Pathways to Progress: ‘STEM’ming the Current Competitive Crisis for Latino Students
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Pathways to Progress:
USC’s Center for Urban Education is Studying How to ‘Stem’ the Current Competitive Crisis in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Bachelor’s and Graduate Degrees for Latina/o Students
July 29, 2009 (Los Angeles, CA) - The Center for Urban Education (CUE) at the USC Rossier School of Education has received a three year $667,000 research grant from the National Science Foundation to determine practical ways of increasing Latina/o access to and success in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields. Through this study, CUE is examining the features of exemplary STEM policies and programs to identify ways for Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) to increase the number of Latina/o STEM graduates.
Latinas/os - the nation’s largest minority group - are severely underrepresented in the fastest growing occupations in science, mathematics, engineering, computer science and technology, in spite of significant increases in the number of Latina/o students gaining access to higher education over the past few decades.
Lead researcher on the project, Dr. Alicia C. Dowd, notes, “There is growing acknowledgement that there is no scenario whereby we can achieve “success” as a system, as a state, or nationally—as our President is aspiring—without dramatically improving results with students who have been historically underserved in higher education.”
Dr. John Brooks Slaughter, president and CEO of the National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering (NACME), concurs: “Minorities represent a significant resource pool for the engineering and technology workforce. We need to develop and employ our many human and capital resources in a concerted and unified manner if we are to continue as a world leader in science, engineering, and commerce. We must provide ample and affordable opportunities for the disadvantaged and the underrepresented to become full participants in education and employment at all levels.”
Increased competition from developed and developing nations in the science, engineering and technological sectors has created a new sense of urgency in the production of U.S. science, technology, engineering and mathematics talent. Simultaneously, there is mounting recognition that growth in the STEM talent pool necessitates racial/ethnic equity in STEM degree attainment.
There are three main components of the study.
- First, community college as a route to STEM baccalaureate - CUE is exploring community colleges as a route of primary entry into the STEM pipeline. Latinas/os, more than any other group, are likely to start their education in the two-year college sector.
- Second, student loan debt as a barrier - Due to the growth of this demographic group and its reportedly unique attitudes toward borrowing and student loans, CUE is examining the relationship between indebtedness and graduate school attendance among Latina/o STEM bachelor’s degree holders.
- Third, the role of administrators and instructors as “institutional agents” (Stanton-Salazar 1997, 2001) - CUE is incorporating previous CUE research, which found success at community colleges for low-income and minority students dependent on establishing relationships with faculty members, counselors or other staff who took on the role of “transfer agents” as they help students navigate complicated transfer requirements.
Dowd asserts that "increasing the numbers of Latina/o students in STEM disciplines and ensuring their success is key to our nation’s ability to survive and thrive in a global economy.” She explains that often negative news dominates --“we hear all the time how few of our students are succeeding and all of the porous holes in our postsecondary systems that allow students of color to fail, but this study is different. Our research is focused on understanding what works and bringing these findings to scale!”
Established at the University of Southern California in 1999 as part of the University's urban initiative, the Center for Urban Education (CUE) leads socially conscious research and develops tools needed for institutions of higher education to produce equity in student outcomes. CUE's research team pioneered a multi-disciplined inquiry approach that is helping higher education institutions across the country become more accountable to students from underserved racial and ethnic communities. CUE publishes reports and papers on a range of topics related to equity and accountability, the transformation of institutional data into useable knowledge, and the role of faculty and administrators in organizational change. CUE is dedicated to conducting research that makes a difference.
Pathways to STEM Bachelor’s and Graduate Degrees for Hispanic Students and the Role of Hispanic Serving Institutions is made possible by funding from the National Science Foundation. For questions about the project, please email co-principal investigators Alicia C. Dowd (adowd@usc.edu), Estela Mara Bensimon (bensimon@usc.edu), or research assistant, Brianne Dávila (badavila@usc.edu).