TY - JOUR
T1 - A virtual community of practice to promote LGBTQ inclusion in STEM
T2 - 125th ASEE Annual Conference and Exposition
AU - Farrell, Stephanie
AU - Chavela Guerra, Rocio C.
AU - Longo, Alexandra
AU - Tsanov, Rossen
N1 - Funding Information:
This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. EEC 1539140. The individuals who volunteered their time to facilitate conference workshops and webinars played a crucial role in advancing this project.
Funding Information:
Alexandra Longo is Senior Program Manager of Education and Career Development at ASEE, where she leads ASEE webinars and manages stakeholder meetings and externally funded programs and projects. Prior to joining ASEE, Alexandra worked at the Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) and the Society for Neuroscience (SfN). Alex has a passion for instructional design, informal education, and hands-on learning, and received her MA in Museum Education from Seton Hall University in 2013.
Publisher Copyright:
© American Society for Engineering Education, 2018.
PY - 2018/6/23
Y1 - 2018/6/23
N2 - The results discussed in this paper are part of a transformative project that links diversity research with a faculty development initiative to promote LGBTQ equality in engineering. The aims of the project are to (1) identify aspects of engineering culture that present barriers to LGBTQ equality, (2) build knowledge and skills to disrupt discrimination and promote LGBTQ equality in engineering departments on college campuses and (3) to identify best practices for promoting LGBTQ equality in engineering. This paper focuses on understanding the roles of a Virtual Community of Practice (VCP) in advancing the goals of LGBTQ equality in engineering. The VCP was established in fall 2015 consisting of 19 professionals from STEM academic departments in the initial cohort. During the first semester, the VCP members completed human relations facilitator training and developed content for Safe Zone LGBTQ inclusion training geared toward STEM academics. since completion of the facilitator training, the VCP members have actively promoted LGBTQ inclusion in their own departments and conducted Safe Zone workshops at their own institutions, online and at professional society meetings. A survey was used to assess the VCP members' perceptions of VCP design, benefits to individual members and to their departments, and individual and professional characteristics. Results and insights from the survey will be presented in this paper along with a description of the specific outcomes of the VCP.
AB - The results discussed in this paper are part of a transformative project that links diversity research with a faculty development initiative to promote LGBTQ equality in engineering. The aims of the project are to (1) identify aspects of engineering culture that present barriers to LGBTQ equality, (2) build knowledge and skills to disrupt discrimination and promote LGBTQ equality in engineering departments on college campuses and (3) to identify best practices for promoting LGBTQ equality in engineering. This paper focuses on understanding the roles of a Virtual Community of Practice (VCP) in advancing the goals of LGBTQ equality in engineering. The VCP was established in fall 2015 consisting of 19 professionals from STEM academic departments in the initial cohort. During the first semester, the VCP members completed human relations facilitator training and developed content for Safe Zone LGBTQ inclusion training geared toward STEM academics. since completion of the facilitator training, the VCP members have actively promoted LGBTQ inclusion in their own departments and conducted Safe Zone workshops at their own institutions, online and at professional society meetings. A survey was used to assess the VCP members' perceptions of VCP design, benefits to individual members and to their departments, and individual and professional characteristics. Results and insights from the survey will be presented in this paper along with a description of the specific outcomes of the VCP.
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M3 - Conference article
AN - SCOPUS:85051207965
VL - 2018-June
JO - ASEE Annual Conference and Exposition, Conference Proceedings
JF - ASEE Annual Conference and Exposition, Conference Proceedings
SN - 2153-5965
Y2 - 23 June 2018 through 27 December 2018
ER -