RAPID: STEM Faculty Support To Address Impacts from COVID-19 on Tribal Colleges and Universities Program Institutions

A goal of the Tribal Colleges and Universities Program (TCUP) is to increase the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) instructional and research capacities of specific institutions of higher education that serve the Nation's indigenous students. Expanding the STEM curricular offerings at these institutions expands the opportunities of their students to pursue challenging, rewarding careers in STEM fields, provides for research studies in areas that may be culturally significant, and encourages a community and generational appreciation for science and mathematics education. Sustainability of STEM instructional capacity gains is significantly enhanced by retaining the talent of credentialed STEM faculty. This project aligns directly with that goal. The COVID-19 pandemic caused major disruptions to institutions of higher education. For tribal colleges and universities, whose core operating funds are directly aligned with student enrollment, drops in enrollment equate to loss of funding. To mitigate against detrimental pandemic-related effects on STEM instructional capacity, this award will support the salary and professional development of one full-time STEM faculty member at Bay Mills Community College. This TCUP STEM Faculty award is intended to help maintain Bay Mills Community College's STEM program as the college recovers from the deleterious impact of the pandemic. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.