<br/>Student demographics at Eastern Mennonite University have changed dramatically over the past few years: our first year STEM courses are larger, and the students are increasingly diverse and first-generation students. Unfortunately, our retention and success rates with these groups have typically been low.  Starting with a theory of change that figures STEM faculty engagement and ownership of the problem, we are implementing multiple interrelated interventions, centered around STEM faculty and supports for URM and first generation students:  1) Teaching strategies workshops, online training, and faculty learning communities that emphasize reflective learning, moving towards culturally-responsive, evidence-based teaching practices and assessments to engage and support diverse learners; 2) Enhancing peer tutor training and other university supports for URM and first generation students, and beginning to 3) Mentor a smaller group of STEM faculty towards a Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) approach to their own teaching and scholarship.   While only in it’s first year, our initial findings from this project are that the target faculty are gaining in understanding of and appreciation for teaching to diverse learners, there is greater STEM faculty engagement with peer-tutors, and student tutors are better engaged with more students, and more diverse students.    <br/>

Improving retention through teaching strategies and peer tutoring

254th National Meeting (2017)

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