H OW C AN U NIVERSITY L EADERSHIP P ROMOTE C HANGE IN U NDERGRADUATE STEM E DUCATION ? Thomas J. LeBlanc Vision and Change in Biology Undergraduate Education AAAS Annual Meeting/ August 2013

T HE U NIVERSITY OF M IAMI 11 schools and colleges on 3 campuses including Miller School of Medicine College of Arts & Sciences College of Engineering Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Sciences A private comprehensive research university

T HE U NIVERSITY OF M IAMI ( CONT.) Approximately 15,000 students 10,000 undergraduate students 5,000 graduate and professional students A diverse student body 28% Hispanic 8% African American 12% Asian or Pacific Islander 50% White

Interdisciplinary entry level science courses Competency-based science curriculum Student-centered learning in the classroom Evidence-based teaching Authentic research in intro laboratory courses Emphasis on relevant quantitative skills Institutional commitment to change T HE T IMES T HEY A RE A -C HANGIN

W HAT CAN INSTITUTIONAL LEADERS DO ? Identify and support faculty leaders Provide release time and summer support for faculty Grant credit for innovative strategies (e.g. team teaching) Support professional development opportunities Sustain innovative programs over time

STEM Curricula Reform for Persistence and Diversity Provost Dean Department Chair Faculty

P ERSISTENCE AND D IVERSITY 1.Student Engagement 2.Tools to Excel 3.Diverse Pathways

S TUDENT E NGAGEMENT : A UTHENTIC R ESEARCH IN HHMI I NTRODUCTORY B IOLOGY L ABS Each lab is led by a three-person team Students work in four teams of six students Each team designs and conducts a research project

HHMI I NTRODUCTORY B IOLOGY L ABS Strongly agree Strongly disagree

S TUDENT E NGAGEMENT : H OW CAN LEADERSHIP HELP ? Renovated or construct undergraduate laboratories suitable for group projects Provided graduate student support for the labor- intensive team-teaching approach Reduced teaching assignments for research faculty involved in the labs

T OOLS TO E XCEL : PRISM C URRICULUM PRISM is a science and math curriculum developed at UM Integrates basic science and math courses within block scheduling Teaches science at an advanced level with a focus on quantitative skills Provides students with hands-on opportunities with new technologies and cutting-edge methods

T OOLS TO E XCEL : H OW CAN LEADERSHIP HELP ? Created a faculty committee with strong institutional leadership to develop new approach Provided summer support for PRISM faculty to design new curriculum Encouraged department chairs and faculty to support new curriculum

D IVERSIFY P ATHWAYS : A N I NSTITUTIONAL P ARTNERSHIP WITH M IAMI D ADE C OLLEGE MDC is the largest and most diverse college in the U.S. Nearly 70,000 full-time students Eight campuses Diverse student body 71% Hispanic 18% African –American 8% White

P ATHWAYS TO THE FUTURE MS (13.7%) PhD (22.0%) MD/PhD (1.4%) MD (34.0%) PharmD (5.5%) DDS (4.1%) JD (2.7%) Non-science PhD (1.4%) N = 98 Other

D IVERSIFY P ATHWAYS : W HAT CAN LEADERSHIP DO ? Waived tuition for high school transition course taught at UM by MDC/UM Faculty Waived tuition for MDC Bridge Scholars to take HHMI labs at UM Waived tuition for MDC Bridge Scholars who transfer to UM after MDC

C HALLENGES TO C HANGE Overcoming faculty and institutional inertia Reexamining teaching/research balance Protecting and nurturing early-career faculty Training faculty in evidence-based teaching Finding time (faculty) and money (labs) Having courage to fail Increasing communication among institutions