Report:

Conference Proceedings

Expanding Opportunities in Ocean Sciences

V. PANELS

The three panels, "Minorities at Work in Ocean Sciences," "Minority Student Matriculation: The Faculty View," and "The Student Perspective," were conceived as a way to structure the conference, allowing those with experience and knowledge to formally present their views. Such discussions also served as a precursor to the workgroups, allowing participants to become current with issues critical to the overall objectives of the conferences. Each member of a panel spoke briefly after which the floor was opened for questions, answers, and discussion with the audience.

A. Panel One: Minorities at Work in Ocean Sciences:

A View from Top Administrators

Panel Members:

Dr. John Farrington, Senior Scientist and Dean, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

Ms. Emorcia Hill, Program Director, New England Board for Higher Education

Dr. Nathaniel Pitts, Director of Office of Science, National Science Foundation

Dr. Earl S. Richardson, President, Morgan State University

Dr. Kathryn Sullivan, Chief, NOAA Chief Scientist's Office

Dr. Ambrose Jearld, National Marine Fisheries Service, Chair

This panel identified issues key to lack of minority participation in Ocean Sciences.

Encouraging Students To Choose Science As A Career

Dr. Sullivan, NOAA's chief scientist, began the session, describing her interest in the conference as a means, not only to build bridges and relationships, but also to find direct ways for improvement. She pointed out that the meeting was an outgrowth of the NOAA-University Partnership meeting held in 1994, which NOAA hopes to make an annual event. "The Department of Commerce and NOAA," she said, "are both scientific and service organizations. Although not empowered as an educational institution -- there are things NOAA can do to empower, increase, and extend the ability of others to improve success for minorities in the academic pipeline."

Dr. Sullivan stressed the need to make science an option for students considering careers. "We need bachelor-trained technicians and scientists. We need young people to choose science as a career. In the early years, students may not be making decisions about going into science, but they may be making decisions that close off science as an option. That's what you have to avoid." She discussed what she perceives limits NOAA/NMFS' success in this field, and why partnerships between NOAA/NMFS and academic institutions are part of the answer. "We have some structural problems," she said, "an annoying one is that in this era of federal down-sizing, student employees count against federal agency personnel limits. One side effect of this is that students are one of the first groups affected -- exactly the people we want to attract into the sciences. We have not given up on turning it around. I mention it to all of you because you are constituents, and pressure from outside the agency can help this issue."

Finally, Dr. Sullivan pointed to a partnership with Clark Atlanta University and NOAA to develop an undergraduate program for meteorological studies as a model program in setting up networks and bridging. "They've done a good job setting up networks and bridging," she said. "They assure that four to five times through the early grades, students are given a good dose of exposure to science --to `de-geek-ify' science." The program explicitly targets juniors and seniors in high school to get qualified students into undergraduate science programs and has had a tremendous success, placing 100% of their students.

The Status Of Degree Recipients Who Are Minorities

Dr. Earl S. Richardson, President of Morgan State University spoke next, addressing the issue of the status of minority degree recipients. "Early this year," he began, "there was a great deal of publicity surrounding release of statistics on Ph.D.s. The number of Ph.D.s awarded to Black Americans has increased. Since the news in the past has been the high proportion of foreign students receiving Ph.D.s, the increase of awards to Black Americans was then news. Some said all the effort by leading Ph.D. granting universities was paying off. If you are out trying to hire recent Ph.D.s, you can be excused for not having noticed the "good" news. There are still relatively few black Ph.D.s in fields that are in demand."

After two decades of trying to improve, Dr. Richardson notes, very little has actually changed. "Few would believe that the number of Ph.D.'s awarded to blacks was higher in 1977 than in any year since. In 1977, 1,116 African Americans received doctorates (4.3% of total). The figure for 1993 was 1,106 (4.2%)." It is true that the number of Ph.D.'s awarded to all U.S. citizens also declined in these two years. "However, blacks were badly underrepresented in 1977, and the extent of under representation is now the same or slightly worse, because there are more Black Americans in that age group." In the mid-70s, black Ph.D. awards would have needed to double to be well represented, and now they should be tripled.

