ERIC Number: EJ1453375
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2024-Dec
Pages: 12
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1935-7877
EISSN: EISSN-1935-7885
PULSE Ambassadors Program: Empowering Departments to Transform STEM Education for Inclusion and Student Success
Alix D. Dowling Fink; Taylor Allen; Paul E. Arriola; Edwin J. Barea-Rodriguez; Nitya P. Jacob; Michael Ira Kelrick; Joann Otto; C. Gary Reiness; Jacqueline Washington
Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education, v25 n3 2024
The Partnership for Undergraduate Life Sciences Education (PULSE) is a non-profit educational organization committed to promoting the transformation of undergraduate STEM education by supporting departments in removing barriers to access, equity, and inclusion and in adopting evidence-based teaching and learning practices. The PULSE Ambassadors Campus Workshop program enables faculty and staff members of host departments to 1) develop communication, shared leadership, and inclusion skills for effective team learning; 2) implement facilitative leadership skills (e.g., empathic listening and collaboration); 3) create a shared vision and departmental action plan; and 4) integrate diversity, equity, and inclusion practices in the department and curriculum. From the first workshop in 2014, teams of trained Ambassadors conducted workshops at 58 institutions, including associate, bachelor, master, and doctoral institutions. In their workshop requests, departments cited several motivations: desire to revise and align their curriculum with "Vision and Change" recommendations, need for assistance with ongoing curricular reform, and wish for external assistance with planning processes and communication. Formative assessments during and immediately following workshops indicated that key outcomes were met. Post-workshop interviews of four departments confirm progress achieved on action items and development of individual department members as agents of change. The PULSE Ambassadors program continues to engage departments to improve undergraduate STEM education and prepare departments for the challenges and uncertainties of the changing higher education landscape.
Descriptors: STEM Education, Inclusion, Nonprofit Organizations, Undergraduate Study, Biological Sciences, Workshops, Curriculum Development, Partnerships in Education, Educational Improvement, College Science, Science Curriculum, Faculty Development
American Society for Microbiology. 1752 N Street NW, Washington, DC 20036. Tel: 202-737-3600; e-mail: journals@asmusa.org; Web site: https://journals.asm.org/journal/jmbe
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: National Science Foundation (NSF), Division of Biological Infrastructure (DBI); National Science Foundation (NSF); National Science Foundation (NSF), Research Coordination Networks in Undergraduate Biology Education (RCN-UBE)
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: 1332230; 1344771; 1624182