Running head: CLIMATE CHANGE 1

Climate Change: Addressing the Environment for Students of Color in a Chemistry Major at the

University of Wisconsin - Madison

Jessica Baran

University of Wisconsin – La Crosse

CLIMATE CHANGE 2

Executive Summary

The Department of Chemistry at the University of Wisconsin – Madison is experiencing

an underrepresentation of students of color who earn a degree with a major in chemistry. At this

stage in the research, students of color will be generally defined as Latinx, African Americans,

Asian Americans, and Native Americans. Of the students who earned a Baccalaureate degree

with a major in chemistry in the 2017-18 fiscal year, 69% were White, 5.6% were Latinx, 3.1%

were Asian American, 0.6% were African American, and 0% were Native American (Office of

the Registrar, 2018). This underrepresentation can be contributed to a chilly campus climate.

UW-Madison’s 2017 Campus Climate Survey indicated that 69% of students felt they belonged

on campus while only 51% of students of color reported feeling a sense of belonging (Campus

Climate Survey Task Force, 2017).

Theoretical frameworks such as critical race theory, social cognitive theory, and Bean

and Eaton’s (2001) model of student attrition also provide insight into why the persistence rates

of students of color are lower than their White peers. Research suggested focusing on students’

involvement in educationally purposeful activities where students of color can develop peer

networks to increase sense of belonging and persistence (Baker & Robnett, 2012; Chang, Cerna,

Han, & Sàenz, 2008; Chang, Eagan, Lin, & Hurtado, 2011; Chang, Sharkness, Hurtado, &

Newman, 2014; Hurtado, & Newman, 2014; Hurtado et al., 2011; Kuh, Cruce, Shoup, Kinzie,

and Gonyea, 2008; Webber, Krylow, & Zhang, 2013; Palmer, Maramba, & Elon Dancy II,

2011).

The purpose of this capstone project is to propose the Chemistry Learning Community

for Students of Color within the Department of Chemistry at the University of Wisconsin-
CLIMATE CHANGE 3

Madison to address the underrepresentation, chilly campus climate, and lack of belonging

students of color face.

The Chemistry Learning Community for Students of Color will consist of four key

components that were intentionally chosen based on previous research:

 Study groups and peer mentoring, which provides students with various opportunities to

develop meaningful peer networks.

 First-year seminar course, which offers students the opportunity to participate in an

educationally purposeful activity related to their major. Topics include UW resources

and opportunities, transitional issues, chemistry disciplines, test taking, studying for

math and science, notetaking and time management, motivation, identifying strengths

and skills, communication, setting career goals, résumé building, and networking.

 First-year option for students to enroll in the same general chemistry course, which

allows more contact time with peers.

 Off-campus and on-campus events, which allows students to establish relationships with

employers and alumni.

Combining all of these components to create the Chemistry Learning Community for

Students of Color will help the Department of Chemistry reach their goals of improving the

climate in the chemistry department for students of color, building a supportive community and a

sense of belonging for each student, and developing and coordinating programs and services to

support the persistence, progression, and graduation of students of color. By implementing this

intervention, the Department of Chemistry will ultimately increase the number of students of

color persisting to earn a degree with a chemistry major and joining the professional field of

chemistry.
CLIMATE CHANGE 4

Proposal Overview

Institutions of higher education are not retaining students of color at the same rate as their

White peers. Furthermore, the National Science Foundation (2014) reported less than one fourth

of students of color intending to major in a science and engineering field persist to earn their

bachelor’s degree, creating an underrepresentation of students of color in science and

engineering majors. The Department of Chemistry at UW-Madison is experiencing this

underrepresentation of students of color earning a bachelor’s degree with a major in chemistry.

Of the students who earned a Baccalaureate degree with a major in chemistry in the 2017-18

fiscal year, 69% were White, 5.6% were Latinx, 3.1% were Asian American, 0.6% were African

American, and 0% were Native American (Office of the Registrar, 2018). The chilly campus

climate faced by students of color is one factor contributing to this underrepresentation. The

2017 Campus Climate Survey indicated that 69% of students felt they belonged on campus while

only 51% of students of color reported feeling a sense of belonging (Campus Climate Survey

Task Force, 2017). I am proposing to implement the Chemistry Learning Community for

Students of Color to address the underrepresentation, chilly campus climate, and lack of

belonging students of color face in the chemistry major at UW-Madison.

