S-STEM Interview/Focus Group Protocols - Faculty

S-STEM Site Visit Protocol
FACULTY MEMBERS
, my name is , from .
Let me introduce the team who will participate in today’s interview/focus group.
The National Science Foundation has contracted with us to evaluate the Scholarships in Science,
Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics program, otherwise known as S-STEM. On this campus, the
program is called and is the principal investigator.
The goals of the evaluation are to understand the role of S-STEM in the educational and career
trajectories of scholarship recipients and to examine the effects of the program on grantee institutions.
We’re also interested in the characteristics of exemplary S-STEM programs.
We’re here today to talk with you about your experiences with the S-STEM program. Your comments

will be included as part of a report to NSF about implementation practices and the program’s
benefits for students, STEM departments, and institutions. We hope that your participation in this
interview will help improve the nationwide S-STEM program for the benefit of future grantee
institutions and scholarship recipients.

Before we begin our discussion, we would like to let you know that:
 You are not required to participate in this interview. You may decline to answer any questions
we ask, and you may request to end the interview at any time;
 We will be recording and taking notes during the discussion; and
 We will not quote you by name in our report to NSF.
Do you agree to participate in this interview under these conditions? Do you have any questions?
1. How did you get involved with the program and why did you decide to participate?
Probes:
a. Were you part of the proposal?
2. What are your related roles and responsibilities?

MODULE A: RESEARCH MENTOR
1. How many undergraduates do you support as a faculty research mentor? How many are funded?
2. Tell us more about how you involve students in your research.
a. Are the students formal members of your research team?
b. How much time do you spend with students, in a given month, on average?

S-STEM Site Visit Protocol: Faculty

5

c. What sorts of interactions (instructional, in lab; informal get-togethers; formal meetings
with students and the rest of the research team) do you have with students in
your role of mentor?
3. Are there unique aspects of working with
scholars, either due to the financial or programmatic supports that the program offers?
4. Is there a community of faculty mentors?
Probe:
a. What activities or supports do you receive?
b. Do you receive formal or informal mentor training?
c. How do you interact with other mentors, if at all?
5. Do you see your (and others’) research mentor role benefiting your department or the
institution at large?
Probes:
a. Has research mentoring led to improved student outcomes?
b. Has it contributed to a culture of mentoring?

MODULE B: PROGRAM COMPONENTS
with the name of the program
component in question.>
6. Please describe .
Probes:
a. What are the activities that supports? How many students and
non- funded students are involved? Who else is involved in and
what are their roles?
b. From your understanding, how does complement other aspects of the program? Other aspects of the students’ experiences on campus?
7. Was started by or adopted by for inclusion in the program
model?
Probes:
a. Which of these three circumstances occurred for the :
i. Created by and stays as an independent unit
ii. Created by and has spread to other areas/students/etc.
iii. Created elsewhere (on campus) and uses it.
b. How did this happen? How has it evolved?
8. Has evolved since you became involved? How did it evolve that way? Were
you the driving force behind this evolution?
Probe:
a. Was available to students prior to the program?
How has it evolved as a result of ?
S-STEM Site Visit Protocol: Faculty

6

9. How is funded?
10. How does benefit the students who are directly funded by the
project?
Probes:
a) What are the direct benefits to students? For example skills, or new knowledge or providing
other critical support to promote their success at ?
b) How does it impact the student’s academic and career trajectory?
c) Does benefit students in a way that is above and beyond any
benefits to other, non-program, students?
11. How does benefit the
students who are not participating in the project (if at all)?
12. What impact does have on the ?
Probes:
a. Has it increased the capacity of ? Has it changed enrollment, retention or graduation
rates in any way?
b. Have new partnerships emerged either with industry or other departments or offices on
campus?

13. Are there other NSF projects on campus or other funding to support activities that benefit SSTEM participants? Please describe these.
14. What shortcomings have there been to ?
15. What unanticipated issues have arisen?
16. What have the outcomes been?
a. What has been the effect on students?
b. In your department? On campus, at large?
17. Will be able to continue in its current form when/if
funds are no longer available?
Thank you so much for your time, we know that you are very busy. This has been an important
conversation and will greatly help us to understand the impact of S-STEM on students and institutions.

S-STEM Site Visit Protocol: Faculty

7