Resource Library

Presentation on how Physical Sciences Bridge Programs affected the participation rates of Underrepresented Minority (URM) in graduate degree programs.

Biases, conscious or unconscious, are learned social stereotypes that have real effects in the workplace. This series explores individual, organizational and societal factors that influence the intersection of diversity, equity and inclusion. Participants will be challenged to examine their actions and inactions. This series is designed to provide practical tools and resources that interrupt bias and promote workplace inclusion.

Stories and statistics abound about the struggles of graduate education and the risks for wellbeing that it poses to students. In this plenary, we’ll explore both root causes of mental illness among today’s generation of graduate students, the unique barriers experienced by members of minoritized communities, as well as the proactive steps that faculty, friends, and family can take to provide support and challenge toxic norms within academia. Posselt will present research completed through a two year National Academy of Education fellowship on graduate student mental health, sharing findings from two studies: 1) A large-scale national analysis of 20,000 students’ views on competition, discrimination, and support in relation to depression and anxiety, and 2) A qualitative study of the ways that doctoral students of color within STEM conceptualize faculty support.

Frequently asked questions regarding GRE and Graduate Admissions Like you, I’ve struggled with what to use for graduate admission criteria in the Geosciences. A little over a year ago, I intended to write about why we should use the GRE for admissions, but the more I read, the more I decided it was a flawed measure. Since writing my post, To GRE or not to GRE, I’ve received several questions that I’d like to respond to here, publicly. Given that COVID -19 has drastically changed testing, I also discuss that.

The Genentech Foundation has provided support to the ACS Bridge Program.

In its first year, 20% of the 250 active Earth and space science graduate programs in the United States applied for partnership with the program.

Underrepresented minority students make up a third of college-age US citizens and earn roughly 18% of US chemistry bachelor’s degrees and 11% of chemistry PhDs, according to data from the National Center for Education Statistics’ Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System.

Even if wealthy parents don't resort to the kind of illegal tactics in the recent college cheating scandal revealed by the FBI, the college admission process still favors the rich, scholars argue.

...The data shows that the GRE gives us no predictive information on who will succeed in graduate school (even among men) and simultaneously acts to weed out people of color and underrepresented minorities and, as a whole, doesn’t help women applicants either.

© 2019 SPEAKING OF GEOSCIENCE

...AGU is one of five scientific societies that have formed the Inclusive Graduate Education Network (IGEN), which will increase the participation of women and underrepresented racial and ethnic minorities in graduate studies in the physical sciences. 

Abstract

The University of Georgia has operated under a voluntary “race-neutral” admission policy for the past 2 decades. Using frame analysis theory, we examine university documents and interview data from 11 campus administrators responsible for diversity efforts to understand how diversity is framed at the institutional and individual levels post-affirmative action. We compare our findings to the broader sociolegal discourses around diversity to present points of convergence and divergence among frames. We find official university framing of diversity has broadened over time to include numerous characteristics, while administrators hold divergent frames depending on their functional area, philosophy, and personal experience. We conclude that divergent frames may reflect and contribute to the challenge of advancing a coherent set of diversity efforts in a post-affirmative action context, where the place of race in institutional policy is muted. As more institutions consider admissions policy devoid of race to avoid protracted legal struggles, it may be especially important for institutions and administrators responsible for diversity efforts to be explicit with one another and with those whom they hire about how they will continue seeking racial equity.

Abstract

Higher Education Administration for Social Justice and Equity empowers all administrators in higher education to engage in their work—to make decisions, hire, mentor, budget, create plans, and carry out other day-to-day operations—with a clear commitment to justice, sensitivity to power and privilege, and capacity to facilitate equitable outcomes. Grounding administration for social justice as a matter of daily work, this book translates abstract concepts and theory into the work of hiring, socialization, budgeting, and decision-making. Contributed chapters by renowned scholars and current practitioners examine the way higher education administration is organized, and will help readers both question existing structures and practices, and consider new and different ways of organizing campuses based on equity and social justice. Rich with case studies and pedagogical tools, this book connects theory to practice, and is an invaluable resource for current and aspiring administrators.

Abstract

Change comes slowly in higher education, or so the best theory and evidence say. Yet there are exceptions to every rule, and exogenous shocks such as protests, wars, natural disasters and, as we are now seeing, a global pandemic can compel decisive, transformational changes that colleges, universities, and their members would otherwise resist. 

INCLUDES Alliance awards fund partnerships across higher education

The initiative brings together USC Rossier and more than two dozen other organizations.

Our IGEN Project Quarterly Newsletter highlights the work being done by our alliance members and partners.

Featured in this issue:

• Supporting Graduate Student Well-Being
• IGEN Bridge Application 
• Partner Updates
• Equity in Graduate Admissions

Our IGEN Project Quarterly Newsletter highlights the most impactful work being done by our alliance members and partners.

