The University of Texas at El Paso is one of 16 Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI) that is in the Carnegie “very high” doctoral research category yet driven by a commitment to broaden participation and increase Hispanic student persistence, particularly in STEM. UTEP has a longstanding history in leading efforts to improve STEM education for minoritized students. UTEP’s efforts have supported evolutionary change and built capacity through numerous programmatic activity-driven efforts (primarily with federal funding) that has led to increased enrollments and graduation of Latinx students. While UTEP’s efforts have been exemplary, much work needs to be done. A deep analysis of STEM-program data, for example, indicates Latinas are not represented equitably in engineering and, in large part, science disciplines with respect to overall university enrollment and completion.
This project, "A Knowledge-Based Framework for Creating and Sustaining Transformational Change for Latinx Student Success in STEM,” uses an inclusive excellence framework with a focus on people, processes, practices, and policy to institutionalize change.