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Despite the increasing diversity of undergraduate students in the United States, university faculty demographics, particularly in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields, remain largely homogeneous, which is problematic for fostering an inclusive academic environment. We examined the hiring process for tenure-track teaching-focused faculty (TFF) positions, specifically within the University of California system, to develop and implement inclusive hiring practices that may promote greater faculty diversity. Through a series of faculty learning communities (FLCs), we developed and implemented inclusive hiring rubrics designed to better evaluate teaching excellence and ensure the recruitment of diverse faculty members. Our findings highlight the critical need for faculty diversity, particularly TFF who instruct in gateway introductory STEM courses, to enhance student outcomes by fostering more inclusive teaching practices and reducing racial disparities in academic achievement. We recommend that institutions adopt inclusive hiring practices, including the use of tailored hiring rubrics, to create a more equitable and supportive learning environment for all students. 

Embedding change agent individuals within STEM departments may drive instructional and pedagogical change efforts. This study seeks to assess whether tenure-track, teaching-focused faculty housed in STEM departments are perceived as influential on the instructional and pedagogical domains of their colleagues. 

Higher education institutions around the globe have increasingly made the commitment to diversity. Instructors play an integral role in creating inclusive learning environments. Guided by sociopolitical perspectives on learning, we ask: How do higher education instructors conceptualize diversity? How do these conceptions inform curriculum and instruction? Interview data from 30 instructors teaching at minority-serving institutions in the United States revealed three distinct conceptions of diversity defined by variations in five aspects: student identities, intelligence mindset, pedagogical motivation, learning environment, and legitimized membership. The essentialist conception is based on students having inherently determinate traits described by preexisting universal categories. The functionalist conception differentiates students by academic performance. The existentialist conception acknowledges that students have unique experiences that impact the learning process. Our results indicate that while instructors acknowledge different student features and have varying understanding for why diversity is important, some conceptions of diversity do not necessarily suggest an inclusive culture. 

Abstract BackgroundThe University of California system has a novel tenure-track education-focused faculty position called Lecturer with Security of Employment (working titles: Teaching Professor or Professor of Teaching). We focus on the potential difference in implementation of active-learning strategies by faculty type, including tenure-track education-focused faculty, tenure-track research-focused faculty, and non-tenure-track lecturers. In addition, we consider other instructor characteristics (faculty rank, years of teaching, and gender) and classroom characteristics (campus, discipline, and class size). We use a robust clustering algorithm to determine the number of clusters, identify instructors using active learning, and to understand the instructor and classroom characteristics in relation to the adoption of active-learning strategies. ResultsWe observed 125 science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) undergraduate courses at three University of California campuses using the Classroom Observation Protocol for Undergraduate STEM to examine active-learning strategies implemented in the classroom. Tenure-track education-focused faculty are more likely to teach with active-learning strategies compared to tenure-track research-focused faculty. Instructor and classroom characteristics that are also related to active learning include campus, discipline, and class size. The campus with initiatives and programs to support undergraduate STEM education is more likely to have instructors who adopt active-learning strategies. There is no difference in instructors in the Biological Sciences, Engineering, or Information and Computer Sciences disciplines who teach actively. However, instructors in the Physical Sciences are less likely to teach actively. Smaller class sizes also tend to have instructors who teach more actively. ConclusionsThe novel tenure-track education-focused faculty position within the University of California system represents a formal structure that results in higher adoption of active-learning strategies in undergraduate STEM education. Campus context and evolving expectations of the position (faculty rank) contribute to the symbols related to learning and teaching that correlate with differential implementation of active learning. 

ABSTRACT Because of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, higher education institutions had to pivot rapidly to online remote learning. Many educators were concerned that the disparate impact of this crisis would exacerbate inequities in learning outcomes and student learning experiences, especially for students from minoritized backgrounds. We examined course grades and student perceptions of their learning experiences in fall (face-to-face) and spring (fully remote) quarters in an introductory biology course series at a public research university. Contrary to our hypothesis, we found that student course grades increased overall during remote learning, and equity gaps in course grades were mitigated for minoritized students. We hypothesize that instructors may have changed their grading practices to compensate for challenges in remote learning in crisis. However, spring students reported significant decreases in the amount of peer negotiation and social support, critical components of active learning. These findings suggest that remote teaching in crisis may have negatively affected student learning environments in ways that may not have been captured by grading practices. 

Emerging revelations from education research have underscored strategies which effectively promote student success in undergraduate science courses. This chapter describes a pilot professional development for science educators in higher education aimed at implementing these strategies at two-year Hispanic-serving institutions (2Y-HSIs). Science faculty members from 2Y-HSIs and graduate students at a research university participated jointly in the collaborative professional development activities described herein. The design of this unique program that comingles in-service and pre-service educators was informed by prior research: Enduring change in science education necessitates more than simply informing educators about effective instructional approaches. Following a comprehensive three-day workshop focused on restructuring college science courses via backward design, 2Y-HSI faculty members and graduate student partners worked together over the next year to devise, implement, and assess the impact of interventions intended to promote active learning in classrooms at the 2Y-HSIs. In support of this effort, the graduate students received additional training on how to conduct classroom observations and provide effective feedback to the 2Y-HSI faculty. A community of practice was further cultivated via regular project meetings that enabled participants to share progress, exchange ideas, and solicit advice and guidance. A culminating session, during which the 2Y-HSI faculty member-graduate student teams presented posters of their ongoing work, offered a capstone experience. In this chapter, we invite faculty members and administrators from two-year colleges (2YCs), especially 2Y-HSIs, and research universities to consider the potential of such collaborative professional development efforts.