Underrepresented Minority Students Research Articles

Build a more diverse, likely‐to‐succeed class through intentionality

The University of Oregon boasts a student body that is more diverse than the overall population of the state of Oregon, a fact of which Roger Thompson, vice president for student services and enrollment management at U of O, and a member of the Enrollment Management Report Advisory Board, is very proud. When Thompson joined the institution, the population of underrepresented domestic minority students accounted for only 17 percent of the student body.

Supporting scientists from underrepresented minority backgrounds

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to explore the developmental networks of graduate students of color participating in PROMISE, Maryland’s Alliance for Graduate Education and the Professoriate program, a National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded graduate retention and support program. The authors specifically examine how underrepresented minority students gain access to needed supports through building individual mentoring relationships and broader networks of support.Design/methodology/approachThe authors rely on a case study approach to explore developmental networks and support accessed by students participating in the PROMISE program. A total of 16 students of color in STEM fields from three institutions in the University of Maryland System have participated.FindingsStudy findings reveal that scientists from underrepresented backgrounds construct and draw from diverse developmental networks that include individuals from within and outside of the academic community. Key relationships include advisors; faculty with whom they share identities, peers in and outside of their programs; and administrators. Developers play distinct roles within the networks including shaping students’ emerging professional identities as scientists and providing psychosocial support. Student agency and initiative as well as faculty engagement and programs like PROMISE further enhanced student access to mentorship.Research limitations/implicationsThis study offers unique insights into the nature, cultivation and resources gained from the relationships that make up the developmental networks of science graduate students from underrepresented backgrounds.Originality/valueTraditional notions of mentoring and support, particularly in graduate education, highlight the role and importance of the student’s advisor in their growth and development. This study is unique in its focus on the multiple relationships students of color in science form. This study offers specific insight into the nature, construction and resources gained from developmental networks formed by a group of underrepresented minority students in STEM graduate education.

Psychiatrists Can Help Growing Number of Students Who Need MH Help

Psychiatrists Can Help Growing Number of Students Who Need MH Help

Technology Capacity Building Strategies for Increasing Participation & Persistence in the Stem Workforce

This research model uses an emancipatory approach to address challenges of equity in the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) workforce. Serious concerns about low minority participation call for a rigorous evaluation of new pedagogical methods that effectively prepares underrepresented groups for the increasingly digital world. The inability to achieve STEM workforce diversity goals is attributed to the failure of the academic pipeline to maintain a steady flow of underrepresented minority students. Formal curriculum frequently results in under-preparedness and a professional practices gap. Exacerbating lower performance are fragile communities where issues such as poverty, single-parent homes, incarceration, abuse, and homelessness disengage residents. Since data shows that more minorities have computing and engineering degrees than work in the field, this discussions explores how educational institutions can critically examine social and political realities that impede STEM diversity while capturing cultural cues that identify personal barriers amongst underrepresented groups.

Instruction Is Contextual: An Examination of McNair Program Curricula for STEM Scholars and Recommendations Based on the Framework for Information Literacy in Higher Education

ABSTRACTThe Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement awards help prepare high-achieving but economically disadvantaged and underrepresented minority students for graduate research. This paper discusses the results of a survey of the 2016–2017 institutional recipients of these awards, about curricula and pedagogy employed in their program’s research course, especially elements specifically created to assist students in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) fields. This paper also reviews librarian-led instruction for McNair scholars in STEM at Rutgers University during 2016 and 2017, designed using the Framework for Information Literacy in Higher Education, that explores the disciplinary as well as societal, ethical, and financial contexts of research that are relevant to McNair scholars.

