MSU STEM EDUCATION ALLIANCEMEETING

December 11, 2014

11:30 a.m.-2:00 p.m.

Engineering Building, Room 3405

Overview

The nextmeeting of the MSU STEM Education Alliance will focus oninstitutional efforts to promote success for students pursuing STEM degrees. The theme is based on the overall goal of the STEM Alliance to foster cross-College collaborations that increase student retention and success in STEM.

Objectives

The overarching goal of the meeting will be to identify strategies to promote STEM student success. The meeting objectives to achieve this goal are to:

  • Describe the factors that affect STEM student success;
  • Describe obstacles that prevent changes in STEM teaching practices;
  • Describe driving forces and opportunities that facilitate change in STEM teaching practices;
  • Identify strategies that integrate student support efforts with classroom practices to promote STEM student success; and
  • Identify strategies for leveraging opportunities and overcoming obstacles to promote adoption of teaching practices focused on student success.

Agenda

11:20 a.m. Registration begins, Lunch available

11:40 a.m. Welcome and Overview

Sekhar Chivukula, Associate Dean, College of Natural Science

11:45 p.m. Ecology of Student Success in STEM

Kris Renn, Professor, Higher Adult, and Life Long Education, Associate Dean of Undergraduate Studies, and Director for Student Success Initiatives, will use a systems approach to describe anecological model for student success and describe MSU’s ongoing student success initiatives in the context of this model.

12:25 p.m.Promoting Evidence-Based Change in Undergraduate Science Education

Ann Austin, Erickson Professor of Higher Adult, and Life Long Education and co-PI for the Center for the Integration of Teaching, Research, and Learning will also use a systems approach to describe barriers that prevent change in STEM teaching practices and discuss strategies that help overcome these obstacles and promote change.

1:00 p.m.Breakout Sessions

  • Deans, Chairs, and Directors (Room3405)
  • Dr. Austin will participate in a breakout session for deans, chairs, and directors with the goal of identifying specific strategies that can be implemented at MSU to promote meaningful and sustainable change.

Facilitator: Elizabeth Simmons, Dean, Lyman Briggs College, Acting Dean, College of Arts and Letters

  • Faculty and Academic Staff (Room3540)
  • Dr. Renn will participate in a breakout session for faculty and academic staff to identify opportunities to integrate teaching practices and instruction with ongoing student success efforts outside of the classroom.

Facilitator: Cori Fata-Hartley, Assistant Dean, College of Natural Science