Appendix C

Site Visit Overview

Serving as a significant component of the committee’s information-gathering efforts, from September 2017 through November 2017, a subset of committee members conducted informational site visits at nine Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) that implement promising models, policies, practices, and/or strategies to help propel more students toward degree attainment in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields and toward strong preparation for success in STEM careers. Participating MSIs were selected from a list of nominated institutions culled from discussions with key stakeholders of the study’s report. Nominations were accepted from the University of Pennsylvania’s Center on Minority Serving Institutions and from MSI association groups (e.g., United Negro College Fund, Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, American Indian Higher Education Consortium, Asian & Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund). While it would have been valuable to visit more schools, time and financial resources required tough decisions on which institutions to visit. In the selection of sites, the committee made a conscious effort to include a diversity of perspectives represented across the different classifications of MSIs, size of institution, setting (rural, urban, etc.), and region.

At each site visit, candid discussions were held with presidents, deans, provosts, faculty and staff, students, recent alumni, and community and industry partners. As a result of the open and candid discussion held during these site visits, the committee was able to collect unique data, both qualitative and quantitative in nature, on illustrative examples of long-standing models and approaches to support racial and ethnic minorities in STEM, as well as to identify examples of promising and innovative efforts that address the changing STEM landscape and future workforce needs. These data helped to inform several of the research conclusions and recommendations within this report.

Group Interview Agendas

Agenda: Morgan State University

September 11, 2017

Agenda: West Los Angeles College

November 13, 2017

Agenda: San Diego State University

September 22, 2017

Agenda: Dillard University

October 10, 2017

Agenda: Xavier University

October 11, 2017

Agenda: University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

October 23, 2017

Agenda: North Carolina A&T State University

November 6, 2017

Agenda: Mission College

November 8, 2017

Agenda: Salish Kootenai College

November 13, 2017

Sample of Site Visit Discussion Questions

To Administration, Faculty, and Staff

• What are some of your institution’s long-standing and emergent or promising practices as it concerns outreach, recruitment, and retention of underrepresented minority students into STEM programs at your institution?
• What are some of your long-standing and/or recent best practices for facilitating the transition of underrepresented minority graduates of STEM programs at MSIs to appropriate next phases in their career trajectories?
• Where are some of the greatest challenges in sustaining and/or scaling up your successful programs or practices?
• How does the administration define “success”? How does your MSI recognize and celebrate success?
• What are some of the institutional policies that help to facilitate success for students in STEM courses?
• What are some policies that may serve as barriers to success, and how has your institution addressed those barriers?
• How are faculty members at your institution supported in their efforts to improve their teaching and enhance their research portfolio?
• How does your institution strengthen the knowledge base and experiential learning opportunities of your students (and faculty)? How might those practices be adopted or adapted by other MSIs and by all institutions?
• Can you describe efforts toward pedagogy that are helping students succeed in STEM?
• What resources would matter in enrolling more students, or if retaining the students is the objective, what resources would you need?

To Students and Recent Alumni

• How would you describe the culture and climate for STEM students at your MSI? Are you aware of any steps your MSI has taken to enhance the culture and climate—in STEM departments and campus-wide?
• From your perspective, how would you define “student success”?
• Do you feel that your MSI has made sufficient efforts to celebrate and honor quality and excellence among students? Do you feel that your institution sufficiently recognizes your successes?
• Does your institution promote collaboration among other STEM students? Do you, as a STEM student, sometimes feel isolated in your efforts or pathway to progress?
• Do you feel supported and appropriately mentored within this program? Has your MSI recently created new support systems and structures for the well-being of their students?

• Has your MSI developed effective and sustainable means for enabling STEM graduates to move to graduate training? To employment?

To Industry/Community Partners:

• How do you support MSIs?
• Do you find that students graduating from MSIs have the necessary skill sets to excel in your work environment? If yes, how so? If not, do you teach them?