Loyola Marymount University was awarded a $2.5 million Driving Change grant in November 2022 from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) to create lasting culture change on research university campuses by creating a more inclusive learning environment. The grant has funded a summer institute for faculty from the Frank R. Seaver College of Science and Engineering. The HHMI STEM Equity Institute, led by Heather Tarleton, associate provost for faculty affairs and professional development, educates faculty about systemic racism and its impact on the learning environment.
“The LMU Driving Change initiative is unique in that it is owned and operated by the faculty and not by program administrators,” said Tarleton. “This is a key characteristic that reinforces the sustainability of our efforts and that enables meaningful change to happen in our classrooms and for all our students. Faculty are not just regurgitating ‘best practices,’ rather they are learning, wrestling with, and embodying inclusive pedagogies authentically.”
Now in its second summer, the institute has already made a significant impact on Seaver College faculty, enabling them to reflect on their own identities and incorporate inclusive pedagogy in STEM classrooms.
Throughout the summer institute, faculty members participate in a series of workshops with topics ranging from universal course design, alternative assessment, and trauma informed pedagogy. Robin Wilson, professor of mathematics and part of the first 2023 HHMI cohort, incorporated ideas from the alternative assessment workshop into his own calculus 1 and 2 classes. He implemented a standards-based grading model, which provides students with multiple different chances to demonstrate understanding of course material, as opposed to a traditional classroom where exams are the primary assessment of mastery.
“The students responded really well to standards-based grading, and it was one of the things that I got the most frequent, positive feedback around,” said Wilson. “Students really appreciated the opportunity to be pushed and to keep learning the material. It changes the dynamic of assessment when students can come back and make sure they have demonstrated an understanding of the topic.”
Emily Hawkins, assistant professor of physics and a fellow member of the first HHMI cohort, also saw a positive change in her classroom after taking part in the institute.
“One of the biggest takeaways I took,” said Hawkins, “was that change can be little and I can do little things across a multitude of years, like starting with just one actionable thing and then keep building off of that.”
For example, Hawkins changed the way she approached the first day of the semester, making time to brainstorm collective community agreements with her students to set an inclusive and encouraging tone.
“It was really empowering,” she said. “I was pleasantly surprised to see how many students were volunteering and feeling proud because of the environment. I noticed that influenced the rest of the semester and the students participated more and felt comfortable with each other. From the beginning of the semester on, their exam scores were also higher than previous classes.”
Although all workshops take place over the summer, cohort members also meet once a month during the academic year to share updates and support each other.
“The best part about the project was the learning community,” said Wilson. “It gave us space for this community-of-practice model, where we came together and talked about our teaching practices. We’re all from different disciplines and we’re often siloed in our departments. But we were able to have a community of practice where we came together with the explicit goal of supporting our students.”
These monthly check-ins also served as a key to interdisciplinary connections across departments. Hawkins describes one moment when she realized that the Mathematics and Physics departments were not completely aligned in their expectations about a prerequisite math course. Because she had the opportunity to connect with mathematics professors through the institute, they were able to have a deeper conversation about student success in that course.
Edward Mosteig, professor of mathematics, is a part of the second HHMI cohort, which is currently completing their summer workshops. Already, he has learned a great deal from collaborating with fellow STEM faculty members.
“Through continued collaborative discussions, I gain new ideas and learn from the experiences of others,” said Mosteig. “By reflecting on these conversations, I can develop a plan that is authentic to my teaching style and fosters a supportive and welcoming classroom environment. One of the most enriching takeaways from the summer institute is the importance of creating opportunities for students to form personal and meaningful connections with me, each other, and the material they are learning.”