The Chemistry Learning Community for Students of Color invites incoming first-year

undergraduate students of color who indicate an interest in a chemistry major to join the

chemistry learning community and corresponding seminar course. The students who choose to

participate in the learning community will also have the opportunity to enroll in the same

Chemistry 103 or Chemistry 109 course their first semester. Students who continue to pursue a

chemistry major past their first year will be able to continue to participate in the learning

community.
CLIMATE CHANGE 5

The learning community will consist of a few key components, including study groups,

peer mentoring, off-campus and on-campus events, and first-year seminar course. The study

groups will be formed by the undergraduate chemistry advisor based on the chemistry course(s)

students are taking. Once formed, the study groups will be managed by the students with

assistance from the undergraduate chemistry advisor. Peer mentoring is an additional opportunity

for all members of the learning community. Students who participated in the learning community

during their first year will be asked to participate in a peer mentoring program. Sophomores,

juniors, and seniors will be paired with first-year students to create a peer mentoring partnership.

The mentor will assist their mentee in moving through their first year as an undergraduate. Both

students will have the opportunity to continue their mentoring relationship past the first year. On-

campus and off-campus events, including but not limited to visiting potential employers,

attending career-related events, and participating in team-building activities, will be coordinated

by the undergraduate chemistry advisor. The final component of the learning community is the

first-year seminar course, which will be offered in both the fall and spring semesters for either a

one-credit or no-credit option. The fall seminar will include topics on UW resources and

opportunities, transitional issues, chemistry disciplines, test taking, studying for math and

science, notetaking and time management, and motivation. The spring semester topics will

include identifying strengths and skills, communication, setting career goals, résumé building,

and networking.

The proposed learning community will provide students of color opportunities to connect

with fellow students of color pursuing a chemistry major, creating a space for sense of belonging

development. The learning community will also offer information on available resources with

the intent of having students increase their usage of these resources to be successful as a
CLIMATE CHANGE 6

chemistry major. The ultimate goal of the learning community is to increase the number of

students of color persisting to earn a degree with a chemistry major, leading to an increase in the

number of people of color in the chemistry field.

The bulk of the learning community, including teaching the seminar course, will be

developed and administered by the Undergraduate Chemistry Office, including the

undergraduate chemistry advisor and the undergraduate chemistry director. To develop the

learning community, the Undergraduate Chemistry Office staff will collaborate with current

students, campus organizations whose target population includes students of color, and campus

partners such as the Office of Admissions and previously established learning communities.

Chemistry instructional staff and various campus partners will provide resources to students and

lead special topics throughout the seminar course. The business office within the chemistry

department will assist with budgeting and financial needs.

There are various ways institutions of higher education can increase a student’s

persistence. Research suggested focusing on students’ involvement in educationally purposeful

activities (Baker & Robnett, 2012; Chang, Cerna, Han, & Sàenz, 2008; Hurtado et al., 2011;

Kuh, Cruce, Shoup, Kinzie, and Gonyea, 2008; Webber, Krylow, & Zhang, 2013). Students of

color are more likely to persist when they participate in a preprofessional or departmental club

during their first year (Baker & Robnett, 2012; Chang et al., 2008). Educationally purposeful

activities are important because they provide more opportunities for students to connect with

peers in meaningful ways (Hurtado et al., 2011). Students who developed peer networks in the

form of academic clubs and racial or ethnic support programs were more likely to persist in their

initial majors compared to their peers who did not join clubs (Chang, Eagan, Lin, & Hurtado,
CLIMATE CHANGE 7

2011; Chang, Sharkness, Hurtado, & Newman, 2014; Hurtado et al., 2008; Palmer, Maramba, &

Elon Dancy II, 2011).

Developing peer networks is a key component to increasing persistence for students of

color. African American and Latinx students who were at risk of failing to persist in their science

majors were more influenced to continue when their peers persisted (Ost, 2010). Students of

color in a STEM major at a PWI also valued peer group support very highly since it provided a

way for students to connect with classmates with similar goals (Palmer et al., 2011). While peer

support is an important component for the success of students of color, it can also be challenging

to find on a predominantly White campus. Providing a departmental educationally purposeful

activity for students to connect with peers and instructional staff in meaningful ways can increase

students’ sense of belonging (Hurtado et al., 2011).

