Centering student perspectives and equity data in a multi-institutional learning community program
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: The STEM Equity Learning Community (SELC) project guided multidisciplinary teams from nine large, public research institutions through a yearlong experience. We aimed to support instructors and undergraduate students in developing equity-mindedness to drive structural change efforts on their campuses. The SELCs were supported by access to equity data, which included student enrollment and performance in courses disaggregated by student demographics. The learning communities prioritized collaborations between students and instructors that facilitated authentic interactions and cross-institutional partnerships. In this paper we investigate the value added of the SELC experience, measuring impact on participants and institutions and highlighting the power of student voice throughout the project. An analysis of pre- (N=55) and post-survey data (N=58) from program participants and reflections from project leadership reveal key nuances of the program that can inform best practices for equity-minded STEM reform. Participants indicated that the project was worth the investment of time and effort, that they had increased access to equity data, and that they intended to both expand access to equity data for others and use the data for making future decisions both inside and outside the classroom. We argue that the approach to equity work described in this paper—sustained, multi-institutional, multidisciplinary, multi-role learning communities leveraging equity data—drives equity-minded change in courses and departments across the higher education landscape.
Source: To improve the academy
DOI: 10.3998/tia.7082
Authors: Nita A. Tarchinski, Thomas Matthew Colclough, Ashley Atkinson, Emily Bonem, Nathan Emery, Victoria Farrar, Madeleine Gonin, Daniel Guberman, Eleanor Louson, Matthew Mahavongtrakul, Timothy McKay, Marco Molinaro, Meryl Motika, Lizette Alda Muñoz Rojas, Hurshal Pol, Kem Saichaie, Kelsey Smart, Megan Stowe, Natasha T. Turman, Jenna Marie Thomas Vest, Ryan Sweeder
Institutions: University of Michigan, University of California, Irvine, Michigan State University, Purdue University West Lafayette, University of California, Santa Barbara, University of California, Davis, Indiana University, University of Maryland, College Park, University of California, Berkeley, University of Pittsburgh
Language: English
Subfield: Education
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W4410033155