The First‐year Research Advancement Program (FRAP): Fostering Persistence of Underrepresented Students in Biology and Chemistry

We co founded the First Year Research Advancement Program (FRAP) in 2014, based on a workshop we attended by the Council on Undergraduate Research. Our goal is to increase persistence in STEM of academically promising students who belong to groups that traditionally do not persist at the same rate as majority students, including first‐generation students, PELL‐eligible students, and underrepresented minority students. Based on research that suggests that early exposure to research experiences increases discipline identity and persistence, we established FRAP. Two first‐year students per lab are paired with a senior student mentor, and each are paid for eight hours a week such that the experience replaces other work‐study. Students spend six hours a week in the lab, one hour in lab meeting, and one hour in a meeting with the cohort of 8–16 students in which faculty and students discuss college and STEM issues and form an academic professional network. Mentors are trained in coaching and mentorship. We have assessed the program in collaboration with the College's Office of Assessment and Research and found increases in self‐reported confidence and engagement. As our number of participants increases, we will study the effect on four‐year persistence versus matched sets of non‐participants. Over the last four years, 30 first year students have participated in FRAP. Our first cohort of FRAP students are now seniors; two current student mentors started as FRAP students themselves. Six of the eight FRAP students that started in the Mills lab are still part of the research groupSupport or Funding InformationThis work was supported by the National Science Foundation (MCB‐1517138 to KVM) and a Henry Dreyfus Teacher‐Scholar Award (KVM).This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2018 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.

When active learning fails: How faculty beliefs inform their teaching and influence student outcomes

Many active‐learning approaches have been shown to be effective across contexts; however, discrepant results raise challenging questions about specific implementations and their efficacies. Here, we present two studies that examine how different instructors implemented the same active‐learning approaches in large introductory biology courses (about 300 students) and what factors correlated with positive student outcomes. In the first study, we analyzed student outcomes in two sections of a course. The course was collaborative developed by two instructors (A and B), and the sections (A and B) shared all teaching material and had common exams. However, students in section A had more positive and equitable outcomes: Section A had higher learning gains measured by pre/post concept inventories (effect size = 0.89 vs. 0.72, p<0.05) and a higher completion rate (94% vs. 83%, p<0.01); completion rates are different for majority vs. underrepresented minority (URM) students only in section B (85% vs. 67%, p<0.05). In parallel, we dissected how the two instructors taught and triangulate their actions in the classrooms with their beliefs about teaching. Using COPUS, we found that in lectures with clicker questions, instructor A had significantly more two‐minute time intervals in which he answered questions (47% vs. 22%, p<0.05) or had extended discussions with students (20% vs. 0%, p<0.01). In lectures dedicated to small‐group problem solving, instructor A had more two‐minute time intervals in which he moved among groups (79% vs. 32%, p<0.01) and fewer two‐minute time intervals in which he waited at the podium (17% vs. 56%, p<0.01). Using an established interview protocol and coding scheme, we found that instructor A had an acquisition belief of teaching (i.e. helping students learn content), whereas instructor B had a transmission belief of teaching (i.e. disseminating information). These beliefs are consistent with the actions observed by COPUS and may provide an explanation for pedagogical decisions made either explicitly or implicitly by the two instructors. In the second study, we expanded our analysis to include a third instructor (C), who had a development belief of teaching (i.e. facilitating the discovery of knowledge by students in a constructivist manner), teaching a different course. We found that while instructor C has a mixed COPUS profile with elements similar to both instructors A and B, his group activities had a fundamentally different structure that guides students to make their own discoveries and formulate mental models. Together in these two studies, we examined how multiple people enacted the same curriculum, why they implemented active learning in specific but distinct manners, and what beliefs about teaching and actions in the classrooms correlated with positive student outcomes. From these results, we propose a new model to understand how and why faculty teach differently and what features of their teaching promote student success.This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2018 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.

Exposure to, Knowledge of, and Interest in Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy as Career Options

Lack of awareness and knowledge of the occupational therapy (OT) and physical therapy (PT) professions has been cited as a barrier to consideration of these professions as career options. This study examined the types of exposure to, knowledge of, and career interest in OT and PT of students from underrepresented minority (URM) and non-Hispanic White and Asian American (NHW-AA) populations. A questionnaire was administered to a convenience sample of 150 high school and undergraduate college students. Demographic data and student responses to questions regarding exposure to, knowledge of, and career interest in OT and PT were collected. Descriptive statistics and chi-square tests of association were computed, and qualitative data were analyzed for themes. The study findings revealed limited exposure to and knowledge of the OT profession among URM and NHW-AA students. Even though participants from both groups showed better knowledge about PT, they reported limited to no interest in the professions as careers. Further research is needed to examine contextual factors that may influence student perceptions of the OT and PT professions, including how clinical encounters can best be leveraged to improve public knowledge and consideration of these professions as careers for high school and undergraduate college students.