Based on previous research, each component of the chemistry learning community was

intentionally chosen to create a meaningful intervention. The seminar course offers students the

opportunity to participate in educationally purposeful activities related to their major. The

inclusion of study groups and mentoring provides students with various opportunities to develop

meaningful peer networks. Students will also have the option to enroll in the same chemistry

course, which will allow more contact time with peers. Combining all of these components to

create the Chemistry Learning Community for Students of Color will support the Department of

Chemistry to reach their goal of increasing persistence of students of color pursuing a chemistry

major.

Action Steps

The following section provides details on how the Chemistry Learning Community for

Students of Color will be implemented.

CLIMATE CHANGE 8

Stakeholders

Incoming students of color interested in chemistry will learn about campus resources to

help them become more successful as an undergraduate. They will also develop skills to build

confidence to complete their general chemistry courses, which will also benefit them in the more

challenging, upper-level chemistry courses. Incoming students will also develop peer and

instructional staff networks to rely on as they progress through the chemistry major. Current

students of color with a chemistry major will develop leadership skills as they mentor peers.

They will also participate in career events that will assist them with job placement after

graduation. Due to their interest in the program and their experience in the chemistry major,

current students will also be called upon for their perspectives to develop the learning

community. Chemistry lecturers and faculty will teach portions of the seminar course. These

instructional staff will learn how to better support students of color in chemistry through more

meaningful and personalized interactions with this population. This project would also lead to

additional training for instructional staff on how to cultivate campus and classroom environments

that are more inclusive. Instructors will also teach the cohort enrolled in their chemistry courses

with the goal of participants of the learning community performing better in their courses.

The Undergraduate Chemistry Office staff, who support the undergraduate chemistry

program, will be impacted by spending a significant amount of time creating and maintaining

this program. The Undergraduate Chemistry Office includes the undergraduate chemistry advisor

who will directly supervise this project, work with employers and alumni to create events, and

monitor study groups and mentoring relationships. The office also includes the undergraduate

chemistry director who will provide enrollment management. The director’s time will be affected

during enrollment to ensure students are able to enroll as a cohort in the same chemistry courses.
CLIMATE CHANGE 9

As the learning community progresses, enrollment may increase as more students of color

participate in chemistry courses, which has implications for hiring additional instructional staff

and utilizing more space on campus. Since this learning community could benefit the Office of

Admissions with their recruitment of students of color to the university, they may also be

considered a stakeholder. The chemistry business office staff provides financial and budgetary

support to the entire chemistry department. The staff will be impacted by working to set aside

funds in the budget for the learning community. Employers and alumni will volunteer their time

to participate in career events, teach portions of the seminar course, and welcome students to

their companies during site visits. Employers and alumni will have the opportunity to network

and recruit students to work for their organizations.

Collaboration

According to McClellan, Stringer, and Associates (2016), the essential aspects of forming

successful partnerships are identifying the right partner(s), remaining open to learning from

others, meeting regularly, communicating goals, and developing trust. There are a variety of

partners to collaborate with in implementing this project. The Office of Admissions already

engages in recruitment efforts, and the undergraduate chemistry staff will collaborate with them

on recruiting more students of color interested in chemistry. University Curricular Services

provides facility support and will assign room reservations for the seminar course and study

groups. Undergraduate staff will also collaborate with local guidance counselors at high schools

to increase recruitment efforts. Student Orientation, Advising, and Registration (SOAR) is where

incoming students will enroll in chemistry courses and the seminar course. Undergraduate staff

will work with SOAR staff to ensure the learning community is properly advertised and has

opportunities for staff to meet with interested students. There are also a number of campus
CLIMATE CHANGE 10

offices that could provide resources for students or teach seminar topics, including the Center for

Educational Opportunities, which strives to create equal opportunities in higher education, the

Multicultural Student Center, the Office of Financial Aid, SuccessWorks, which is the College of

Letters & Science Career Center, and the Office for Equity and Diversity. There are a few related

learning communities that are already established that would be useful to collaborate with,

including the Biohouse Learning Community, the Multicultural Learning Community, and

Women in Science and Engineering. The final two campus programs that would be useful to

collaborate with are PEOPLE, which is the pre-college pipeline for students of color and low-

income students, as well as the Posse STEM Initiative, which strives to improve the number of

diverse students who persist and graduate from college in STEM fields.

