While the field of higher education has recently taken strides in DEI awareness, STEM undergraduate education continues to struggle to admit and retain minoritized student populations (https://ncses.nsf.gov/pubs/nsf21321/report). Therefore, it is imperative that we, as student affairs educators, take actionable steps to set our STEM students up for success in their academic and career pursuits while at college. In line with this NASPA Region IV-WE 2022 conference's theme, I envision a future where minoritized STEM student populations feel and are empowered to bring their unique perspectives and add tremendous value to fields that they have been traditionally left out of. And this starts with us adopting an intrusive advising model built on compassion to be proactive rather than reactive. Through my SA Talk, I shared more on this with my peers so we can partner together in creating a future for our STEM students that is built for them to harness their full potential with educators who are prepared to help them to do so.
Goals/Objectives
Audience members will gain an understanding of Sanford's Theory of Challenge and Support and Baxter Magolda's Learning Partnerships Model why they calls for intrusive advising rooted in compassion
Audience members will learn the difference between compassion vs. empathy based approaches to advising
Audience members will understand why compassion-based intrusive advising is crucial when working with minoritized groups in STEM
Audience members will learn at least 3 compassion-based academic and career advising techniques
Learning Outcomes
Audience members were able to identify the distinction between compassion and empathy and why leading with compassion will leave them with lesser emotional fatigue and more effective advising outcomes
Audience members were able to connect the implications of Sanford's Theory of Challenge and Support and Baxter Magolda's Learning Partnerships Model with advising best practices
Audience members were able to learn how to apply compassion-based intrusive advising techniques to academic and career advising when working with minoritized student groups in STEM