignments, Oral
Presentations, Group Work, etc.
Standardized Achievement Tests
Exit Exams/Common Final Exam
Project Documents (e.g., mini-grant project
proposals, progress/annual reports, etc.)
Student ePortfolio Assessments
•
•
•
•
•
Pre-Post Knowledge Surveys (Questionnaires)
Participant Satisfaction Surveys
Interviews / Focus Groups with project
participants
Faculty/Mentor/Protégé Surveys
Event Tracking/Usage Data Records
Course/Event/Session Evaluations
Extant Data (e.g., enrollment, participation,
completion, retention, demographic data,
grades, GPAs, %DFW rates, and related data)
Participant Testimonials/Reflections
20
B e st P ra c t i c e s fo r M i n i - G ra nt D ata C o l l e c t i o n
Build on proven strategies and activities to meet STEP goals
Mini-grant recipients and evaluator should collaborate early
during the planning, development, implementation, and
reporting phases of project assessment/evaluation activities
Whenever possible, encourage mini-grant recipients to adopt
“methodological pluralism” with regards to collection and
analysis of evaluation data.
Formally request mini-grant recipients to provide progress
reports and/or final reports to help document achievements,
challenges, and plans for long-term program sustainability
(e.g., for annual reports to NSF and for broad dissemination of findings)
Development/presentation of mini-grant posters is useful…!
H o w to C o n n e c t P ro j e c t Re s u l t s to
N S F Re p o r t i n g Re q u i re m e nt s
Use sound metrics and establish a baseline from which to
measure impact of project strategies and activities.
Where possible, collect appropriate measures needed to
disaggregate data for purposes of evaluating the efficacy and
impact of respective project strategies or activities.
Collaborate with mini-grant recipients in articulating specific
components of their project outcomes that contribute directly
to students’ retention and graduation in STEM fields.
Encourage mini-grant recipients to share empirical evidence,
examples of proven strategies, or use of high-impact
educational practices that enhance STEP project goals.
Challenges / Lessons Learned
Coordination and alignment of mini-grant project goals to
obtain direct measures of project impact can be challenging
Limitations encountered in data collection/analysis included:
inconsistency in data collection; missing or incomplete data;
inadequate baseline data; inherent problem of self-selection
of participants; and low participation rates for some projects.
Develop and share appropriate resources (e.g., Logic Model
for CI-STEP Project, examples of assessment/evaluation tools,
report templates, etc.) to facilitate collection/reporting of
evaluation data.
Early and sustained communication between evaluator and
project coordinators is crucial to success of mini-grant strategy.
Develop a Proposal
Groups will be formed and RFP’s will be distributed
Groups will begin the process of brainstorming
ideas for a Mini-Grant proposal
Groups will discuss and address questions in the
RFP in the areas of 1) project description; 2)
significance/rationale/evidence; 3) anticipated
difficulties; 4) timeline; 5) outcomes; 6) evaluation;
7) dissemination and 8) projected budget
Critique Mini-Grants
Groups will be formed and Mini-Grant proposals
will be provided
Groups will read the proposals, use the criteria from
the RFP and decide on whether the proposal should
be funded or not
CI-STEP team will share whether the proposals
provided to groups were funded and the rationale
for the decision
Brainstorm Ideas on How to
Improve/Modify Mini -Grant RFP ’s
Are we helping our students reach graduation?
Are you (and your colleagues) doing all you can to
help IUPUI meet their mission of increasing
graduation rates and reducing attrition?
What efforts can you make to help contribute to the
call for 1 million additional graduates? Do you have
an idea that CI-STEP could help with?