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Improving Student Success in STEM by Improving Faculty Teaching

This project is an institutional transformation project at California State University, San Bernardino (CSUSB), a comprehensive Hispanic Serving Institution with a diverse student body of nearly 21,000 students most of whom are first generation college students. A major goal of this transformation project is to improve undergraduate student retention in the STEM disciplines by improving student learning. The focus of the project team is to use sustained professional development in instructional methods for STEM faculty, including associated incentives, to improve the learning environment.

Objectives

The objectives of the project are to: increase the knowledge, understanding, and effective use of inclusive, evidence-based teaching practices and course-design among new and experienced, part-time and full-time faculty; increase the ability of department chairs to effectively support and evaluate faculty in the area of teaching; and build the capacity and sustainability for offering faculty professional development that is responsive to our student population, student learning and assessment data, faculty needs and interest, and the institution's evolving context. The strategy for reaching this goal is to implement and sustain a community of practice model of professional development that will encompass four different types of faculty learning communities: a new faculty orientation program; STEM institutes for part- and full-time faculty members; department chair learning communities; and a facilitators' learning community.

For additional information, please visit the NSF #1727086 Award website.