He continued with other statistics of interest, stating:

. More than half the Ph.D.s awarded to blacks were in education, and only 13% in sciences. Among all awards, regardless of race, 35% were in sciences. Among whites, 40% were in science; 66% among Asian Americans.

. 60% of all Ph.D.s awarded to blacks went to women, a flip since 1977. "For black males," he said, "the past 15 years represent a significant reversal of progress -- a 36% decline in doctorates awarded, in spite of rapid growth in the black male population."

Dr. Richardson also discussed improvements in high school graduation rates, and the persistent differential between the races in college attendance, bachelor's degree, and advanced degree attainment. He concluded, "the current statistics say that blacks would have to double college graduates to close the gap, a gap that hasn't narrowed in more than two decades."

In trying to arrive at strategies for addressing this program, Dr. Richardson thought the group would benefit from examining some characteristics of family influences on educational success among young blacks:

. Parental Education. If at least one parent has a bachelor's degree, the children are four times more likely to go to college than in a family where everyone has a high school diploma or less.

. Family Income. 49% of black families with children of college age earn less than $20,000 annually. Thirteen percent of those families earn $50,000. For white families, the figures are 20% and 37%, respectively.

. Preparation for College. As measured by standardized tests, this correlates to parental education and income. Even assuming that the scores underpredict success of students, few black students qualify for moderately selective educational institutions based on the scores.The Role of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in Education, Support, and Recruitment

Dr. Richardson continued, "I believe that in each of these instances, historically black colleges and universities can play an important role in improving the situation: improving retention in high school and preparation for science education; and improving preparation of undergraduates for advanced study in sciences. Students are coming in larger numbers than we can accommodate, and HBCUs continue to graduate a disproportionately higher number of undergraduates in the sciences."

Dr. Richardson added that HBCUs are attractive to minorities for three main reasons: a tradition of enrollment by prominent minorities, a tradition of enrolling students from a wide range of backgrounds, and a high comfort level for minorities. Because HBCUs continue to be an excellent choice for a large and probably growing proportion of the minority population, it is crucial that they provide the most effective education possible. If they are to have the impact of which they are capable, HBCUs need additional resources and programs. Federal agencies such as NOAA are in a position to address several problems of recruiting, training, and retaining minority students in the Ocean Sciences through the following means:

. Provide Assistance to the Public Schools

In many instances, HBCUs have a close relationship to the local public schools, particularly in urban settings. This places them in a good position to carry out much of the work that needs to be done to improve the preparation of elementary and secondary students for college work. Federal agencies can work in partnership with HBCUs to improve the education in public schools.

. Create a Supportive and Stimulating Environment for Undergraduates

HBCUs need to provide a wide variety of student services, such as career counseling programs, tutoring, and adequate financial aid. Beyond these, there is a need to identify and motivate undergraduates who have the potential for majoring in the sciences and pursuing advanced study. Federal agencies can develop and continue to support existing programs that enhance the educational experiences and support available to minority students in fields in which minority groups are underrepresented.

. Support Graduate Programs at Selected Campuses

Certain HBCUs are in a position to offer graduate programs in the sciences provided that external support is made available. This support should be a particular priority of NOAA and other federal agencies for three reasons: the quality of undergraduate education in the sciences will improve, the visibility of these graduate programs would encourage more undergraduates to pursue both undergraduate and graduate degrees in the sciences, and these campuses would become more attractive to both majority students and external funding.

. Support Cooperation with Major Doctoral-Granting Research Institutions

Faculty and basic infrastructure at HBCUs would be strengthened at all levels of study through substantive programs of collaboration. One existing collaboration is the National Minority Graduate Seeder Program sponsored by the NASULGC. This program supports a national data base of names of minority undergraduates in science-related fields which can be accessed by graduate and professional schools seeking minority candidates.

