Large introductory lecture courses are typically college students’ first university level experience with STEM disciplines and set the stage for individual student’s self-perception of success in the discipline. For this reason, grade outcomes in these courses are associated with student retention. This makes grade disparities that align with demographic characteristics particularly problematic as STEM disciplines seek to address their challenges to creating diverse practitioners. This research from the SEISMIC collaboration examines the expanse of systemic inequities by examining student grades in introductory STEM courses across seven large, public, research-intensive US universities over a ten-year period. For all institutions, course outcomes were positively associated with the number of systemic advantages which considers race/ethnicity, gender, income status, and first-generation status. Although STEM grades typically are lower when compared to their introductory counterparts, grade penalties were amplified for students who possess fewer systemic advantages and minimized for those holding a higher number. In the context of a general chemistry course, we will identify the impact of each advantage individually and intersectionally.

Exposing inequity: A multi-institutional analysis of systematic advantages in introductory STEM courses

ACS Spring 2022

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.