For Immediate Release

Contact:
Debra Humphreys, Vice President for Communications and Public Affairs
Humphreys@aacu.org
202.387.3760, ext. 422

AAC&U Announces Thirteen Historically Black Colleges and Universities Chosen to Participate in Second Cohort of Preparing Critical Faculty for the Future

NSF-Supported Initiative Provides Professional and Leadership Development to Women of Color Faculty in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Fields

Washington, DC – September 16, 2011–The Association of American Colleges and Universities announced today the names of thirteen colleges and universities chosen in a competitive process to participate in the second cohort of Preparing Critical Faculty for the Future (PCFF), a project that supports women of color faculty in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines in becoming strong academic and administrative leaders, both on campus and within their respective disciplines. The project is funded by the National Science Foundation's Historically Black Colleges and Universities-Undergraduate Program (HBCU-UP).  The institutions selected represent many different types—including two year and four year, public, and private.

“We are grateful to the National Science Foundation for giving AAC&U the opportunity to provide professional and STEM leadership development to women of color faculty members at HBCUs,” said AAC&U President Carol Geary Schneider.  “We also are delighted that this initiative connects our STEM reform efforts led by Project Kaleidoscope with our work supporting women in higher education through our Program on the Status and Education of Women.”

Each participating institution nominated two women of color faculty in STEM disciplines to participate in all phases of the project. Institutional leaders also identified three additional participants, primarily women of color, to engage in the second phase of the project, which will include participation in AAC&U’s Engaging Departments Institute in July 2012.   

“The project has already made great strides in advancing the professional and leadership development of women of color faculty in STEM fields,” said AAC&U Senior Scholar and Project Director Alma Clayton-Pedersen.  “The thirteen institutions in the first cohort are busy implementing the STEM education enhancement plans they developed over the course of their participation and refined this summer at AAC&U’s Engaging Departments Institute. Early indications are that PCFF will have a substantial impact on undergraduate STEM education at the selected institutions.”

One additional cohort of HBCUs will be selected to participate in PCFF in summer 2012. Nearly 40 percent of the nation’s HBCUs are expected to have participated in PCFF at the end of the three year grant cycle in 2013. The project is also open to non-HBCUs, but these institutions must fully support their teams in both phases of the project.

The goals of the PCFF project are to provide professional and leadership development for women of color faculty in STEM disciplines, or in NSF natural and behavioral science disciplines; and to enhance undergraduate STEM education at HBCUs and beyond.  This new project will provide participants with the opportunity and the financial support to engage in and influence the national dialogue on improving undergraduate STEM education. Project participants will both contribute to and gain from national efforts to develop and implement innovative STEM teaching and learning practices and effective curricular change strategies.  By uncovering useful strategies for preparing women of color faculty for academic leadership in STEM fields, PCFF expects to benefit STEM education broadly, as well as at HBCUs.

This initiative is supported with a grant from the National Science Foundation. For additional information about the project, see: http://www.aacu.org/pcff.

About AAC&U

AAC&U is the leading national association concerned with the quality, vitality, and public standing of undergraduate liberal education. Its members are committed to extending the advantages of a liberal education to all students, regardless of academic specialization or intended career. Founded in 1915, AAC&U now comprises more than 1,250 member institutions—including accredited public and private colleges and universities of every type and size.

AAC&U functions as a catalyst and facilitator, forging links among presidents, administrators, and faculty members who are engaged in institutional and curricular planning. Its mission is to reinforce the collective commitment to liberal education at both the national and local levels and to help individual institutions keep the quality of student learning at the core of their work as they evolve to meet new economic and social challenges.

Information about AAC&U membership, programs, and publications can be found at www.aacu.org.