Finally, Dr. Richardson suggested that NOAA and other federal agencies create more scientists by getting students involved early; "they have to see us do it, they have to see the outward result of what happens when we are thinking creatively and investigating. It says to young people -- you can do this too."

Early Recruitment And Exposure To Ocean/Marine Sciences

Dr. Pitts observed that ocean science has a particular problem in attracting students. Since it is interdisciplinary, marine science graduate programs do not look at students until they already have their undergraduate degrees. "If you haven't already lined them up, it's hard to attract them to graduate program in ocean science...It only takes one person in their path at school to say, `Hey, you ought to consider this.' If you want to deal with minorities, you have to go where they are."

Dr. Pitts continued by pointing to commercial industry as a good model for improving diversity in the workforce. "Everyone can look at the demographics," he said, "they have not changed. The people that address them best now are the industries that are looking at long-term issues of productivity and economics."

He also thought available electronic communication vehicles could be used more effectively to connect students to institutions, if individuals were willing to put in the required effort. "Think about the ability to hook up by computer now to anyone in the world, with video tele-conferencing...I run video conferences with people around the country...I put people in touch with students and sometimes that's what it takes: personal time spent connecting people."

Dr. Pitts ended by pointing out that students are weighing the likelihood of employment in their choice of advanced degrees, as well as the quality of the program. "The government may shut down...but the industry side is going to grow. There is discussion of broader training for graduate students...how do you make sure graduate education is in fact education, not just labor? And how do you make sure that this approach to education is innovative research and education, not entirely devoted to narrow problem-solving exercises."

Interventions In Progress: Experiencing Success

Dr. Farrington described the Minority Traineeship Program at WHOI, which has attracted 44 students. "We try to recruit early in the undergraduate's career, for two years, with emphasis on focus and mentoring." Although none of the student have returned to WHOI as faculty, Dr. Farrington said, "They have gone on to success in other areas and are now in positions at other universities where they can recommend others to us."

Confronting Inequality: How Can This Be Remedied?

Ms. Hill, Assistant Director of the New England Board for Higher Education (NEBHE), described NEBHE's Science and Engineering Academic Support Network aimed at encouraging students to enter and persist in science and engineering. The Network provides unique networking opportunities for students by linking them with mentors and advisors in their field of interest.

This program was developed in response to the difficulties that minority students experience in institutions of higher education. Most of these, Ms. Hill is convinced, must be attributed to structural inequalities within these systems. "We tend to talk about the under representation of minority students from the 'blame the victim' perspective, a philosophy that forces us into thinking we should be focusing on students. We have done that, and the numbers have not changed. This clearly points to another source--factors within the institutions themselves which are pervasive in undermining the success of minority students. At NEBHE, we have talked about `good practice' vis a vis minority students on campus. For example, if you are in Maine, you do not recruit one minority person...you recruit at least two."

Ms. Hill concluded by saying that "at one point we believed that institutions wanted to change." Now, she believes that we must be more aggressive in our approach, joining forces to create a grassroots change, department by department.

The questions and answers that followed the panelists' talks focused on three areas: (1) defining the spectrum of Ocean Sciences; (2) comparing oceanic graduate studies with professional graduate studies in their attractiveness to minority students; and (3) recruiting students for oceanic studies programs.B. Panel Two: Minority Student Matriculation: The Faculty View

Panel Members:

Dr. Matt Gilligan, Savannah State College

Dr. Nancy Marcus, Florida State University

Dr. Livingston Marshall, University of Maryland, Eastern Shore

Dr. Mark Ohman, Scripps Institution of Oceanography

Dr. Benjamin Cuker, Hampton University, Chair

This panel focused on issues related to the small numbers of people of color choosing ocean science, and specifically, to consider the barriers between undergraduate and graduate study.

