Attracting Students to STEM
Careers
Gabriela C. Weaver, Chair
Kamyar Haghighi, Co-Chair
Douglas D. Cook
Christian J. Foster
Sidney M. Moon
Pamela J. Phegley
Roger L. Tormoehlen
Factors and Pathways in STEM Education
Three Main Initiatives
•
•
•
STEM Student Experience and Success
STEM Public Policy and Leadership
Research and Scholarship in P-20 STEM
Teaching and Learning
STEM Student Experience and Success
Three inter-related components.
Student Support
Services and Mentoring
Better Preparation and
Increased Diversity of
Entering Students
Reformed Pedagogy
and Corresponding
Reward Structure
Entering Class Preparation and
Diversity
• Increase preparation and diversity of entering classes.
• Work with the state and state’s teachers and schools to
increase level of math preparation of students and
encourage the Core 40 curriculum for students interested
in STEM majors.
• Increase out-of-state recruiting, especially in high
diversity areas, and create substantial financial
assistance packages for high-ability out-of-state students
– Adjust mechanisms for applying to take more factors into
consideration
• Develop an attractive and inspirational recruiting
message about STEM careers – try to capture top
students who are admitted but don’t enroll.
Student Retention and Support
• Change the learning experience (yrs 1 & 2)
–
–
–
–
Reduce class sizes
Increase small-group experiences, such as LC’s
Reduce DFW rates to <25%; maintain standards
Provide experiential learning opportunities to all
• Increased and Centralized Student Support
–
–
–
–
Center for mentoring/advocacy/peer advising
Increase number of academic advisors
Increase use of Learning Communities
Increase reach of support programs for women and
minorities
Faculty Development and Reward
Structure
• Need a major cultural shift from “teaching”
to “learning” and to thinking about the
student experience
– Revise P&T policies for increased emphasis on
pedagogy/teaching/educational activities
– Engage faculty in professional development in
pedagogy
– Establish oversight body at the University level
and guidelines for review of teaching
– Develop uniform standards for TA training
Three Main Initiatives
•
•
•
STEM Student Experience and Success
STEM Public Policy and Leadership
Research and Scholarship in P-20 STEM
Teaching and Learning
STEM Public Policy and Leadership
• Establish a multi-disciplinary Institute for
STEM Public Policy and Leadership
– Address the urgent and well-documented
national need to stem the rapid erosion of
scientific and technological leadership in the
United States.
– Build support for educating a competitive
workforce for a global, technologically
complex knowledge economy.
P-20 STEM Research and Scholarship
in Teaching and Learning
• Articulation to Classroom Practice.
– Catalyze and support translational research
– Combine under a unifying body (e.g., DLC)
• Increase targeted cluster hiring of STEM
education researchers.
• Create public forum for exchange of ideas
between education researchers and
education practitioners (all who teach).