Better together: Using course outcome data and learning communities to foster institutional change

Abstract

Inspired by the SAGE 2YC project, we, the authors, examined course outcome data by demographics, which led to engagement of faculty across campus. Although our introductory‐level geology course had one of the highest “C or better” rates in the institution, when we examined course success by demographics, significant racial inequities emerged. As part of our mission to reduce inequities college‐wide, we encouraged faculty across our institution to examine their own course success rates and adopt pedagogical techniques that have demonstrated results at minimizing or eliminating inequities in course outcomes. We engaged faculty in a departmental equity group, a panel of cross‐college departmental equity groups, a workshop series for STEM instructors, and a college‐wide workshop on syllabus revision. Interdisciplinary faculty learning communities can effectively create systemic, bottom‐up change by engaging faculty across disciplines to identify inequities within their sphere of influence.