The University of Arizona announced recently that a multimillion, five-year grant from the U.S. Department of Education will increase support for students in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). According to university communications, the Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) typically has about 11,000 undergraduates in STEM majors at any given time.
The funding comes from the education department’s Title III programs, and UArizona was eligible to receive the grant because of its status as an HSI, a federal designation the university received in 2018.
“Success in our educational mission relies on the University of Arizona ensuring that every single one of our students has plenty of opportunities to engage in research and thrive in their academic development,” said University of Arizona President Robert C. Robbins in a statement. “I am so proud to know that our commitment to inclusion and our service to students has been recognized by this grant, and I look forward to seeing the progress that Project CREAR will make on behalf of all our students.”
CREAR, which stands for Culturally Responsive Engagement, Articulation, and Research, involves providing STEM learning communities so students experience a sense of belonging; tools for students to more easily transfer to UArizona; plans to increase undergraduate research opportunities at UArizona; and train faculty, staff and student mentors on improving inclusivity in their interactions.
The project also aims to expand the reach of successful UArizona STEM student programs, including Arizona’s Science, Engineering, and Math Scholars, and Catapult First Year Experience programs.
Kimberly Sierra-Cajas, director of undergraduate research and inquiry in the Office of Societal Impacts, which is part of the Division of Research, Innovation and Impact, is the principal investigator and project director for the grant.
She told university communications that fewer than half of UArizona students who start in STEM majors complete their programs within six years. And only a third of Latinx students with STEM majors who receive federal grants for students with financial need graduate with a STEM degree in six years. Only about 42% of Latinx transfer students graduate within three years of transferring, Sierra-Cajas added.
One of Project CREAR’s core strategies involves creating learning communities of first-year and transfer students who take classes together – beginning in fall 2023. These groups foster a sense of community and also provide opportunities to get involved in STEM research that impacts Latinx communities.
The grant will also allow more faculty members to participate in the university’s Culturally Responsive Curriculum Development Institute, a weeklong summer program that supports participants in implementing more inclusive teaching and learning practices in their courses. The institute helps faculty members to redesign their courses using culturally responsive practices and teaching strategies that incorporate aspects of students’ cultural backgrounds into the course curriculum.
Brooke Moreno, from the Office of Societal Impacts, will serve as the project manager for Project CREAR. The grant will be administered through a partnership that includes the College of Education, the Division of Research, Innovation, and Impact, the Hispanic Serving Institution Initiatives office and the Office of the Provost.
Project CREAR is 94.1% funded through the U.S. Department of Education Hispanic-Serving Institutions – Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics and Articulation Programs, which is also known as HSI STEM or Title III, Part F, for the amount of $4,989,496 across a five-year award period. The remaining 5.9% is funded through the University of Arizona for the amount of $313,302 across a five-year period.
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