The project supports the sustained efforts of a working group that is guiding the transition of Project Kaleidoscope (PKAL) from a largely volunteer, independent organization into one that has a strong connection with the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U), a national organization representing a wide range of universities and colleges. Since its founding in 1989, PKAL has been one of the leading advocates in the United States for building and sustaining strong, inquiry-focused undergraduate programs in the STEM fields. This new affiliation is working to foster and build a stronger national constituency to support activities that combine the best contemporary STEM practices for all students with transformative teaching in order to identify an empowering constellation of approaches that define academic excellence in twenty-first century STEM research, teaching, and learning. The working group, which includes members from a variety of institutional types, ensures diversity of people, place and experience. It is producing a series of white papers, outlining future directions and priorities for PKAL in its new institutional context and under its new leadership. A summative evaluation of PKAL's success at the close of the transition period is being coordinated through AAC&U's nationally-recognized Office of Quality, Curriculum, and Assessment and is measuring the effectiveness of the grant and, indeed, of PKAL's movement into its new role.
Intellectual Merit. The overall goals of the funded project were to: recruit board members from a variety of institutional types, ensuring diversity of people, place and experience; conduct two meetings per year during the funded project period; and, produce a series of papers outlining future directions and priorities for Project Kaleidoscope (PKAL) in its new institutional context and under its new leadership. As a result of meeting these objectives, Project Kaleidoscope and its advisory board have been formalized within a stable organizational structure that meaningfully involves the Association of American Colleges and Universities. Through this transition, a specific action plan has been developed, which intricately ties the efforts of PKAL into the broad vision and strategic plan of AAC&U. With a focus toward Liberal Education and America’s Promise (LEAP), quality, diversity and social responsibility, viable partnerships across organizations, communities and disciplines, both within and outside of AAC&U, have formed and are now primed for further development. The focus of AAC&U and PKAL not only includes undergraduate STEM education reform, but also the infusion of Big Questions into STEM curricula and the retention of underrepresented groups in the STEM disciplines. Broader Impact. As a result of their prior successes across all disciplines, AAC&U and PKAL are now poised to leverage their experiences and develop synergistic national campaigns aimed at ensuring an increase in competitively trained STEM baccalaureates, as well as a scientifically literate citizenry. A model for achieving such a goal already exists through AAC&U’s LEAP campaign. It is expected that this model can be successfully replicated for STEM higher education reform.
