ABSTRACT
With support from the National Science Foundation's Division of Undergraduate Education, this five-year project led by a two-year Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) seeks to provide underrepresented students with mentored work experiences in computer information systems. Students will have access to paid on-campus work experiences and internships in businesses and industries. It is anticipated that some examples of potential student projects include mobile application development, cybersecurity, and computer support. It is expected that these experiences will increase undergraduate student interest, persistence, and success in computer information systems, as well as in STEM more broadly. To ensure that they are well-prepared for and gain the most from their work experiences, students will receive training on employability skills such as communication, teamwork, and project management. In addition, during their work experiences, students will be mentored by faculty, industry professionals, and peers. To strengthen the capacity of faculty to serve all students, including Hispanic students, the project will provide faculty with professional development focused on an equity mindset. This framework to provide mentored work experiences will be developed and piloted at Phoenix College, in the computer information technology department and eventually expanded to other STEM fields at the institution. Following this, the project also intends to expand this framework to four other two-year HSIs in the region. Through this work, the project aims to develop a replicable model for how two-year institutions can develop work experiences that foster increased student graduation and entry into STEM career pathways. This project, which is currently in its first year, seeks to examine how a curriculum that integrates cross-sector partnerships to provide work experiences can enhance STEM learning and retention. Using mixed methods and grounded theory, the project will expand knowledge about: (1) the impact of cross-sector partnerships that support work-focused experiential teaching and learning;(2) systematic ways to maintain and better use cross-sector partnerships;and (3) the degree to which a model of work-focused learning experiences can be adopted at other two-year HSIs and by other STEM fields. Baseline data about Hispanic serving identity at the pilot institution has been collected and assessed at the institutional, departmental, and for different educator roles including faculty, support staff, and administrative leaders to produce inputs towards developing a detailed plan of action. Early results from baseline data, visualizations, planning responses, and initial project activities for student work experiences and faculty professional development will be reported in the submission. The impact of Covid-19 to Year 1 activities will also be discussed. Expected long term results of the project include: development of sustainable mechanisms to foster cross-sector partnerships;increased student retention and workforce readiness;and measurable successes for STEM students, particularly Hispanic students, at two-year HSIs. © American Society for Engineering Education, 2021
ABSTRACT
Communities and cities host many cross-cross sector partnerships aiming to alleviate social and environmental issues. Yet, existing literature have focused on large-scale systemic impact and global challenges such as climate change, paying scant attention to the role of local dynamics in shaping cross-sector partnerships. I advance the concept of place to unpack how local embeddedness shape the structure of cross-sector partnership. I focus on elements of formalized structure. I employ a longitudinal approach focusing on two place-based dynamics: the changes in the wicked problem, and the subsequent shifts in the tensions between the moral and material considerations of the partners. © AoM 2021.All right reserved.
ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in substantial employment losses in the US. To understand how this impact fell on male and female workers unevenly, I empirically investigate the impacts of COVID-19 on the gender inequality in labor markets and analyze the variation in effects across sectors. I find that the COVID-19 pandemic influences all sectors to different degrees, with the tertiary (service) sector hit the hardest. The pandemic has also exacerbated gender inequality in certain sectors, but not all: women working in the tertiary sector are most economically harmed, while sectors that rely mostly on knowledge and technology tend to work remotely and generally have the least impact in working hours from the pandemic. The intersectionality of race, gender, and educational attainment also contributes to the disparities in labor markets across all sectors. Results also show that marriage benefits employment, and that having children under the age of five could slightly disadvantage workers in the labor markets. © 2021 ACM.