Topic: policy & research
Climate, Mentoring, and Persistence Among Underrepresented STEM Doctoral Students
To ensure true equity and success for underrepresented students in STEM, institutional efforts to increase demographic diversity through recruitment must be accompanied by the creation of an inclusive environment where students can thrive.
Better Together: Higher Education and the Federal Government Explore Evidence for the Value of College Degrees
In 2017, The University of Texas System entered into a 10-year partnership with the U.S. Census Bureau to create a pathway for higher education institutions and state education authorities to access critical data needed to show the value of a college degree. The result was seekUT, a web tool that provides students and families an easy way to see salaries of graduates by program of study compared to student debt.
Disconnections Between Research and Practice in STEM Education
An overarching goal of STEM education research is to identify how to improve STEM learning environments through the lenses of education and social science. To make this work most effectively, this research needs to be shared with individuals directly involved in teaching or managing STEM courses. Ahlam Lee of Xavier University discusses how to make this happen.
It Doesn’t Always Get Better for Queer-Spectrum and Trans-Spectrum College Students
Many queer-spectrum and trans-spectrum students continue to navigate stigma, peer aggression, and exclusion well into their college years. Researchers are beginning to capture their experiences, which could help lead the way to change.
STEM Climate for Students with Disabilities
More students with disabilities of all types are enrolling in postsecondary education institutions than ever before. Yet fewer of them persist to graduation relative to their peers without disabilities, and still fewer graduate with science, technology, engineering, or mathematics degrees. Rachel Friedensen, postdocotoral research associate at Iowa State University, examines this dilemma.