Meeting the Challenges of Minorities in Higher Education: A Review of the Underrepresentation of Hispanics in Medical School

Bridging the gap between Hispanics and the medical profession is critical to addressing the diversity disparities and in upholding quality healthcare to individuals of all ethnic backgrounds. The deficiency in Hispanic healthcare providers is attested by the low representation of Hispanics in medical schools across the nation. Despite current research, there is lack of research that would help develop a comprehensive approach to increase Hispanic representation in the medical profession. The objective of this study is to interpret, analyze, and integrate information about the challenges experienced by underrepresented minorities (URM) in their quest to medical school. This research seeks to answer the question: What individual‐level and sociocultural factors impede Hispanic participation and representation in medical school? To answer this question, a library research to review the literature using peer‐reviewed articles was conducted. The articles were read thoroughly, scrutinized, evaluated for their relevance, and interpreted with new understandings. The analysis of key factors contributing to low representation of minorities in higher education was done through synthesis of the pertinent information reported in previous studies. Our review showed that a key factor contributing to low representation of Hispanics in medical school was their low acceptance rate. While seemingly obvious and its proximal correlates equally obvious (i.e., low academic performance metrics such as grade point average (GPA), science GPA, and MCAT scores), the less visible and the more distal reasons relating to educational inequalities such as deficiency in resources, lower quality schools, working student status, and constrained financial means for test preparation courses and materials all conspired to deter and diminish competencies that are critical to maintaining high academic performance metrics. Other seemingly inconspicuous and distal reasons and yet adversely impacting academic performance metrics have to do with inadequate social capital such as lack of access to academic support networks, academic mentors, real‐life role models, and familial support. Combatting these hindrances requires special attention to develop outreach initiatives with primary and secondary schools to attract and better prepare underrepresented minority students. Implementation of summer programs, collaborative enrichment initiatives, and mentoring systems with the aid of medical schools as well as the primary and secondary schools are indeed needed to stimulate growth in Hispanic representation.Support or Funding InformationAct on Ideas Texas A&M International University and College of Arts and Sciences Texas A&M International UniversityThis abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2018 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.

Technology Capacity Building Strategies for Increasing Participation & Persistence in the Stem Workforce

This research model uses an emancipatory approach to address challenges of equity in the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) workforce. Serious concerns about low minority participation call for a rigorous evaluation of new pedagogical methods that effectively prepares underrepresented groups for the increasingly digital world. The inability to achieve STEM workforce diversity goals is attributed to the failure of the academic pipeline to maintain a steady flow of underrepresented minority students. Formal curriculum frequently results in under-preparedness and a professional practices gap. Exacerbating lower performance are fragile communities where issues such as poverty, single-parent homes, incarceration, abuse, and homelessness disengage residents. Since data shows that more minorities have computing and engineering degrees than work in the field, this discussions explores how educational institutions can critically examine social and political realities that impede STEM diversity while capturing cultural cues that identify personal barriers amongst underrepresented groups.

STEM Doctoral Completion of Underrepresented Minority Students: Challenges and Opportunities for Improving Participation in the Doctoral Workforce

This article is a result of the analysis of student-level enrollment records from twenty-one research universities in the United States, and it contributes to a more robust understanding of timely completion of STEM doctorates by underrepresented minority students. Using multivariate logit regression models, findings indicated that Hispanic/Latino and students from other underrepresented groups complete at higher rates than do their Black/African American counterparts. Findings also indicated that prior master’s degrees and institutional participation in doctoral completion programs positively correlate with STEM doctoral completion. We conclude by offering insights and recommendations for graduate schools about how to increase the STEM doctoral attainment rate of students from underrepresented groups.