Preparing Students To Enter The Fields Of Marine/Ocean Sciences

Dr. Cuker commented that even though things had improved for minorities in Ocean Sciences in the past 20 years, the numbers are still low. "If students have no experience on the water," he said, "their likelihood of choosing it as a career is smaller." Preparation for ocean science graduate study involves not only building strong math and science skills and getting good GRE scores, but also crossing cultural fences, allowing students positive ocean experience.

He also noted that there are graduate school expectations that have to be met, but said, "Many institutions do not prepare undergraduates for graduate school at all." He raised the question of student funding, saying, "Very few students enter graduate school with everything they need. Students should be funded for the work they have to do for their professors."

Impact Of Declining Institutional Resources On Student's Academic Preparation

Dr. Marshall identified the detrimental effects of declining institutional resources on the preparation of students at the undergraduate level, aggravated by the increasing number of students in these programs. "The courses that we offer and the quality of students that we get are improving," but he expressed concern about continuing to meet the needs of students in the current fiscal climate.

Incorporating The Student's Perspective In The Design Of Programs

Dr. Marcus thought much might be gleaned by pressing students more vigorously about how enrollment of minorities could be improved. "I am not the right person to ask about why there aren't more students in our programs. I have to ask the students." She indicated that her experience recruiting women into science might be used as a model for minority recruitment. "The women who have been most successful came from women's colleges. The same is probably true of historically black colleges and universities and other minority institutions."

She concluded that "students choose a place with proven success, a friendly atmosphere, and a place that takes an interest in them. The question is how do we build that?"

Evaluating Student's Aptitude For Success In The Sciences

Dr. Ohman discussed one successful program, SURSP -- Scripps Undergraduate Research Support Program. It is a competitive entry, summer research program with a specific focus and a required report at the end of the program. The program "helps individuals understand the process and helps us evaluate the individual's aptitude for research" he said. "It is a great indicator" of likely student success in a science degree program.He also discussed the importance of improving K-12 science education. "The seeds of a science career are sown early on....Many of us can point back to a 'catalytic event'," that provided the motivation for entering the sciences. Dr. Ohman believes that if students are motivated early on they will successfully complete the coursework that underpins a science career.

Mentoring As A Key Element In Student's Success

In general, mentoring was identified as important in improving minority recruitment and retention. Dr. Ohman articulated "the mentoring function is critical.....It calls for an individual commitment between and among people who can move students along. Support for faculty mentoring is also a key issue. Working with minority students and all students is time consuming: there's a trade-off between tenure activities and spending more time teaching and supporting students."

Attracting Cohorts versus Individuals

Dr. Gilligan's idea was that we must move from mentoring a single individual at a time. He proposed that it is most beneficial to attract a critical mass so that there is group support, saying: "An individual's expectation or measure of success at the end of the gauntlet has a lot to do with the encouragement they get to go into the pipeline, the placement of individuals along the line who will push them along, and very much with seeing people at the end who are successful and who are like them. It includes recruitment, retention, and linkage."

Dr. Gilligan made a few broad recommendations for getting cohort groups rather than individuals applying to graduate schools:

. Aggressively recruit students for Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) programs on the campuses.

. Create programs to increase the visibility of marine science as a career.

. Create institutional research linkage programs between minority and majority institutions such as stipend support for individuals to stay on the marine sciences career track.

The discussion and questions afterwards focused on (1) the importance of sending marine science representatives to undergraduate campuses, and (2) the necessity of having administrators understand that faculty involvement in recruitment should be rewarded during the tenure process. C: Panel Three: The Student Perspective: View from "The Bridge"

Nancy Aguilar, Scripps Institution of Oceanography

Maurice K. Crawford, North Carolina State University

Scottie Yvette Henderson, University of Washington

Dionne Hoskins, University of South Carolina

James Stewart, Hampton University

Dr. Isidro Bosch, State University of New York

Dr. Gisèle Muller-Parker, Western Washington University

Dr. Brian Bingham, Shannon Point Marine Center, Chair

Prior to the conference, Dr. Bingham asked the panelists to identify the major challenges they face as students of color pursuing a science education and the factors that were helping them succeed. The panelists decided on the following three major issues which were posed as questions:

1) What cultural challenges do students of color face in a graduate institution? How important are they?