Featured in this issue:

• IGEN 2019 National Meeting
• Partner Spotlight
• Collective Activities

New programme aims to boost the number of women and underrepresented racial and ethnic minorities in science

This presentation will draw from a decade of research that 1) critically analyzes common systems of admission to doctoral programs and 2) develops a case for holistic review, including caveats about design and implementation. Dr. Posselt will present admissions from decision makers' point of view, including thought-provoking episodes of committees grappling with borderline cases. To promote equity, transparency, and legal safeguards, Posselt shares concrete strategies and places admissions within a system of practices that collectively shape student and program outcomes.

A set of role-play, avatar modules to educate faculty, staff, and students about mental health and suicide prevention.

Presentation addressing recruitment and admissions challenges facing graduate education in light of COVID-19.  The panelists will present research and institutional responses that, together, highlight paths for administrators and faculty toward equitable enrollment management. How should we communicate with incoming and prospective students given universities’ quickly changing policy landscape? How can we design holistic review processes that account for new variations in applicant grades, experiences, and obstacles during this time? 

Crises are moments for culture building. During this time we are learning that connections, communication, and critical conversations matter more than ever. As we think about preparing our institutions for annual graduate admissions and recruitment processes, awareness about our respective institutional contexts and individual identities matter. Context and identity matter on their own, and they matter in combination by affecting the resources likely available to us, the constraints and norms we are more likely to face, and the networks of which we are part.

Webinar and discussion session presenting data and research about the role of typical admissions criteria and practices in maintaining racial/ethnic inequalities in graduate education. Practical strategies for rethinking typical admissions criteria and processes are introduced, with a focus on equity-based holistic review and embedding attention to equity throughout the admissions and recruitment process. 

Current Data to support the charge of the IGEN Project and its measured success.

Presentation on how Physical Sciences Bridge Programs affected the participation rates of Underrepresented Minority (URM) in graduate degree programs.

Conference poster.  

Presentation on the benefits of diverse leadership in business and how IGEN goals look to increase the participation gap. 

Research and reports about transforming undergraduate STEM education highlight the need to implement research-based practices and to learn from that process, expanding the research base.

Presentation on how the APS Bridge program works to decrease the achievement gap in doctoral education for underrepresented minority students in Physics degrees.   

Presentation on the efforts to increase diversity in graduate education, and providing practical strategies for doing so by rethinking typical recruitment and admission processes. Including how common admissions mindsets and practices inhibit access for underrepresented groups, and concrete strategies to change admission processes to yield improved diversity and equity.

Presentation on IGEN at NSF Includes: Journey to an Alliance webinar, a series designed to introduce the network to the NSF INCLUDES Alliances and learn about the successes, challenges and lessons learned about launching their partnerships and backbone organizations. 

Workshop presentation by Dr. Melissa McDaniels from Michigan State University, graduate student and postdoctoral participants will be urged to think about the proactive roles they can play in ‘mentoring up’ – strategically and authentically negotiating their constellation of mentoring relationships. Using this lens, participants will be brought through a series of guided conversations and exercises to help them thing about how they might ‘map’ their mentoring networks, anchored by professional competencies, to empower themselves to optimize all mentoring relationships.

Presentation on project goals and activities of the NSF INCLUDES Alliance grant awarded to the Inclusive Graduate Education Network (IGEN). 

High quality mentoring is an important predictor of persistence for researchers pursuing careers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields and can influence the confidence of historically underrepresented trainees' ability to successfully conduct research. Despite this, mentors typically do not receive any training on how to optimize their mentoring relationships. Stories from student mentees from historically underrepresented backgrounds will be shared to learn from their perspectives. Mentors will learn new approaches from each other as they work through mentoring challenges, reflect upon their mentoring experiences, and refine their individual approaches to mentoring. Workshop leaders will provide concrete tools and strategies mentors can incorporate into their practice and extrapolate to their own context. Participants are expected to gain confidence in proactively working with students from diverse backgrounds. See Key Strategies for Mentoring Parts I and II.

Discussion with faculty and staff, touching on various aspects of the mentoring experience, including work-life balance concerns. The focus is on discussing the mentoring relationship in graduate school, building mentoring relationships, and supporting students' growth. 

Workshop Presentation: High quality mentoring is an important predictor of persistence for researchers pursuing careers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields and can influence the confidence of historically underrepresented trainees’ ability to successfully conduct research. Despite this, mentors typically do not receive any training on how to optimize their mentoring relationships. In this interactive workshop, mentors will engage in case studies, activities and small-group discussions aimed to accelerate the acquisition of the mentoring skills and insights needed to cultivate effective mentee-mentor relationships. In part II of this interactive workshop, mentors will discuss the challenges of accurately assessing understanding and providing constructive feedback. Mentors will also discuss ways to foster mentee independence and build their research self-efficacy. Through the workshop, participating mentors will learn new approaches from each other as they work through mentoring challenges, reflect upon their mentoring experiences, and refine their individual approaches to mentoring. Workshop leaders will provide concrete tools and strategies mentors can incorporate into their practice and extrapolate to their own context. Through this process, participants are expected to gain confidence in proactively working with students from diverse backgrounds.

