The American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC) requests support to conduct the 2010 TCU STEM Leaders? Forum (Forum) for the National Science Foundation/ Tribal Colleges and Universities Program (TCUP) awardees and for the presidents at each of the nation?s 33 accredited Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs). The Forum will focus on strategies and best practices for successfully recruiting and retaining American Indian students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). During the 2-day TCU STEM Leaders? Forum participants (including TCUP principal investigators and project directors, TCU presidents, and NSF representatives) will discuss issues and participate in formal sessions during which they will share and explore best practices and innovative approaches to strengthening the American Indian STEM pipeline. The Forum will provide a opportunity for tribal colleges to engage in and contribute to the national discussion on broadening participation in STEM. A key outcome of the proposed Forum will be increased success in recruiting and retaining Indian student in STEM programs at TCUs, as effective practices are identified and implemented. Intellectual Merit The proposed Forum will promote a community of practice among NSF TCUP managers and faculty, facilitating the exchange of best practices and strategies for achieving the common goal of improving STEM participation and achievement among American Indian students. The proposed Forum will engage national STEM leaders, including the leadership at NSF and tribal colleges, in a critical dialogue focusing on the current state of knowledge and understanding of broadening participation strategies as they are applied by tribal colleges. Broader Impact The Forum will make an important contribution to the ongoing debate on how best to promote broader participation of the nation?s underserved and underrepresented minorities in STEM education and professions. It will promote the exploration and greater understanding of state-of-the-art broadening participation strategies not only by tribal college faculty and administrators, but by the leadership at NSF and other federal agencies with science missions.
The American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC) conducted the 2011 AIHEC Tribal Colleges and Universities STEM Leaders Forum on September 21 and 22, 2011. The Forum brought together a diverse group of tribal college presidents, NSF Tribal College and University Program (TCUP) principal investigators and project directors, Tribal College and University STEM faculty, and additional STEM education stakeholders who gathered in Arlington, VA to participate in the event. The Forum fostered and reinforced the community of practice among NSF TCUP stakeholders; it facilitated the exchange of best practices and strategies for achieving the common goal of improving STEM participation and achievement among American Indian students. The Forum engaged tribal college presidents, NSF TCUP principal investigators and project directors, Tribal College and University STEM faculty, and additional STEM educators in dialogue focusing on the current state of knowledge and understanding of broadening participation strategies, particularly as they are applied by the nation’s Tribal Colleges and Universities. Forum participants discussed STEM education and research issues, shared information about effective programs, and explored new ideas for promoting student success in STEM. The 2011 AIHEC Tribal Colleges and Universities STEM Leaders Forum focused on the role of Tribal Colleges and Universities in broadening American Indian participation in the STEM career pipeline. A second, equally important focus of the Forum was on the AIHEC/TCU STEM Strategic Plan. The Tribal College and University STEM Strategic Plan was reviewed and discussed by participants and recommendations for modifications to the plan were developed and are being shared broadly among the Tribal Colleges and Universities and other STEM stakeholders.