To initiate these collaborations, undergraduate staff will email the leader of each

program, explaining their role, the program, and how they believe they could be involved with

the learning community. For some of the partnerships, they will ask for the teams to meet in

person to learn, establish goals, and develop trust. These meetings will be ongoing as needed

throughout the duration of the learning community.

Resources

The proposed budget is $1,200 per academic year. We request the undergraduate

chemistry advisor attend a diversity conference each year for professional development to

continue to learn how to support students of color. We will apply for professional development

grants to cover the anticipated $1,000 cost per conference, which is not included in the annual

budget. We will need $200 per academic year for handout materials that will be used as learning

tools during the seminar course so students can actively participate in activities, discussions, and

reflections. We will also need $200 per academic year for marketing materials that will be
CLIMATE CHANGE 11

provided to local high schools and various campus partners for distribution to assist with

recruitment efforts. These materials will be created by the Undergraduate Chemistry Office staff

who will require information from campus partners, websites, or articles to develop these

materials. We will also need $800 allocated for transportation for off-campus field trips. Two 14-

passenger buses costing $100 each will be needed for each of the four employer visits. Traveling

to employers is an important way for students to not only make connections with potential

employers but to also learn about various opportunities and to envision themselves at these

companies. Most UW-Madison students do not own cars due to high costs; therefore, providing

transportation is necessary for student participation. We will additionally need various meeting

spaces, including a seminar space with A/V and spaces for mentoring and study groups, to foster

relationships and keep students engaged. Campus has numerous rooms with A/V at no additional

cost. The current Undergraduate Chemistry Office staff, along with instructional staff assistance,

will implement this project, meaning we will not need to hire additional staff. However, the

existing staff will need to allocate a significant amount of time to implement this project. This

time allocation could reduce the amount of time put forth on other endeavors.

Timeline

The proposed timeline outlines the sequence of steps to be taken for implementation of

the Chemistry Learning Community in Fall 2021. The main step that needs to be completed is

collaborating with campus partners, such as established learning communities, the Office of

Admissions, and local high schools. Recruiting students and developing the seminar curriculum

are also main components that need to be completed before the learning community begins.

Once the learning community begins, establishing study groups and the mentor relationships

along with teaching the seminar course will be the next big components. While the timeline ends
CLIMATE CHANGE 12

after the first two semesters of operation, the timeline would be re-worked and begin annually

each summer. The proposed timeline is found in Appendix A.

Ethics

The Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education [CAS] (2006)

created a statement of shared ethical principles that focuses on seven basic themes. Below is a

description of each theme and how the project addresses each theme.

1. Autonomy relates to the responsibility for our own actions and to the empowerment of an
individual’s choice (CAS, 2006). By providing various resources, activities, and
opportunities for engagement, the Chemistry Learning Community will empower
participants to be responsible for their own behavior and learning to be successful as a
chemistry major.
2. Non-malfeasance is a pledge to do no harm (CAS, 2006). One of the goals of the learning
community is to help students develop a sense of belonging to lead them to persist to
degree completion within the chemistry major. Some students may choose to stop
pursuing the chemistry major and would no longer be able to participate in the program,
which could be harmful to their sense of belonging. The chemistry advisor will conduct
an exit interview with each student who leaves the learning community to work with
them to find ways to stay engaged with peers.
3. Beneficence relates to engaging in actions and attitudes that promote goodness and
beneficial outcomes of others (CAS, 2006). The Chemistry Learning Community’s
programs and services, particularly the study groups and mentoring program, provide
various opportunities for students of color to support each other as they move through the
chemistry major.
4. Justice is about actively promoting human dignity and endorsing equality and fairness for
all (CAS, 2006). The Chemistry Learning Community is focused on helping students of
color have a fair chance at persisting in the chemistry major. By providing increased
resources, mentoring programs, and study group opportunities, the learning community is
committed to eliminating barriers related to academics and climate that impede students
of color from learning and developing (CAS, 2006).
5. Fidelity is being faithful to an obligation, trust, or duty (CAS, 2006). The Chemistry
Learning Community has an obligation to support its participants. Each component of the
learning community was designed to keep in mind the duty of bettering its participants.
In addition, the learning community is committed to bettering UW-Madison through
increasing persistence of students of color and creating a more welcoming climate for
students of color.
6. Veracity relates to conveying the truth through our words and actions (CAS, 2006). The
Chemistry Learning Community is a new program with high expectations of assisting
students. Through assessment of the programs and services, we will relay all relevant
facts and information honestly to stakeholders to grow, develop, and increasingly do
better for our students.
CLIMATE CHANGE 13