Worksop Presentation: High quality mentoring is an important predictor of persistence for researchers pursuing careers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields and can influence the confidence of historically underrepresented trainees' ability to successfully conduct research. Despite this, mentors typically do not receive any training on how to optimize their mentoring relationships. In this interactive workshop, mentors will engage in case studies, activities and small-group discussions aimed to accelerate the acquisition of the mentoring skills and insights needed to cultivate effective mentee-mentor relationships. In part I of this interactive workshop, mentors will discuss the challenges of misaligned expectations and explore the use of mentoring compacts to convey expectations in a transparent and equitable manner. Mentors will also complete a communication style inventory and explore ways to optimize communication in their mentoring relationships. Through the workshop, participating mentors will learn new approaches from each other as they work through mentoring challenges, reflect upon their mentoring experiences, and refine their individual approaches to mentoring. Workshop leaders will provide concrete tools and strategies mentors can incorporate into their practice and extrapolate to their own context. Through this process, participants are expected to gain confidence in proactively working with students from diverse backgrounds.

Mentoring is an important factor in the satisfaction, productivity and persistence of mentees across disciplines yet research shows that the landscape of mentoring is unequal. Mentees from traditionally underrepresented groups (UG) report less access to mentoring and rate the mentoring they do receive lower in quality. Moreover, mentees from UGs more frequently report feeling a sense of isolation in their research environments and pressure to hide their cultural identities while at work. Mentors of these diverse mentees report uncertainty about if and how to broach topics of belonging, diversity and inclusion in their mentoring relationships. In this plenary session, we will explore the concept of culturally aware mentoring. Following a brief introductory presentation, four mentees will share insights gained from their lived experience; how they are navigating their science and cultural identities and how mentoring has played a role in their educational path. Each panelist will address the following questions: •What has worked for you in your mentoring relationship overall? •What did not work so well? •Around the topic of culturally aware mentoring: Have you been able to share salient aspects of cultural identity (-ies) with your mentor and/or your research team members? Why or why not? •What approaches have mentors used to demonstrate their support of you and all of your identities? How have they or could they demonstrate their cultural awareness in this regard?

The American Chemical Society (ACS) is one of five leading scientific societies that have formed the Inclusive Graduate Education Network (IGEN) to increase the participation of women and underrepresented racial and ethnic minorities in graduate studies in the physical sciences.

The American Institute of Physics aims to double the number of black undergraduates in the field.

Conference brings together champions of diversity and inclusion to increase the number of under-represented minority students earning PhDs.

This article examines the ways diversity is framed at schools with race-neutral admissions policies.

© 2019 American Psychological Association

In March of 2019, William Rick Singer plead guilty to federal conspiracy, bribery and obstruction of justice charges for his work as an academic admissions “fixer.” Following an FBI sting, Singer admitted to bribing college admissions staff, getting ringers to take ACT and SAT tests, and fabricating athletic resumes, all on behalf of the offspring …

2019 Back Porch Broadcasting, Inc.

The American Physical Society’s Bridge Program increases the output of doctorates awarded to underrepresented graduate students in the physical sciences.

A team of researchers led by Rochester Institute of Technology Professor and Associate Dean for Research and Faculty Casey Miller completed a multivariate statistical analysis of about one in eight physics Ph.D. students from 2000 to 2010.  They discovered that while women and underrepresented minorities tend to perform worse on the GRE Physics Subject Test, students’ performance had no bearing on Ph.D. completion. Undergraduate GPA was the most robust predictor of Ph.D. completion they found. 

Exams that US students need to take before being allowed into graduate school are not a reliable way of assessing whether those candidates will successfully complete a PhD. That is the claim of new research, which shows that the over-reliance on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) in PhD admissions also discriminates against under-represented groups. The study has been carried out by a team led by Casey Miller — a physicist from the Rochester Institute of Technology — who analysed data for almost 4000 students who entered physics PhD programmes between 2000 and 2010, representing around 13% of doctoral enrolments during that period.

Researchers are urging universities across the United States to find a new way to identify the next generation of scientists. A new study discovered that traditional admissions metrics for physics Ph.D. programs such as the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) do not predict completion and hurt the growth of diversity in physics, which is already the least diverse of the sciences.

The American Chemical Society has been awarded a $2.3 million grant over five years from the National Science Foundation as part of an alliance of scientific societies to increase the participation of women and underrepresented minorities in graduate education in the physical sciences. The Inclusive Graduate Education Network is a five-year, $10 million grant led by the American Physical Society (APS). 

APS has joined forces with four other scientific societies—the American Chemical Society, the American Geophysical Union, the American Astronomical Society, and the Materials Research Society—to increase participation of underrepresented students in graduate physical science programs. The five societies make up the Inclusive Graduate Education Network (IGEN) that will be funded with a five-year $10 million grant from the National Science Foundation.