2) How important are mentors? What makes a good mentor?

3) What part do undergraduate research experiences play in preparing students for graduate school?

Defining Cultural Challenges: The Stereotyping Phenomena

Mr. Stewart discussed cultural challenges and indicated that they come from both inside and outside one's culture. "Before I started college, I was doing well in my physics class, and I was the only Black American in the class, but I didn't let this bother me. That year when I graduated, I had been accepted to Wesley and Hampton. I was excited and telling everyone about it. My peers said to me, `You're going to be a garbage man, you're going to be cleaning my yard.' Can you imagine someone saying that after all we had been through together? I had to turn that negative into something positive. It made me more determined. No matter what happens, I am going to finish what I started."

Stereotypes are rampant throughout the educational system. Ms. Henderson talked about the negative impact of labeling which begins early on in the educational process. "In high school, Native Americans were thought of as drunks who weren't going anywhere....When I went to UC Santa Cruz, I was faced with a different problem. I was romanticized. I couldn't be me. I had to fit all the stereotypes."

Regarding appropriate disciplines/careers for minorities, Ms. Henderson mentioned that another attitude about Native Americans in sciences is that "I should be in social sciences or the arts. The American Indians in Science and Education Society (AISES) helped me get over that ostracism. AISES bridges the gap and provides support for those Native American students who are trying to find support from a Native community. The AISES group helps students find the connection between science and their Native values, thus using science as a positive tool for helping their Native community."

Cultural Assimilation

Ms. Hoskins commented that moving from a HBCU into a large majority university is comparable to the problem of assimilating into a foreign environment. "When you go to a new school as a graduate student you go with every label they've ever acquired about you. There are a lot of attitudes about HBCUs. You are sometimes considered a little package they have to work with. Some professors already have their ideas about you. Getting in is one thing. Getting accepted is another. You are not going to develop professionally or personally in a place where they don't think you belong to begin with. If you survive, often the only productive consequence is that the academic roughage builds strength in the student. But I don't feel this to be the optimal learning environment for any student."

Building Coping Mechanisms

On the issue of building confidence, Aguilar asked, "How do I deal with self-confidence as a minority student--the idea that I am taking a place away from a more qualified non-minority student. I have to keep a broad perspective. I keep in contact with mentors. One of the hardest things to do is to look at awkward comments and decide how they are meant."

Crawford stated, "It's the `comfort factor' --being the only black person in your class. That is a common experience. There's no easy way around it. Get over it. That's the way it is. I like the tough love approach. Hopefully along the way you will have some good experiences. Make the situation work to your advantage."

Family Support

Students stated that a supportive family provided a sense of security and kept them focused on their goal. "My family was strong and was behind me all the way. I also had friends who were supportive. It is important to any student. There are days when you are struggling and some financial crises occurs and that's where family is important," Stewart noted. "As an undergraduate, my mother's entire income has gone to support my college. Fortunately, I have found programs that have supported my graduate work.

Respect from families is important according to Aguilar: "Many of our families expect us to go on to something better. My family respects that I travel a lot, that I am supporting myself. If they still don't understand what I do, they do respect what I do."

Pull From Families: Economic Demands

Usually families want students to pursue a more lucrative career. Dr. Bosch pointed out that "Many minority students are brought up in an environment where success is measured by financial gains, where students with strong potential are steered toward careers with the best financial rewards. Having immigrated to the U.S. for economic and political reasons, my father saw the best opportunities for me in the medical sciences and only encouraged me in that direction. The problem that we face is that we want to generate professionals from underrepresented groups, and that is a very competitive situation. Most of those candidates are on pre-med or a clinical track. Economics are playing a big part--medicine has a bright future. It is not enough to start recruiting students in the second or third year, because they are already going someplace else. The Ocean Sciences are recruiting largely from a pool of students already depleted by other career tracks. We have to get there earlier and I think the REU-type programs work."

