1. Experiments in Supporting A Diverse Community of Learners
Tom Giblin and Aaron Reinhard
Kenyon College

2. Who we are Graduate ~10-15 majors/year
Frank Peiris
Professor
Gordon Loveleand
Lab Director
Aaron Reinhard
Associate Professor
Graduate ~10-15 majors/year
Half go to graduate school (physics)
About students/year do summer research
Teach about 5-6 non majors courses/year
Tom Giblin
Associate Professor
Ben Schumacher
Professor
Maddie Wade
Assistant Professor
Tim Sullivan
Professor
Les Wade
Assistant Professor
Paula Turner
Professor

3. Experiments in Support of Diversity
Over the past few years, we have tried a set of strategies to recruit and retain a more diverse set of students
We wish to present a sample of these strategies as a set of experiments that (may) have dramatically altered our current student body
These strategies include:
Inclusive Pedagogy: Active Learning and Blended Classrooms
High-Impact Practices: Low- or no-barrier engagement opportunities
Department Climate and Culture: co-curricular conversations and initiatives

4. First Year Enrollments and Active Pedagogy
At Kenyon students don’t declare a major until second semester or later
“Recruiting” happens in the first semester course
What happens in the first semester class can have a big impact
Inclusive pedagogy has always been a focus; however, recently have instituted a wide-range of research-validated practices

5. Transition to retention in the second year!
This has only recently transitioned to the second year
Increase in blended learning in second/third courses in sequence?
Other effects
High impact practices, improved department climate?

6. High-Impact Practices
Alumni Survey, 2017
Did you Participate in Summer Research
We have a long history of providing meaningful research experiences
We have had an issue with access in summer research
This trend was reflected in students taking independent studies, as well as other measures of scholarly engagement

7. High-Impact Practices
Alumni Survey, 2017
Did you Participate in Summer Research
We have a long history of providing meaningful research experiences
We have had an issue with access in summer research
This trend was reflected in students taking independent studies, as well as other measures of scholarly engagement

8. High-Impact Practices
Alumni Survey, 2017
Did you Participate in Summer Research
We have a long history of providing meaningful research experiences
We have had an issue with access in summer research
This trend was reflected in students taking independent studies, as well as other measures of scholarly engagement
Narrative Response from one Alumna
I recall many of my fellow male students working with a faculty member, but there never seemed to be an opportunity for female students. I do not know what that was. I truly enjoyed taking course from all my professors, so I would have enjoyed working with any one of them.

9. Low- to No-Barrier High Impact Practices
The Radio and Optical Astronomy Research Group (ROAR) which includes the Arecibo Remote Control Observatory (ARC) group was the first to offer physics/astronomy research to first-year students and non-majors during their first year.
Other groups followed (Cosmology, e.g.) to tie co-curricular practices into the first year.

10. Department Climate
Most importantly we have dedicated ourselves to being willing to take responsibility for the problem and to engage in hard conversations
This has led to a set of initiatives:
Vera Rubin Day – a campus wide set of activities connected to the first-year seminar to tackle outstanding issues of Women in Physics
SACNAS – attending the national conference for diversity in STEM with a group of students. This led to the creation of a local chapter
APS Meetings – taking students to professional conferences
Supporting Student Groups – The Society of Physics Students, oSTEM, etc

11. These campus wide activities have put Physics in the middle of the inclusion conversation
We are developing a reputation as a department that cares about the issues of equity and inclusion
Students have begun to see physics as one of the departments on campus committed to improving science climate.

12. From our recent experience
Retention requires:
innovative pedagogy, active learning and inclusive classrooms
time investment in co-curricular, low- to no-barrier high impact experiences
being willing to engage the student body in difficult conversations and to take ownership of the student experience