The Division of Teaching Excellence and Innovation would like to invite members of the UCI community to attend a workshop and talk by Dr, Timothy McKay, Professor of Physics, Astronomy, and Education from the University of Michigan, on Wednesday, February 13.

Dr. McKay’s workshop and talk will focus on SEISMIC (the Sloan Equity and Inclusion in STEM Introductory Courses), a project funded by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and centered at the University of Michigan. It establishes a collaboration of 11 large R-1 universities that will accelerate and enhance efforts to improve foundational courses in STEM through learning analytics research into, and development of, equitable and inclusive STEM curricula and teaching practices. UCI has been accepted as one of the 11 campuses, and stakeholders interested in improving undergraduate STEM courses are invited to attend to learn more. Potential participants include:

• STEM education researchers
• Faculty who teach large, introductory STEM courses
• Staff that work in student advising
• Staff that work with institutional data
• Staff and faculty who support STEM success programs, like the Women in Science and Engineering

Workshop 10:00 - 11:20am in ALP 1110 on Feb 13

“Exploring SEISMIC on Your Campus”

Facilitators: Tim McKay and Nita Kedharnath, University of Michigan

For faculty and staff who want to work together and share ideas about the SEISMIC project and how it can improve undergraduate education on our campus. Participants will discuss their concerns about equity and inclusion in large STEM courses, explore approaches to understanding and addressing these concerns, and imagine how participation in this national collaboration might accelerate progress. A wide variety of members the UCI community is desired.

Please RSVP here if you plan to attend the workshop or are interested in future updates on UCI’s involvement in the SEISMIC project.

Talk: 3:00 - 4:00pm in ICS 180 on Feb 13

“SEISMIC: The Sloan Equity and Inclusion in STEM Introductory Courses Project”

Presenter: Tim McKay, Arthur F. Thurnau Professor of Physics, Astronomy, and Education, University of Michigan

A recent study of undergraduates across five Big Ten research universities found that women in large classes in biology, chemistry, physics, accounting, and economics performed about a third of a grade point lower (e.g. A- to B+) than similarly situated men. Understanding the basis for this gendered performance difference has the potential to contribute to a better understanding of the poorer persistence patterns of women and other demographic groups in STEM, and to the development of means by which those differences can be eliminated. This talk will present the data that has led to the development of the SEISMIC project and will describe the project goals.

For more information, please contact 

Brian Sato, Ph.D.
bsato@uci.edu
(949) 824-0661
Associate Teaching Professor, Molecular Biology and Biochemistry
Interim Associate Dean, Division of Teaching Excellence and Innovation
Director, UCI Education Research Initiative