The relationship between faculty diversity and graduation rates in higher education

This study examines the relationship between faculty racial/ethnic diversity and graduation rates of undergraduate students, in particular those from underrepresented racial and ethnic minority populations. Using IPEDS data, the researchers calculated a Diversity Score for each institution. Findings suggest U.S. faculty diversity is lower than in the U.S. national population. Overall graduation rates for underrepresented minority students of all races/ethnicities are positively affected by increased diversity of their faculty.

Intensity of activity involvement and psychosocial well-being among students

The transition to university, while a time of growth, can also be difficult for many students, with declines in psychosocial well-being common. Specific stressors can include both those related to academics and those related to life transitions during this time, like moving out or being away from one’s family. Understanding the factors that can bolster well-being, such as campus activity participation (e.g. in sports or social organizations), is likely to be especially important to student success. The study examined linear and curvilinear associations of campus activity intensity and psychosocial well-being. Results suggested the greatest benefits to belongingness, loneliness, and social anxiety at the highest levels of activity intensity, over 10 hours a week spent in activities. An interaction tested by ethnicity showed that effects of activity intensity on belongingness differed for underrepresented minority students versus non-underrepresented students. Findings suggest that students may benefit from getting involved as much as they can, and that universities may highlight the importance of engaging in activities outside of the classroom through messaging or in-class presentations about the utility of campus involvement.

Do Performance-Based Funding Policies Affect Underrepresented Student Enrollment?

ABSTRACTMore states are using performance-based funding (PBF) systems in an effort to incentivize public colleges to operate more effectively. Responding to concerns about equity, states are also adopting provisions that encourage colleges to serve more students who at risk of not completing college. In this paper, I examine whether PBF policies in general—and more specifically policies that have provisions designed to incentivize colleges to enroll underrepresented students—are associated with the number of lower-income, underrepresented minority, and adult students enrolled at four-year public colleges. Using a generalized difference-in-difference framework, I find little evidence that PBF systems as a whole meaningfully affect underrepresented student enrollment. However, the presence of bonuses for serving at-risk students appears to help mitigate any efforts to enroll a more advantaged student body that may be present in other PBF systems.

Effects of Hierarchical Mentoring on Freshman Retention in a Biology First-Year Experience Course

Higher education must improve student retention and graduation rates to meet increased demand for STEM degrees in the workforce projected for the next ten years. The high rate of attrition among STEM students entering college compels institutions to implement strategies that improve student retention because more states now employ performance-based funding models with increased pressures to improve student outcomes, such as first- and second-year retention rates. We piloted a two-year hierarchical mentoring model as part of a first-year experience course developed for biology students (BioSkills) to increase retention rates among first-time-in-college (FTIC) students. We describe the mentoring structure we adopted and how the design of BioSkills supports and educates future biology professionals. Our findings show that FTIC students who participated in this program earned significantly higher first-year GPAs and were retained at higher rates than students who did not participate, which documents the impact of BioSkills as a successful first-year intervention. However, we were surprised that the benefit of BioSkills was not replicated among under-represented minority (URM) students. We briefly speculate on explanations for this finding. Lastly, we offer best practice suggestions for future implementation.

Using principles of cognitive science to improve science learning in middle school: What works when and for whom?

SummaryFour principles of cognitive science were used to make systematic revisions in middle school science instructional modules from two kinds of curriculum: one popular textbook series and one popular hands‐on series (two modules each). Schools were randomly assigned to 1 of the 3 arms (cognitive science modifications with professional development, active control with professional development, or business‐as‐usual). Two cohorts of students were followed in each arm for each setting. There were significant benefits of the cognitive science intervention, but the nature of effects varied for the two settings and curricula. For the text‐based curriculum, positive effects of cognitive science modifications were concentrated in classrooms with lower proportions of underrepresented minority students. For the hands‐on curriculum, there were positive effects that were not linked to school composition. Participation in the active control did not significantly improve student learning. Implications for policy and research are discussed.

Pathways over Time: Functional Genomics Research in an Introductory Laboratory Course.