7. Affiliation stands for actively promoting connected relationships among all people to
foster community (CAS, 2006). By working with various campus partners such as the
Multicultural Student Center and the Office of Financial Aid, as well as with various
community partners including alumni and employers, the Chemistry Learning
Community promotes connecting students to beneficial networks and resources.

Equity

The proposed project focuses on increasing equity for students of color, meaning other

populations may not be included. Even with the focus on equity, other equity issues for students

of color may arise. One issue related to equity is that there are currently not many people of

color, including students, faculty, and staff, to act as role models for students in the learning

community. To address the lack of role models of color, we will work on collaborating with

employers and alumni of color for students to network with. We will also incorporate topics of

diversity in the curriculum of the seminar course, such as discussing famous scientists of color.

Critical race theory (CRT) taught us that institutions of higher education perpetuate

oppressive systems that exclude minoritized populations (Harris, 2015). These oppressive

structures reward dominant cultures and apply deficit models to non-White ways of thinking

(Reece, Tran, DeVore, & Porcaro, 2018). We do not want the learning community to focus on a

deficit lens where we only discuss gaps and weaknesses. While we want to teach them about

resources available to them, we will also work as a group to focus on the strengths they already

possess from their past experiences and how those strengths translate to their academic and

professional lives.

Creating a learning community that focuses on a specific identity could make participants

feel stigmatized. While we want to provide a support system for them as students of color

interested in chemistry, we also want them to find networks that support their other identities and

make them feel included in the entire campus community. We will encourage students to
CLIMATE CHANGE 14

participate in other campus organizations, programs, and services to build a sense of belonging

on a campus level.

Assessment

According to Suskie (2009), assessment helps students learn more effectively and is used

for both improvement upon the established programs as well as accountability in validating the

programs. We have created an assessment plan that will yield detailed information on both the

strengths and weaknesses of the learning community.

Goals. The goals of the Chemistry Learning Community are to a) improve the climate in

the chemistry department for students of color; b) build a supportive community and a sense of

belonging for each student; c) develop and coordinate programs and services to support the

persistence, progression, and graduation of students of color; d) increase the number of students

of color persisting to earn a degree with a chemistry major and joining the professional field of

chemistry.

Student outcomes. After participation in the Chemistry Learning Community’s

programs and services, participants will have the ability to develop academic skills such as test

taking, studying, notetaking, and time management as well as develop community building skills

such as teamwork, problem-solving, and written and verbal communication.

Curriculum map. The curriculum map visually aligns the outcomes of the learning

community with specific activities that will develop and enhance the learning outcomes

overtime. The curriculum map can be found in Appendix B.

Assessment plan. The purpose of the assessment is to address the assessment questions

to discover the ways in which students develop or enhance their academic skills and community

building skills as a result of participating in the Chemistry Learning Community’s programs and
CLIMATE CHANGE 15

services. The assessment questions are a) In what ways do students develop or enhance their

academic skills as a result of participating in the Chemistry Learning Community programs and

services?; b) In what ways do students develop or enhance their community building skills as a

result of participating in the Chemistry Learning Community programs and services?; c) Are

students of color persisting after participating in the learning community?

The general approach we will take to assess the questions is a mixed methods approach.

A qualitative approach provides greater depth in data and offers a richer description of how

students are developing their community building and academic skills (Henning & Roberts,

2016). We want to better understand the narratives of students to comprehend how they are

developing and applying their skills to persist to graduation, and a qualitative approach will

allow us to do so. We will use a few different methods to gather and collect evidence.

