A Model Interdisciplinary Collaboration to Engage and Mentor Underrepresented Minority Students in Lived Arctic and Climate Science Research Experiences

The Polaris Project, a National Science Foundation–funded program at the Woodwell Climate Research Center, aims to comprehensively address minority participation in climate and Arctic science research. Critical participant outcomes included development of interdisciplinary research projects, involvement in self-efficacy and advocacy experiences, and increased awareness and discussion of Arctic research careers.

OT Program Efforts to Recruit Underrepresented Minority Students

Date Presented Accepted for AOTA INSPIRE 2021 but unable to be presented due to online event limitations. As racial and ethnic diversity in the United States continues to grow, the need for a representative OT workforce is amplified. This study illustrates the strategies utilized by OT programs to recruit under-represented minority (URM) students into the profession and the barriers to recruiting and retaining URM students. Results were obtained from a mixed-methods survey distributed to program directors of all accredited doctoral and master's OT programs to address this topic. Primary Author and Speaker: Jasmin Torres Additional Authors and Speakers: Diane L. Smith Contributing Authors: Gaurdia Banister

Test Corrections Appear To Benefit Lower-Achieving Students in an Introduction to Biology Major Course: Results of a Single-Site, One-Semester Study

Student-performed assessment correction is a well-established practice in the field of teaching and learning. This practice engages students in the feedback process and promotes active learning, which may be particularly important when serving underrepresented minority students.

When Football Programs Increase the Racial and Gender Diversity at Small, Private Colleges

This research examined if the addition of new small, private college football programs increased the diversity of enrollment on campus and provided opportunities for underrepresented minority students to earn a college degree. The researchers examined enrollment trends at 150 private small colleges: 50 that started new football programs between the years of 1990-2013, 50 that had existing football programs, and 50 without football programs during the same period. The study found that the percentage of small private colleges that experienced high increases in minorities and male students (5% or higher) was higher among the colleges that started a new football program than at institutions with existing football programs or institutions without football programs. The study’s findings provide valuable information for college administrators considering adding a new football program at their institution. The study also contributes new research that explores how adding a new football program impacts the diversity of student enrollment at small, private collegiate institutions. Enrollment management directors must become more aware of the need to hire diverse faculty and staff that can better relate to and serve a diverse student body. In addition, athletic leaders can approach college decision makers with information related to how the addition of a new football program will affect the diversity of student enrollment.

Can Positive Feedback Encourage Female and Minority Undergraduates into Economics?

In a field experiment designed to encourage undergraduate women and underrepresented minority students to study economics, we send personalized letters to students completing introductory economics classes inviting them to an informational meeting. A random sample of high-achieving students receives letters that also praise their performance and encourage them to persist in economics. Receiving this "nudge" increases the probability of informational meeting attendance and increases the number of women entering the economics and accounting major and of men entering the economics major. There is a substantial increase in the number of treated Hispanic students, particularly women, who choose economics and accounting.

The Effects of Delivering Personalized Course Recommendations at Scale on Advanced Placement Participation and Performance

Gaps in advanced high school coursework by socioeconomic status and geography persist in the United States, even among students with the ability and access to succeed in them. Lack of information on course availability and inaccurate self-perceptions may contribute to these inequities. We report on a large-scale experiment designed to increase Advanced Placement (AP) participation among underrepresented minority students and students attending rural high schools. Students and parents assigned to treatment received personalized outreach via multiple communication channels about APs offered at their high school in which they demonstrated potential to succeed. Outreach increased the probability of AP Exam participation in subjects in which students demonstrated potential to succeed by 1.1 percentage points, a 2.5 percent increase over the control group rate. This, in turn, increased the probability that students scored 3 or higher on those AP Exams by 0.5 percentage points, a 1.4 percent increase over the control group rate. Intervention effects were concentrated among underrepresented minority students attending non-rural schools and relatively less academically prepared students. The findings indicate that personalized course recommendations can increase equity in advanced high school course participation; however, designing outreach campaigns at scale that engage students is a crucial challenge to their efficacy.