Cultivating Data-Informed Leadership for Systemic Change: Insights from the Coalition for the Reform of Undergraduate STEM Education (CRUSE)

Author(s):
Kerry Brenner
Senior Program Officer, Board on Science Education
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine

Leadership at multiple levels is critical for cultivating an institutional culture in which efforts to improve the effectiveness of undergraduate STEM education are a focus of sustained attention and inquiry by all members of the campus community. In particular, consideration of both the ecosystem that surrounds department-level education innovations and the appropriate use of data in decision making is essential. In this highly interactive 75-minute workshop, participants will explore key institutional levels, stakeholders, and mechanisms for leading change on their own campuses, and strategize about opportunities for strengthening a data-informed leadership culture that supports equitable learning for all members of the campus community.

Since 2011, The Coalition for the Reform of Undergraduate STEM Education (CRUSE) has worked to align and coordinate national association and societies efforts to support the widespread and sustained adoption of high-structured evidence-based teaching practices in undergraduate STEM courses that are known to be especially powerful for increasing the learning and success of students historically marginalized (e.g., women, students from racial or ethnic minority groups, first-generation college students, and students from low-income backgrounds) in higher education. The members of CRUSE have also focused on creating more student-centered educational environments by identifying and dismantling inequitable structures and practices in academia. Representatives from CRUSE will draw from our experiences working in multiple academic and administrative roles, institution types, and higher education associations to facilitate the workshop session.

Coauthors

Howard Gobstein, Senior Vice President for STEM Education & Research Policy, Association of Public and Land-grant Universities
Tara King, Higher Education Project Manager, Association of American Universities
Kacy Redd, Associate Vice President, Research & STEM Education, Association of Public and Land-grant Universities
Heidi Schweingruber, Director, Board on Science Education, The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine