Towards Inclusive Excellence: Building an Anti-racist, Equity-oriented Community of Practice for STEM Faculty
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: The authors offer a case study description, curriculum, and analysis of a two year-long anti-racist, equity-oriented communities of practice (CoPs) for STEM faculty who teach and mentor STEM students. The CoPs aimed to grow STEM faculty capacity to disrupt systemic inequities and support historically underrepresented students. The CoPs were one facet of a larger multi-pronged program in partnership with a Tribal college and two public Hispanic-serving Institutions. The authors describe the development of the CoP curriculum, along with the evaluation, impact, and insights after two years, offering an analysis of the transformational possibilities of faculty communities of practice. Over two cohorts, the CoP trained 29 faculty from across STEM disciplines. Key results demonstrated that faculty increased the knowledge and understanding of barriers to student success, and how to use their roles to increase equity throughout their spheres of influence. In addition, faculty created communities by which to improve the reach and scope of their work. This provides a model for other institutions to build anti-racist and equity-oriented training and communities.
Source: To improve the academy
DOI: 10.3998/tia.7388
Institution: Northern Arizona University
Language: English
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W4414015355