Observation will be conducted by the undergraduate chemistry advisor at career events and at

study group and seminar sessions. Observing how the students are using their community

building and academic skills while participating in various programs and events will lead to a

better understanding of how students develop these skills. We will establish specific guidelines

for what is being observed, which will help determine the success of the programs. One focus

group will be conducted toward the end of each semester. Depending on the size of the seminar

course, the undergraduate chemistry advisor will use the last meeting date of the seminar to open

up the floor to discuss how the semester went. We believe the focus group will allow students to

develop deeper meaning of the skills they developed by talking with other students. The

undergraduate chemistry advisor would also provide each participant the opportunity to meet so

that students could reflect upon and articulate their unique experiences during individual

interviews conducted in the final week of the semester. The interviews would allow us to gather
CLIMATE CHANGE 16

information on how the students developed their skills. The focus groups and interviews will be

transcribed and analyzed in order to gain information about the meaning of community building

and academic skills and how these skills are fostered through the programs and services offered.

We will also use a quantitative approach when the undergraduate chemistry advisor tracks

students’ progression through the chemistry major through data collection on how many students

are graduating with a degree in chemistry after participating in the learning community.

We will develop a report to share with staff and students from the data that was

transcribed from the focus groups, interviews, and observations. The report will be discussed at

the end of each semester during the meeting with staff to discuss how the semester went and how

we can make improvements for the next semester. The findings will guide how we implement

changes in the subsequent semesters.

The Chemistry Learning Community for Students of Color is an educationally purposeful

intervention where students can create a sense of belonging through their interactions with peers,

instructional staff, alumni, and employers as well as develop skills and hone strengths to

continue to be successful as a chemistry major. If implemented, this program will not only

benefit students but will also help the Department of Chemistry retain more students of color in

the major.
CLIMATE CHANGE 17

References

Baker, C. N., & Robnett, B. (2012). Race, social support and college student retention: A case

study. Journal of College Student Development, 53(2), 325–335.

Campus Climate Survey Task Force. (2017). 2016 campus climate survey task force report.

University of Wisconsin - Madison. Madison: Division of Diversity, Equity, &

Educational Achievement. Retrieved from https://diversity.wisc.edu/climate/survey/

Chang, M. J., Cerna, O., Han, J., & Sàenz, V. (2008). The contradictory roles of institutional

status in retaining underrepresented minorities in biomedical and behavioral science

majors. The Review of Higher Education, 31(4), 433–464.

https://doi.org/10.1353/rhe.0.0011

Chang, M. J., Eagan, M. K., Lin, M. H., & Hurtado, S. (2011). Considering the impact of racial

stigmas and science identity: Persistence among biomedical and behavioral science

aspirants. The Journal of Higher Education, 82(5), 564–596.

https://doi.org/10.1353/jhe.2011.0030

Chang, M. J., Sharkness, J., Hurtado, S., & Newman, C. B. (2014). What matters in college for

retaining aspiring scientists and engineers from underrepresented racial groups. Journal

of Research in Science Teaching, 51(5), 555–580. https://doi.org/10.1002/tea.21146

Council for the Advancement of Standards [CAS] (2006). CAS statement of shared ethical

principles. In Council for the Advancement of Higher Education (Ed.), CAS

professional standards for higher education (6th Ed.). Washington, DC: Author.

Harris, A. P. (2015). Critical race theory. In International Encyclopedia of the Social &

Behavioral Sciences (pp. 266–270). Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-08-097086-

8.86019-5
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Henning, G. W., & Roberts, D. (2016). Student affairs assessment: Theory to practice. Sterling,

VA: Stylus.

Hurtado, S., Eagan, M. K., Tran, M. C., Newman, C. B., Chang, M. J., & Velasco, P. (2011).

“We do science here”: Underrepresented students’ interactions with faculty in different

college contexts. Journal of Social Issues, 67(3), 553–579.

https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-4560.2011.01714.x

McClellan, G. S., Stringer, J., & Associates. (2016). The handbook of student affairs
th
administration (4 ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

National Science Foundation [NSF]. (2014). STEM education data and trends 2014. Retrieved

from STEM education data: http://nsf.gov

Office of the Registrar. (2018). Conferred degree reports. University of Wisconsin - Madison.

Retrieved from https://www.registrar.wisc.edu

Ost, B. (2010). The role of peers and grades in determining major persistence in the sciences.

Economics of Education Review, 29(6), 923–934.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.econedurev.2010.06.011

Palmer, R. T., Maramba, D. C., & Elon Dancy II, T. (2011). A qualitative investigation of factors

promoting the retention and persistence of students of color in STEM. The Journal of

Negro Education, 80(4), 491-504. https://www.jstor.org/stable/41341155

Reece, B. J., Tran, V. T., DeVore, E. N., & Porcaro, G. (Eds.). (2018). Debunking the myth of

job fit in higher education and student affairs. Sterling, VA: Stylus Publishing, LLC.

