NSF Award
1923771
The Historically Black Colleges and Universities Undergraduate Program (HBCU-UP) through Targeted Infusion Projects supports the development, implementation, and study of evidence-based innovative models and approaches for improving the preparation and success of HBCU undergraduate students so that they may pursue STEM graduate programs and/or careers. Virginia Union University will implement a comprehensive set of student-centered strategies to improve the learning experience for physics and pre-engineering students and ensure the vitality of a program that is well-poised to contribute to efforts to broaden the participation of Black and African American students and low-income students in physics and engineering fields.<br/><br/>The project will increase the number of physics and engineering graduates and ensure they are well-prepared to enter physics and engineering graduate programs and/or careers. The project will also make a broad impact at VUU by revising a general education physics course that serves all VUU students and provide project-based learning workshops and other resources for implementing research-based instructional strategies to all VUU STEM faculty. Finally, the project will contribute to the community's understanding of the effectiveness of common high-impact teaching practices within the context of small physics departments at teaching-focused liberal arts institutions. A rigorous mixed-methods evaluation plan will examine the impact of project activities on student performance and psychosocial constructs typically associated with retention in STEM higher education.<br/><br/>This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
