Appendix C
Site Visit Overview
Serving as a significant component of the committee’s information-gathering efforts, from September 2017 through November 2017, a subset of committee members conducted informational site visits at nine Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) that implement promising models, policies, practices, and/or strategies to help propel more students toward degree attainment in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields and toward strong preparation for success in STEM careers. Participating MSIs were selected from a list of nominated institutions culled from discussions with key stakeholders of the study’s report. Nominations were accepted from the University of Pennsylvania’s Center on Minority Serving Institutions and from MSI association groups (e.g., United Negro College Fund, Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, American Indian Higher Education Consortium, Asian & Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund). While it would have been valuable to visit more schools, time and financial resources required tough decisions on which institutions to visit. In the selection of sites, the committee made a conscious effort to include a diversity of perspectives represented across the different classifications of MSIs, size of institution, setting (rural, urban, etc.), and region.
Institution | Designation | Governance | Type | Location |
---|---|---|---|---|
Dillard University | HBCU | Private | Four-year | New Orleans, LA |
Mission College | AANAPISI | Public | Two-year | Santa Clara, CA |
Morgan State University | HBCU | Public | Four-year | Baltimore, MD |
North Carolina A&T State University | HBCU | Public | Four-year | Greensboro, NC |
Salish Kootenai College | TCU | Public | Four-year | Pablo, MT |
San Diego State University | HSI | Public | Four-year | San Diego, CA |
University of Texas Rio Grande Valley | HSI | Public | Four-year | Pharr, TX |
West Los Angeles College | HSI | Public | Two-year | Culver City, CA |
Xavier University | HBCU | Private | Four-year | New Orleans, LA |
At each site visit, candid discussions were held with presidents, deans, provosts, faculty and staff, students, recent alumni, and community and industry partners. As a result of the open and candid discussion held during these site visits, the committee was able to collect unique data, both qualitative and quantitative in nature, on illustrative examples of long-standing models and approaches to support racial and ethnic minorities in STEM, as well as to identify examples of promising and innovative efforts that address the changing STEM landscape and future workforce needs. These data helped to inform several of the research conclusions and recommendations within this report.
Group Interview Agendas
Agenda: Morgan State University
September 11, 2017
8:15 AM | Coffee/Welcome/Brief Introductions |
8:30 AM | Presentation from President of Morgan State University |
9:00 AM | Discussion with Administration |
9:45 AM | Meet with Faculty/Staff |
10:30 AM | Tour of STEM Lab |
11:00 AM | Tour of School of Computer, Mathematical, and Computer Sciences |
11:15 AM | LUNCH |
12:00 PM | Meet with Faculty/Staff |
1:00 PM | Meet with Students and Alumni |
2:30 PM | Committee Debrief |
Agenda: West Los Angeles College
November 13, 2017
10:45 AM | Welcome/Introductions |
11:00 AM | Committee meets with Administrators |
12:30 AM | LUNCH with Faculty/Staff |
1:45 AM | BREAK |
2:00 PM | Meeting with Community/Industry Partners |
3:15 PM | Committee meets with Students and Alumni |
4:30 PM | Adjourn |
Agenda: San Diego State University
September 22, 2017
8:30 AM | Coffee/Welcome/Brief Introductions |
9:00 AM | Meet with Administrators |
10:30 AM | BREAK |
11:00 AM | Lab Tour |
11:45 PM | Lunch |
1:00 PM | Meet with Faculty/Staff |
2:15 PM | BREAK |
2:30 PM | Meet with Students and Alumni |
3:45 PM | Adjourn |
Agenda: Dillard University
October 10, 2017
10:15 AM | Coffee Mixer Welcome/Overview of Institution |
10:30 AM | Committee meets Administrators |
12:00 PM | Lunch with Faculty |
1:45 PM | Meeting with Community Partners, Laboratory, STEM Facility Tour |
2:30 PM | Break |
2:45 PM | Meet with Students and Alumni |
4:00 PM | Adjourn |
Agenda: Xavier University
October 11, 2017
8:00 AM | Coffee Mixer Welcome/Brief introduction |
9:00 AM | Committee meets with Administrators |
9:45 AM | Brief Tour |
