ackground: Historically Black College and Universities (HBCUs) have for decades played a pivotal role in producing Black scientists. Research found that HBCUs, despite being under funded and resourced, were responsible for over 10% of Black scientists with doctorates. Even though most earn their doctorates at Historically White Institutions (HWIS), understanding the experience of Black STEM doctoral students at HBCUs is of paramount importance to impacting opportunity for success for underrepresented population groups.
HBCUs are recognized for approaches to learning and learning environments that are more relational, encouraging peer to peer and student to faculty relationships, particularly in the form of same-race and same sex mentorships, resulting in less negative racialized gendered experiences and less competitive atmospheres. In spite of what appears to be accepted truths, such as HBCUs offering more culturally affirming experiences, some researchers suggests that little empirical research exists on the quality of support structures available for graduate students at HBCUS in STEM academic fields, particularly mentoring. Increased understanding would provide essential framing necessary for developing more effective mentors at HBCUs, especially given that there are limited numbers of Black faculty in STEM, even at HBCUs.
Theoretical Framework: Anti-racism and critical capital theory are employed as theoretical frameworks. Both are well suited for questioning taken-for-granted assumptions about the lived experiences of racialized others and for deconstructing systemic issues influencing common faculty practices. These frameworks highlight the contextual experiences of STEM doctoral learning.
Research Design: The researchers were interested in understanding how STEM doctoral faculty at HBCUs perceive their role as mentors.
An NSF AGEP sponsored social science research project explored the dispositions, skills, and knowledge of eight STEM faculty at a HBCU. Attitudes towards culturally liberative mentoring were explored through a qualitative case study. The participating faculty were involved in an institutional change program and were interviewed for an average of 60 minutes. Constant comparative data analysis method was used. Additionally, STEM faculty from participating departments completed two mentoring competency and attitude inventories. This case was drawn from a larger multiple embedded case study.
Research Findings: The research findings indicate that STEM doctoral faculty mentors at HBCUs express attitudes about mentoring that are not all that different from their PWIS counterparts. They have a tendency to hold deficit views of domestic Black students and have minimal awareness of how culture inhibits or facilitates a positive learning experience for Black students. Further the culture of science tended to blind them from the culture of people.
Research Implications: In order to enhance the learning experiences of Black STEM doctoral students at HBCUs, the Black student experience at HBCUs must be deromanticized. Understanding the impact of anti-Black racism even within an environment historically and predominantly Black is imperative. Recognizing the ways in which anti-Black attitudes are insidiously present in faculty attitudes and practices and in environments perceived as friendly and supportive for Black students highlights opportunities for STEM faculty development that can move toward a more culturally liberative framework.
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Work-based Experiential Learning in IT: Career Enhancement for Underserved Students at a 2-year Hispanic-serving Institution
In the midst of the pandemic, a 2-year Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) in metropolitan
Phoenix launched the Information Technology Institute (ITI), and a five-year National Science Foundation (NSF) sponsored program to provide culturally responsive work-based experiential learning opportunities for adult students balancing multiple jobs and responsibilities. This paper discusses the benefits to students in gaining IT experience alongside industry mentors, how peer mentoring increases engagement, and the challenges of hybrid delivery during the pandemic. Two types of paid opportunities were designed and are currently in pilot mode to provide real-world IT experience for undergraduate students: 1) externships situated on-campus, under the supervision of faculty and assisted by peer-mentors and industry mentors and 2) internships situated with local companies under the supervision of industry employees. When career
preparedness elements were interwoven while learning and practicing new IT skills within
hands-on project deliverables, externs reported benefits such as increased confidence in seeking out employment opportunities, preparing for interviews, professional networking, leadership development, and conveying their industry experience in their resumes and on LinkedIn.
Lessons learned to date related to engaging and retaining targeted students include the need to: prioritize student well-being and work/life balance, pay students during the externships or internships, intentionally immerse students within the work-based experiences, provide continual guidance and structuring on projects where students own a specific work deliverable - yet collaborate, incorporate culturally responsive mentoring from peers, faculty, and industry to meet students where they are in terms of technical and professional skills, design flexibility into the work schedule, and accommodate both virtual and in person work sites.
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- Award ID(s):
- 1953763
- NSF-PAR ID:
- 10400608
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Proceedings ASEE annual conference
- ISSN:
- 0190-1052
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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