February 18, 2016 FINAL. Committee on Diversity and Education: Strategic Plan

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1 February 18, 2016 FINAL Cmmittee n Diversity and Educatin: Strategic Plan Nalini Nadkarni, VP fr Educatin and Diversity Teresa Murad, Directr, Educatin and Diversity Prgrams Brenda Bergman, Michigan Tech University Kim Bjrg-Thrne, West Virginia Wesleyan Cllege Carmen Cid, Eastern Cnnecticut State University Ken Klemw, Wilkes University Aurra MacRae-Crerar, PhD Candidate, University f Pennsylvania Gerge Middendrf, Hward University Bb Phlad, Ferrum Cllege Jsh Schll, PhD Candidate, University f Arizna Carlyn Thmas, Ferrum Cllege The need t prmte educatin and diversity in eclgy is enrmus, drawing frm a wealth f appraches, prgrams, and prjects. Hwever, the Cmmittee fr Diversity and Educatin (CDE) must make strategic chices n allcating its limited resurces. During the 2015 CDE Planning Retreat (Octber 23-24, 2015), Cmmittee members created a Strategic Plan t guide the current and future members f ur grup t: a) examine and ptentially revise ur missin statement; b) articulate ur gals and bjectives; and c) generate strategies and actins that will help meet ur missin. This is a dynamic dcument; we anticipate that this strategic plan will be frmally re-examined in three years. Each year, we will align ur Actin Plan t ensure it is in alignment with the Strategic Plan. I. CDE Missin Statement: Fstering cllabratin, prmting diversity, and advancing educatin. II. Pririty Gals fr CDE A. Enhance public awareness f and engagement with eclgy B. Disseminate best practices in eclgy t attract a cntinuing supply f new eclgists C. Diversify ESA membership, the ppulatin f eclgists, and the range f publics whm we reach D. Shape the CDE as a hub t crdinate and amplify impacts f events and initiatives. E. Measure and understand the efficacy and extent f the impacts f CDE activities t create imprved prgrams and best use resurces int the future. 1

2 GOAL A. Enhance public awareness f and engagement with eclgy Objective 1. Strengthen eclgical knwledge and awareness amngst diverse audiences (e.g., accurate understanding f mdern fundamental eclgical cncepts; hw eclgy is a science that fllws scientific rules; and hw eclgical knwledge is based n evidence). Strategy a: Scale up and ut t public grups i. Actin item: Enhance eclgical prfessinal develpment f K-G educatrs (train the trainers ) ii. Actin item: Prmte Bi-blitzes iii. Actin item: Cnnect with the Citizen Science Assciatin and link t their website ( Strategy b: Enhance understanding f career paths t and within eclgy i. Actin item: Develp a blg abut my path t becming an eclgist ii. Actin item: Increase expsure t alternative careers, e.g., thrugh the Frntiers career pathways series iii. Enlist the Student Sectin t prmte related activities Strategy c: Disseminate / develp infrmatin that shws examples f hw eclgical science is cnducted and used fr generating knwledge and infrming decisin making i. Actin Item: Wrk with ESA Public Affairs Office t identify and pst existing articles t the CDE website that shw examples f hw eclgical science is cnducted and used in decisin making ii. Actin Item: Identify cnceptual gaps and develp new articles ii. Actin Item: Establish engaged, wrking relatinships with individuals and rganizatins that will facilitate infrmatin exchange abut hw eclgists infrm decisin-making with at least five rganizatins GOAL B. Disseminate best practices in eclgy educatin t attract a cntinuing supply f new eclgists Objective 1. Supprt early career eclgists in teaching eclgy Strategy a: Explre the demand, feasibility, and resurces needed (market research) including the pssibility f a certificatin prgram i. Actin Item: Initiate relatinships with thse knwledgeable abut market research ii. Actin item: Identify the mst effective apprach fr achieving this bjective 2

3 iii. Actin item: Explre applying fr a grant thrugh the NSF business prgram I-CORPS iv. Actin item: Cllabrate with the Student Sectin t help meet their bjectives, e.g., use the Student Sectin listserve t explre what students need t be cmpetitive fr nn-academic psitins Objective 2. Make available eclgy research, cntent, and pedaggy t imprve teaching f eclgy in an rganized and effective way Strategy a: Define and make available key r cre cncepts in eclgy i. Actin item: Develp a set f cre cncepts that undergraduate students shuld understand at intrductry eclgy levels fr apprval by the ESA Gverning Bard. ii. Actin item: Adapt the set f cre cncepts fr precllege and ther cllege audiences (e.g. intr bilgy). iii. Actin item: Develp an engagement plan t prmte adptin f the cre cncepts in eclgy. Strategy b: Make educatin resurces mre visible n the ESA website i. Actin item: Identify and screen educatin resurces (including resurces n pedaggy), ii. Actin item: Supprt, prmte and expand peer-reviewed EcEd Digital Library hldings iii. Actin item: Increase visibility f educatin resurces n the hme page f ESA Strategy c. Imprve access t key and emerging cncepts that appear in eclgical literature i. Actin Item: Review ways t incrprate existing effrts by the Public Affairs Office in educatin activities and prgrams ii. Actin Item: Translate primary literature int mre cmpelling frmats (vides, pdcasts, scial media) iii. Actin Item: Generate new vides thrugh a cmpetitin n innvative pedaggy fr educating diverse students Objective 3. Prmte science f teaching amng ESA members Strategy a: Expand participatin at the REEFS faculty wrkshps at ESA meetings by 10% Strategy b: Expand participatin in Life Discvery Educatin cnference by 20% in three years 3