Suskie, L. (2009). Assessing student learning: A common sense guide (2nd ed.). San Francisco:

Jossey-Bass.
CLIMATE CHANGE 19

Appendix A

Timeline

ACTIVITY START END

Project Start 6/1/2019

Collaborate with current

6/1/2019 6/1/2020
learning communities
Collaborate w/ Office of
7/1/2019 8/1/2020
Admissions
Work with local high schools
to set recruitment dates for Fall 8/1/2019 8/31/2020
2020
Collaborate with current
students and begin recruitment 9/1/2019 5/1/2021
process
Attend recruitment events at
9/1/2020 6/1/2021
local high schools
Develop curriculum for fall
9/1/2020 1/1/2021
seminar
Final call to include seminar in
2/15/2021 2/15/2021
fall course guide
Recruit employers for fall
3/1/2021 8/1/2021
events
Recruit campus partners for
3/1/2021 8/1/2021
fall events
Receive information from
admissions about incoming 3/15/2021 3/15/2021
students
Make initial contact with
3/18/2021 3/20/2021
incoming students
Follow up contact with
5/1/2021 5/31/2021
incoming students

Attend SOAR 6/1/2021 8/31/2021

Finalize curriculum for fall

6/1/2021 8/31/2021
seminar
CLIMATE CHANGE 20

Finalize event calendar for fall 8/1/2021 8/31/2021

Fall learning community

9/1/2021 12/12/2021
begins
Recruit in general chemistry
9/1/2021 9/15/2021
and math courses

Establish study groups 9/7/2021 9/10/2021

Establish mentor/mentee 9/7/2021 9/10/2021

Develop curriculum for spring

9/15/2021 12/12/2021
seminar
Recruit employers for spring
9/15/2021 12/12/2021
events
Recruit campus partners for
9/15/2021 12/12/2021
spring events
Final call to include seminar in
9/15/2021 9/15/2021
spring course guide

Focus groups & interviews 12/10/2021 12/20/2021

Analyze assessment results 1/3/2022 2/3/2022

Meeting to discuss fall learning

2/12/2022 2/12/2022
community

Finalize spring curriculum 1/13/2022 1/17/2022

Spring learning community

1/21/2022 1/21/2022
initiates
Recruit in general chemistry
1/21/2021 2/1/2021
and math courses

Establish study groups 1/28/2022 1/30/2022

Establish mentor/mentee 1/28/2022 1/30/2022

Final call to include seminar in

2/15/2022 2/15/2022
fall course guide
CLIMATE CHANGE 21

Recruit current students of

2/1/2022 5/1/2022
color in chemistry major
Notify students who no longer
qualify for learning community 5/1/2022 5/1/2022
for next semester
Receive information from
admissions about incoming 3/15/2022 3/15/2022
students
Make initial contact with
3/18/2022 3/20/2022
incoming students
Follow up contact with
5/1/2022 5/31/2022
incoming students

Focus groups & interviews 5/5/2022 5/15/2022

Analyze assessment results 5/17/2022 6/17/2022

Meeting to discuss spring

6/25/2021 6/25/2022
learning community

Project end 5/31/2022

CLIMATE CHANGE 22

Appendix B

Curriculum Map

Study Employer & Seminar Mentorship

Groups Alumni Course Program
Career
Events

Develop academic Reinforced: Introduced: Introduced:

skills such as test students will Students will Students will
taking, studying, build work on develop academic
notetaking, and academic academic skills skills through
time management skills by by trying out understanding how
skills. studying with various their mentor
peer groups. strategies mastered academic
addressed during skills.
the seminar.

Develop Mastery: Reinforced: Introduced: Reinforced:

community students will Students Students will Students will build
building skills such develop interact with work on community with a
as teamwork, community employers and community mentor and
problem-solving, building skills alumni building skills by developing
and written and through allowing them talking with problem-solving,
verbal
studying with to enhance peers about teamwork and
communication.
their peers. community challenges faced verbal and written
building skills. by individuals communication
with skills.
marginalized
identities.