Schmidt College of Science Team Attends National STEM Reframing Institute

Several members from the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science faculty were accepted to attend the American Association of Colleges and Universities’ (AAC&U) 2024 Institute on Reframing Institutional Transformation to Empower Non-Tenure Track STEM Faculty. The Reframing Institute was held from July 28 to August 1, 2024, in Leesburg, VA.

Through generous funding from the National Science Foundation, and in collaboration with researchers at the University of Southern California, the Reframing Institute aimed to increase awareness about the importance of the nation’s non-tenure track STEM faculty. Historically, non-tenure-track faculty teach a disproportionate number of introductory core STEM courses, and the gathering provided guidance that can help colleges and university leaders empower those key campus community members.

During the Reframing Institute, participating institutional teams of non-tenure track STEM faculty and administrators partnered with national scholars to examine and interrogate the root causes of the adverse institutional conditions that disproportionately marginalize non-tenure track STEM faculty. All sessions were grounded in a blended conceptual model for institutional transformation that emphasizes organizational learning and change.

The Schmidt College of Science team was chosen from a competitive pool of applicants across the country to attend this year’s Reframing Institute. Its members included Evonne Rezler, Ph.D., senior associate dean for Undergraduate Studies; Korey Sorge, Ph.D., scientist in the Department of Physics; Papiya Bhattacharjee, Ph.D., assistant chair and senior instructor in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics; Donna Marion, Ph.D., senior instructor in the Department of Psychology; and Tito Sempertegui, Ph.D., senior instructor Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry.

The college’s team reported that the Reframing Institute provided an excellent opportunity to network with other universities around the country and find ways in which the skills and experience of non-tenure-track faculty can be utilized and recognized. The team also expressed appreciation for Florida Atlantic’s ongoing efforts to facilitate improvement and growth in this area.

“Our team is excited to explore and implement some new changes that will positively increase the importance and involvement of non-tenure track STEM faculty within the Schmidt College of Science,” stated Rezler. “These intentional efforts and new initiatives will go a long way toward increasing the strength of our STEM educational offerings.”

The AAC&U, established in 1915 as the Association of American Colleges, works to advance the democratic purposes of higher education by promoting equity, innovation, and excellence in liberal education.