1. Engaging Faculty in Enhancing and Supporting
Engaging Faculty in Enhancing and Supporting the Success of Diverse Doctoral Students using an AGEP-North Carolina Model
Maureen Grasso, NC State University
Marcia Gumpertz, NC State University
C. Dean Campbel, NC A&T University

2. AGEP North Carolina Alliance
Thanks to the National Science Foundation for funding this work, and to all of the faculty and administrators at NC A&T, UNC Charlotte and NC State for their commitment to this project.
This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant Nos and
Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

3. The Story of the Rabbit’s Thesis/Dissertation

4. The Story of the Rabbit’s Thesis/Dissertation
The Importance of Mentoring
Mentoring has been found to be key in the successful matriculation to the PhD
Maintaining effective communication
Aligning expectations
Assessing understanding
Addressing diversity
Fostering independence
Promoting professional development

5. The Challenge
“Despite two decades of progress, a wide gap in educational attainment remains between underrepresented minorities and whites and Asians, two groups that have higher representation in S&E education than they do in the U.S. population” (NCSES, 2017).
This is in spite of the proliferation of programs aimed at broadening participation in STEM.

6. The Opportunity
The need for developing the capacity of faculty doctoral advisors to effectively engage culturally responsive mentoring particularly for URM doctoral students
While all students will have a faculty doctoral advisor, many students of color do not have a faculty doctoral mentor during their doctoral degree
Faculty doctoral advisors may be ill equipped to be mentors due to the lack of knowledge, skills, and dispositions regarding serving as a mentor.

7. The Iceberg there is always more than what we can see

8. The Iceberg: Visible and Invisible
Mentoring happens in context, not in isolation
Other (unseen) forces exert influence on mentoring
Culture is both product and process
Multiple cultural frames enable seeing the whole context
Mentor-Mentee relationship
Departmental Culture
Institutional Culture
The tip of the iceberg is usually the most visible. But the part of the iceberg that is less visible is no less important (Titanic). Similarly, the health (or dysfunction) of mentor-mentee relationship reflects other underlying factors, including departmental process and institutional level leadership. Like the surfacee of water, our cultural lenses may block our vision to see how these factors operate.
Invisible: Department culture We maintain at least components for seeing the whole “iceberg” in changing mentorship for URM students. 1) Institutional leadership (strategy) shapes 2) department culture; and department culture—set by the faculty—shapes 3) mentoring.

9. Insight into the tip of the “iceberg” Department and Institutional Practices:
The students felt that some of their needs are not being met. If they are having difficulty, they do not want to let anyone know for fear of being seen as a weak student.
This is important. We had a (URM) student who came in with a weak background and I suggested they take an abstract high level undergraduate class. This has caused a lot of stress for the student. I think this was the wrong approach because they needed a different level class.

10. The AGEP-North Carolina Alliance.
Three institutions with a shared passion for diversifying the doctoral student body and the faculty
We believe that the way forward is to change the institutional culture by engaging faculty to study the issues and propose approaches/solutions

11. The What?
Implement and study a model for creating change in faculty mentoring, departmental processes, and institutional outcomes
Promote PhD completion and progression to faculty careers among historically underrepresented dissertation students in STEM disciplines.

12. The Why? Faculty set program requirements and culture
Dissertation advisors have direct impact on progress and career direction

13. The How? Faculty Fellows reading/discussion group
Departmental discussions and programming regarding mentoring and diversity and inclusion in the discipline
Faculty study URM student experiences and progress through doctoral program
Faculty develop departmental plan to promote success of URM doctoral students

14. The Model of Institutional Change: Widespread synergistic participation across campus is key to success.
Five core strategies needed for institutional change:
senior leadership support
collaborative leadership of faculty and administrators
design with flexibility to incorporate new information
opportunities for faculty to learn skills associated with the desired change
making project goals, activities and progress visible within the organization.

15. Questions for Discussion
What are effective ways (programs, initiatives, etc.) a graduate school can make URM diversity in PhD education a strategic priority? Why? How so?
In what ways can “we” engage senior administrators (provost, deans, etc.) in advancing diversity in graduate education?
What do you think are the best ways to leverage graduate school influence in supporting faculty-led efforts at the department level to increase diversity in doctoral programs?

16. Acknowledgement
Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

17. References https://ncsesdata.nsf.gov/herd/2017/
5/doctoral-scientists-and-engineers-in-academia/federal-support-of- doctoral-researchers-in-academia
Stacy Blake-Beard, Mentoring: Creating Mutually Empowering Relationships