Stewart concurs, "There are family members who think you should go another direction, who want you to go into business. I had an uncle who was like that. I was shocked. He made it sound like I wasn't accomplishing anything. So my determination came back. I had to make an argument that being an educator was important."

The Role of Mentors

All students believed that a good student-mentor relationship makes a big difference in the student's education. Mr. Crawford stated that there are three things a mentor can do: "Intellectually, they can keep you on the right track, advise you with their experience; physically, they can provide the technical support you need to do your work; mentally, when you feel like you can't go on,...they help you persevere." Ms. Hoskins gave this advice to mentors, "Programs, mentors, and persons assessing minority student potential must judge based on that students surrounding, background, and so on. It takes time. You have to look past what's on paper....A good mentor has a keen sense of assessing strengths and weaknesses without a set formula. The diversity of students must be met with a diversity of approaches to guide them."

Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU): A Vital Path To Success Into The Marine Sciences

Ms. Aguilar said that the confidence others had in her kept her going along the educational ladder. "Someone gave me an application to Minorities in Marine Science Undergraduate Program (MIMSUP), Brian's program, which I am convinced gave me the confidence to go on for a Ph.D.. And all along the way, I had mentors telling me I was qualified."

Ms. Hoskins also mentioned, "I came through two (REUs) at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) and one at Purdue. It was indispensable. It gave me the opportunity to develop skills that I couldn't develop at Savannah State. It made me comfortable in a laboratory setting. It allows students to be fluent in the lab technique, language, and the community of science."

Mr. Crawford offered the comment, "In my junior year in college I was looking at a career and employment. Biology wasn't looking too good, so I started looking at nursing. I was about to do that when I got an application from one of my instructors for a co-op position in marine science. Ten years later, I am a co-op student again."

REUs: Ongoing Linkages

Dr. Bosch commented on the value of graduate institution programs that reach out to prospective applicants at the undergraduate level: "As an undergraduate, I had the opportunity to participate in the Minority Student Program at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI). That helped me to understand where I wanted to go in marine science. It is not enough to start recruiting students in the second or third year, because they are already going someplace else by then....We have to get there earlier. REU-type programs work to do this."

Dr. Bosch also spoke directly about retention. Once students are in a REU program, "What do we do to make sure students follow the track to graduate school, to post-doctoral studies, to a professional field?" He listed four time periods to focus on retention:

. The post REU experience: What happens after the student returns to their home institution when they are making decisions about future graduate studies?

. The first year of graduate school: Creating immediate ties with existing faculty and students, host families, and support group. Delaying research so these ties can be developed.

. The last year of graduate school: Don't abandon students during thesis writing.

. The first year of faculty: There's tremendous excitement in recruiting minorities but not much attention paid to retaining minority faculty. As a result there's a great deal of turn-over.

The Value of Learning to Teach

Dr. Muller-Parker spoke of better preparing students for careers by teaching them the value of learning to teach as well as conduct research. "In one sense we are approaching this backwards. We are saying let's assimilate students into the existing graduate culture. I think we should revise our culture and change it so that you are exposed to a whole culture of what it means to be a professional: teaching, service, and public responsibilities as well as learning and research."

"Our responsibility to education is far greater than our responsibility to publish a research paper....One way to do it is to involve more people in the preparation of graduate students. For minority students, most are coming from smaller four-year schools and community colleges. We do not train students to teach in these types of institutions. We want these graduates to be able to go back and teach in something other than a research institution."

The discussion and questions afterwards focused on three areas: (1) the competing relationship of identities as a minority and as a scientist, (2) the necessary involvement of minority families, and (3) the availability of work in marine sciences for those not desiring to complete a doctoral program.

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