National reports have called for the introduction of research experiences throughout the undergraduate curriculum, but practical implementation at many institutions faces challenges associated with sustainability, cost, and large student populations. We describe a novel course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE) that introduces introductory-level students to research in functional genomics in a 3-credit, multisection laboratory class. In the Pathways over Time class project, students study the functional conservation of the methionine biosynthetic pathway between divergent yeast species. Over the five semesters described in this study, students (N = 793) showed statistically significant and sizable growth in content knowledge (d = 1.85) and in self-reported research methods skills (d = 0.65), experimental design, oral and written communication, database use, and collaboration. Statistical analyses indicated that content knowledge growth was larger for underrepresented minority students and that growth in content knowledge, but not research skills, varied by course section. Our findings add to the growing body of evidence that CUREs can support the scientific development of large numbers of students with diverse characteristics. The Pathways over Time project is designed to be sustainable and readily adapted to other institutional settings.

PA program characteristics and diversity in the profession.

The primary objective of this study was to identify PA program characteristics that may be associated with higher or lower percentages of underrepresented minority students in PA programs. Data from the Physician Assistant Education Association (PAEA) 2002-2003 and 2012-2013 annual surveys were analyzed. Bivariate correlation coefficients and multiple regression modeling were used to identify relationships between program characteristics and percentages of black and Hispanic students. The percentage of white matriculants in PA programs increased from 76.5% in 2002-2003 to 81.8% in 2012-2013; the percentage of black students decreased from 6.2% to 4.4%. Multiple linear regression revealed a modest negative relationship between master's degree and percentage of underrepresented minority students and a modest positive relationship between percentages of underrepresented minority employees and underrepresented minority students. Further research is needed to identify strategies to increase underrepresented minority participation in healthcare professions programs.

Changing the face of STEM with stormwater research

BackgroundThe University of Maine Stormwater Management and Research Team (SMART) program began in 2014 with the goal of creating a diverse science-technology-engineering-math (STEM) pathway with community water research. The program engages female and underrepresented minority high school students in locally relevant STEM research. It focuses on creating educational experiences that are active and relevant to students that build confidence, connect knowledge and skills directly to solving problems in local communities, and support student cultural identities. The core tools of the SMART program are resources and relationships: university-designed or commercial water data collection equipment, data loggers and chemistry supplies, on-campus science and engineering training for teacher-mentors and students, and a community mentor network. The program supports an annual summer institute that trains both students and teacher-mentors and academic-year student research projects. SMART groups are formed at local schools or community centers. Activities revolve around engaging students in citizen-science to expand their understanding of the environment, developing community strategies to address the complex problem of stormwater pollution, and using the tools of science, engineering, and technology effectively. In addition, the program supports teachers and students in reaching out to local science and engineering professionals to form a mentor network for student research.ResultsOver 3 years, 220 students and 25 teachers have been trained in the science and engineering of stormwater, having taken and recorded over 4000 local water measurements (i.e., temperature, conductivity, pH). In all cohorts to date, over 75% of student participants have self-identified as either female or a racial minority. Of approximately 125 currently college-eligible former and current SMART students, more than 41% have been accepted or are enrolled in a secondary STEM degree program. In pre- and post-program surveys, female and underrepresented minority students reported that SMART activities and their relationship with mentors have increased their awareness of how stormwater affects the community and increased their interest in pursuing a STEM career.ConclusionWith its focus on problem-solving at the community level, SMART supports students in active, local, and culturally relevant science and engineering experiences that contribute to building their confidence and affirming their decision to pursue post-secondary STEM careers.

Pathways to the geosciences through 2YR community colleges: A strategic recruitment approach being used at Texas A&M University

ABSTRACTThe adoption of enrollment-based budgeting at many institutions poses serious problems for geoscience programs that have been facing enrollment challenges in recent years, particularly in response to drops in the price of oil and gas. This commentary describes the impetus for, and results of, the Pathways to the Geosciences program at Texas A&M University, designed to provide transfer students with guided pathways and allow the college to maintain enrollment and buffer against fluctuations in oil and gas prices that are shown to affect first-year enrollment. Results suggest that the program resulted in a statistically significant increase in the population of underrepresented minority students, who now represent 33% of the total undergraduate population and 39% of the incoming cohort in Fall 2016. The Pathways to the Geosciences program is offered as a model for other geoscience programs through this early review of the program and its impact on enrollment.