10:15 AM | Meeting with Faculty and Staff |
11:00 AM | Break |
11:15 AM | Meet with Faculty and Staff |
12:00 PM | Lunch Meet with Recent Alumni |
1:00 PM | Break |
1:30 PM | Meet with Students |
2:15 PM | Meet with Faculty/Staff |
3:00 PM | Adjourn |
Agenda: University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
October 23, 2017
8:00 AM | Welcome/Overview of Institution |
9:00 AM | Tour of Campus |
10:30 AM | Meet with Administrators |
11:45 AM | Break |
12:00 PM | Lunch with Faculty and Staff |
1:00 PM | Meet with Community Partners |
2:00 PM | Break |
2:15 PM | Meet with Students and Alumni |
3:15 | Meet with Department Chairs |
4:00PM | Adjourn |
Agenda: North Carolina A&T State University
November 6, 2017
10:15 AM | STEM Lab Facilities Tour |
11:00 AM | Break |
11:15 AM | Meet with Students |
12:00 PM | Lunch with Administrators |
1:00 PM | Meet with Interim Provost |
1:45 PM | Break |
2:00 PM | Meet with Faculty and Staff |
3:00PM | Adjourn |
Agenda: Mission College
November 8, 2017
9:00 AM | Coffee Mixer |
9:15 AM | Committee meets Executive Cabinet |
9:45 AM | STEM Leadership Team |
10:45 AM | BREAK |
11:00 AM | STEM Learning Center & Cisco Lab Tour |
11:30 AM | Lunch (meet w/Faculty & Staff) |
12:30 PM | BREAK |
12:45 PM | STEM Leadership Team |
1:45 PM | Committee meets with 6-7 students/early post-docs/recent alumni |
2:45 PM | Wrap-up / Adjourn |
Agenda: Salish Kootenai College
November 13, 2017
8:45 AM | Welcome/Introductions |
9:00 AM | Meet with Administrators |
11:00 AM | Meet with STEM Faculty |
12:00 PM | Lunch Meet with STEM Students |
1:00 PM | Tour of Campus |
2:00 PM | Meet with Other STEM Faculty |
3:00 PM | Meet with “STEM Academy” Students |
Sample of Site Visit Discussion Questions
To Administration, Faculty, and Staff
- What are some of your institution’s long-standing and emergent or promising practices as it concerns outreach, recruitment, and retention of underrepresented minority students into STEM programs at your institution?
- What are some of your long-standing and/or recent best practices for facilitating the transition of underrepresented minority graduates of STEM programs at MSIs to appropriate next phases in their career trajectories?
- Where are some of the greatest challenges in sustaining and/or scaling up your successful programs or practices?
- How does the administration define “success”? How does your MSI recognize and celebrate success?
- What are some of the institutional policies that help to facilitate success for students in STEM courses?
- What are some policies that may serve as barriers to success, and how has your institution addressed those barriers?
- How are faculty members at your institution supported in their efforts to improve their teaching and enhance their research portfolio?
- How does your institution strengthen the knowledge base and experiential learning opportunities of your students (and faculty)? How might those practices be adopted or adapted by other MSIs and by all institutions?
- Can you describe efforts toward pedagogy that are helping students succeed in STEM?
- What resources would matter in enrolling more students, or if retaining the students is the objective, what resources would you need?
To Students and Recent Alumni
- How would you describe the culture and climate for STEM students at your MSI? Are you aware of any steps your MSI has taken to enhance the culture and climate—in STEM departments and campus-wide?
- From your perspective, how would you define “student success”?
- Do you feel that your MSI has made sufficient efforts to celebrate and honor quality and excellence among students? Do you feel that your institution sufficiently recognizes your successes?
- Does your institution promote collaboration among other STEM students? Do you, as a STEM student, sometimes feel isolated in your efforts or pathway to progress?
- Do you feel supported and appropriately mentored within this program? Has your MSI recently created new support systems and structures for the well-being of their students?
- Has your MSI developed effective and sustainable means for enabling STEM graduates to move to graduate training? To employment?
To Industry/Community Partners:
- How do you support MSIs?
- Do you find that students graduating from MSIs have the necessary skill sets to excel in your work environment? If yes, how so? If not, do you teach them?