4 GOAL C. Diversify ESA membership and the ppulatin f eclgists Objective 1. Diversify membership Strategy a: Identify incentives that will increase the diversity f ESA members ver the next 10 years. i. Actin Item: Implement a survey f current and past ESA members t determine what cnstitutes diversity with respect t eclgy and what cnstitutes apprpriate gals with regard t increasing diversity. ii. Actin item: Thrugh existing cntacts, cnduct a survey t find ut what benefits / incentives diverse eclgists need t becme members f ESA. Strategy b: Identify resurces that will engage members thrughut the year and thereby shw benefit t membership. i. Actin Item: Prepare interactive career resurces and disseminate nline ii. Actin Item: Hst nline career fairs r webinars Strategy c: Enhance participatin f lcal students and their families at annual meetings i. Actin Item: Identify lcal hst in spring befre annual meeting t help identify several high schls with whm we can get in cntact t ffer free ESA passes fr the annual cnference. ii. Actin Item: Offer free day passes fr lcal, diverse high schl students and their families iii. Actin Item: Prvide mentrs fr the high schl students t help them navigate the cnference and enhance their experience iv. Actin Item: Create psters describing the daily lives f eclgists Strategy e: Supprt graduate students and the next generatin f eclgists i. Actin Item: Cntact yung prfessinals wh are in early careers prgrams (e.g. USFS, Natinal Labratries, NOAA, Natinal Fisheries Service) and determine hw we can help prepare the next generatin fr their careers ii. Actin Item: Cllabrate with the Student Sectin and ESA membership staff t create web pages fr the disseminatin f jb Survey/Features and ther career resurces (e.g., links t jb search engines) Objective 3. Track and understand the career decisins f minrity eclgists 4

5 Strategy a: Learn frm the SEEDS prgram participants, and specifically SEEDS alumni, t explre the career pathways f minrity students i. Actin Item: Cnduct surveys f SEEDS alumni GOAL D. Shape CDE as a hub t crdinate and amplify impacts f events and initiatives Objective 1. Validate and prmte existing educatin and engagement activities Strategy a. Give the CDE a tangible web presence within ESA i. Actin Item: Add CDE webpage t existing educatin website as prtal t resurces ii. Actin Item: Explre hw eclgists can cnnect with and engage diverse cmmunities via a trusted messenger and lcal eclgists thrugh the leadership and effrts f relevant ESA sectins. Objective 2. Enhance cmmunicatins and cllabratin amng ESA sectins and chapters t infrm ESA members f diversity utreach and educatin activities. Strategy a: Increase cmmunicatin between CDE, sectin and chapter chairs i. Actin Item: Create a list-serve that includes nly the sectin chairs and vice chairs and/r ne representative frm the sectin Strategy b: Crdinate effrts with sectins and chapters that reach diverse ppulatins i. Actin Item: Identify all ESA sectins and chapters that reach diverse ppulatins (e.g., Envirnmental Justice, Traditinal Eclgical Knwledge, Internatinal Assciatin f Black Eclgists) ii. Actin Item: Gain a better understanding f the missin f these sectins iii. Actin Item: Identify gaps and cllabrative pprtunities in utreach activities iv. Actin Item: Explre hw eclgists can cnnect with and engage diverse cmmunities via a trusted messenger and lcal eclgists thrugh the leadership and effrts f relevant ESA sectins. Strategy c: Infrm ESA members abut the activities f sectins and chapters in their effrts t engage diverse publics and enhance eclgy educatin i. Actin Item: Organize a diversity-fcused Ignite sessin fr ESA 2016 (and annually?) in which the sectins and chapters are invited t share their diversityutreach activities as well as shwcase sectin and chapter cllabratins. 5

6 GOAL E. Measure and understand the efficacy and extent f the impacts f CDE activities t create imprved prgrams and best use resurces int the future. Objective 1. Create and implement assessment tls that can be implemented fr particular CDE initiatives and the verall CDE gals Strategy a. Inventry existing assessment data n past and present CDE initiatives Strategy b. Cmmunicate with ther entities within and utside f ESA t accumulate useful assessment instruments Strategy c. Engage educatin partners t help create needed assessment and evaluatin tls. Strategy d. Cllect and examine assessment results n an annual basis and draw frm these results ideas fr imprvements. 6