January 15, 2025 - The Association for Undergraduate Education at Research Universities (UERU), hosted by Colorado State University, will convene to discuss implementation of the new National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) recommendations for equitable and effective teaching in undergraduate STEM education. The event, which will take place on January 24 at Howard University in Washington, D.C., will feature higher education leaders and STEM pedagogy experts who will make the case for action to the assembled research university leaders.
Undergraduate students pursuing STEM disciplines are more likely to succeed when their learning is supported by evidence-based teaching practices. These practices, however, have not been adopted consistently and with attention to equity, leaving some students behind. The impact of equitable and effective teaching is arguably greatest at research universities, which award 60% of bachelor’s degrees in science and engineering fields and which very often serve as home to state-of-the-art research infrastructure and expert faculty in STEM disciplines.
The NASEM report includes specific recommendations for bringing equitable and effective STEM teaching to scale. This report builds upon decades of prior research and change initiatives among universities and higher education associations – all of which have laid the groundwork for systemic transformation.
“Evidence-based and inclusive teaching practices are well-known among STEM faculty,” says Steve Dandaneau, UERU’s Executive Director and Associate Provost at Colorado State University. “The problem is their systemic implementation, with attention to equity for students, faculty, and staff alike. Our convening is a call to action in response to NASEM’s recommendations, which UERU will address via a community of leading research universities that, once they review the NASEM report, commit to pursuit of equity/excellence in undergraduate STEM education.”
The NASEM recommendations are consistent with the UERU-sponsored Boyer 2030 Commission Report, which called upon research universities to meet “the equity/excellence imperative” across multiple areas critical for undergraduate education, including teaching and learning. A blueprint for action, the Boyer 2030 Report has been downloaded over 30,000 times since its publication.
Agenda and speaker information can be found on UERU’s website at https://www.ueru.org/news-events/undergraduate-stem-convening. UERU will publish a summary of proceedings following the event, highlighting the discussion and key outcomes.
The convening is sponsored by the Raikes Foundation and the National Science Foundation.
###
About UERU
The Association for Undergraduate Education at Research Universities (UERU, pronounced “You-Roo”) is dedicated to excellence and access in undergraduate education by sharing and developing expertise across member institutions and other higher education organizations. The UERU membership is comprised of 125 research universities across the U.S., which collectively serve nearly 3 million undergraduate students. UERU helps its members stay current and forward-thinking, fosters connections across academic units, and enlists leaders in common projects to meet the challenges and opportunities facing undergraduate programs. Learn more at ueru.org.
For media inquiries, please contact homeoffice@ueru.org.
#Boyer2030
#Teaching
#STEM
#Press
#Events
#Boyer2030