Equity by Design in STEM Higher Education by Castagno, Angelina E.; Antoninka, Anita; Propper, Catherine R.;

Short description:

This edited collection presents stories of how university STEM faculty can engage in systemic change towards greater equity. Sharing both successes and struggles, the collection highlights the impact of collective learning that a well-designed community of practice can have on both individual faculty members and the wider research community.

Long description:

This edited collection presents stories of how university STEM faculty can engage in systemic change toward greater equity. Sharing both successes and struggles, the collection highlights the impact of collective learning that a well-designed community of practice can have on both individual faculty members and the wider research community.

All chapter contributors participated in carefully structured communities of practice designed to deepen their understanding of systemic racism and structural inequities in higher education, and they use this understanding to develop concrete action plans to address an inequity within their sphere of influence. In each chapter, faculty members reflect on their goals, implementation processes, measurable impacts, and the barriers and strategies they encountered along the way. Exploring breakthrough moments, ongoing struggles, and institutional contexts and relationships, these narratives reveal the breadth of equity-oriented initiatives across higher education and demonstrate how individual faculty can serve as catalysts for institutional change.

A unique and forward-thinking collection, this book will serve as both model and practical guide for educators seeking to advance similar equity work at their own institutions.

Table of Contents:

Chapter 1: Equity and Distinction in STEM Postsecondary Education: An Introduction to this Anthology of Practice (Brown and Castagno) Section 1: Classroom Praxis and Curricular Innovation Chapter 2: Is Grading Gatekeeping? Reimagining Power, Belonging, and Equity in STEM Classrooms (Gutilla) Chapter 3: Data Literacy for All (Winfree) Chapter 4: Whose Truth is More True?: Developing a Course to Bridge Western and Indigenous Sciences (Baze) Chapter 5: The Hidden Curriculum of Academic Integrity in the Age of AI (Anonymous) Chapter 6: Hiding in Plain Sight (Maggert) Section 2: Building Community and Structuring Belonging within STEM Spaces Chapter 7: Building Belonging in Engineering Education: Active Learning, Inclusive Teaching, and Structural Change in Engineering Faculty Practice (Dalal and Ross) Chapter 8: Belonging as Structure: A Case Study in STEM Undergraduate Peer Mentoring (Romulo, Bywater-Reyes, and Newman) Chapter 9: From Skepticism to Stewardship: Building Communities of Practice for STEM Equity (Anonymous) Chapter 10: Imperfect Ally: DEI, Generational Tensions, and the Struggle for Inclusive Science (Elkins) Section 3: Interdisciplinarity, Community Engagement, and Change in STEM Chapter 11: Unequal by Design: Rethinking Higher Education Beyond the Illusion of Change (Anonymous) Chapter 12: Food System Work as an Organizing Force for Equity-focused Interdisciplinary Collaboration at UNM (Stricker, Rowland, Gemrich, and Walsh-Dilley) Chapter 13: Building Accessible Pathways to Science Success for First Generation Students (Antoninka, Propper, and Whipple) Chapter 14: Culturally Responsive Evaluation of the Faculty Community of Practice (Swadener, Richter, and Arias) Chapter 15: Reflections on Critical Hope for Building Inclusive and Equitable STEM Postsecondary Pathways (Antoninka, Castagno, and Propper)