The Interview Project

ABOUT THIS PROJECT

In the spring of 2016, we conducted over 40 one-on-one interviews with Amherst students, faculty, and alumni involved in STEM fields. During these informal, intimate conversations, we focused on a few overarching questions intended to generate discussion of individual and shared experiences of STEM at Amherst.

What have been defining characteristics of your STEM experience at Amherst?
Are there any obstacles that you have experienced?
Do you feel like aspects of your identity have played into your experience, whether positive or negative?
What experiences have helped to mitigate those obstacles and help you succeed?
Are there things you could imagine that would help you with this STEM experience at Amherst?

Click on the tabs below to explore some of the recurring themes, patterns and experiences amongst those who shared their stories.

DISCLAIMER: As we only interviewed a small proportion of the STEM population at Amherst, the information presented here is not representative of every viewpoint. We understand that there’s a lot more to hear and suggest, so we encourage you approach us in person or email your story to [email protected] so we can integrate your perspective into our research.

ON CLIMATE
ON BARRIERS
ON WHAT'S WORKED
ON IMPROVING AMHERST

High School Preparation

There are significant differences in the level of academic preparation among students entering STEM at Amherst. Summer Science and Phoenix courses are geared towards addressing these disparities, but are only available to a limited cohort of students.
Students come to Amherst with vastly different conceptions of what interactions with a professor should look like. Some are comfortable using office hours as a way to get to know their professor personally, while many don’t attend for fear of wasting a professor’s time or appearing stupid.

"My observation is that many times, students who have difficulty...it's very rarely aptitude...it's mostly self-confidence."

“I’m done with the major, I’ve passed comps, and I still feel like I know nothing about computers. I don’t know exactly where that comes from or why that is, but I can’t say that being female or being a minority has nothing to do with it.”

Introductory Courses

Alongside interaction with a professor or mentor, [the] defining experience for STEM students.
Students with strong high school preparation in the material tend to be the most outspoken, leading to those who are less confident to feel increasingly isolated and “behind.”
Shared perspective that certain classes are intended to “weed out” students rather than to teach and support them.
Clear difference in student satisfaction between classes that accommodate different paces and styles of learning and classes that stick to a rigid, traditional structure.

Upper-Level Courses

STEM courses tend to become increasingly white and increasingly male as the level of the course increases. The lack of visibility of successful minorities is disheartening for many students.
Imposter syndrome becomes especially damaging in courses where group-work is essential to success.

“They were these Ph.D.’s, super renowned, and I was just a kid from back home, from public school.”

"I went into office hours a lot...he took an interest in what I was interested in, and wanted to learn about me...I do think he definitely influenced me in deciding on that major because I felt that I had a professor who cared about me as a person."

The Professor-Student Relationship

Individual attention from professors goes a long way, often resulting in a student reimagining their entire academic trajectory.
Few faculty of color and from disadvantaged backgrounds. Racially and socioeconomically diverse faculty provide students with a motivational model for success.
Students hired to work in a professor’s lab tend to have extremely positive experiences. These opportunities allow students to work collaboratively and get to know a professor outside the typical stressors associated with a classroom laboratory.
The idea that science is “objective” and free of bias allows many STEM professor to ignore social issues. Minority students often feel as though they are representatives of their race in the STEM classroom.

"The biggest obstacle is in my mind."

Impostor Syndrome & Stereotypes

Many students who don’t fit the stereotype of a typical scientist may doubt their work and potential and often can feel as if they are not as smart as the rest of their classmates.
There is a lack of minority representation both in students and faculty in STEM. As students progress to advanced courses, they might find the classroom growing predominantly male and white. It is not uncommon for a student to be the only or one of few racial/ethnic minority or female students in upper-level courses, depending on their particular department.
Students may feel the need to prove themselves to their professors and peers to dispel the idea that they are less competent or worthy of an Amherst education based on their appearance. In addition, minority students may feel pressured to represent their entire group.

“I don’t want this person to think I’m stupid. I don’t want them to be like, 'Why the hell does she not understand?'”

“Female CS majors have really bad impostor syndrome…I think part of that has to do with having this preconceived notion of who a good coder is."

Inaccessibility of Professors

Many professors report that it is difficult to motivate students to come in to office hours due to fear of showing weakness or vulnerability. Students can be afraid to ask questions because they don’t want their professors to think they’re unintelligent. Some reported experiences in which they were made to feel as if they were wasting their professor’s time by seeking help.
Given the time commitments of the typical STEM course schedule, there may be conflicts between classes and office hours, making them inaccessible. Some professors offer office hours by appointment only, which more vulnerable students could find unwelcoming.
Students that do not form strong bonds with their professors may feel like no one supports them and have less access to opportunities such as undergraduate research experiences.

Level of High School Preparation

There are massive differences in the level of high school preparation among incoming students. While more prepared students may view introductory classes as review, others are overwhelmed with the speed they are expected to learn brand new material.
Professors assume certain knowledge and may skip over material that some students have not been exposed to. To many students who feel less prepared, the lack of preparation comes as a complete shock.
A student's high school science experience--positive or negative, over- or under-preparatory--tends to dictate the tenor of his or her experience in Amherst STEM courses.

“Approaching science from, “I have a family where all they’ve done is academia,” is very different from, “My mom is unemployed,” … Something I think that STEM professors don’t realize is that a large majority of people go into STEM because they believe that it’s going to help make them money. They come from disadvantaged backgrounds, and a lot of those kids fail.”

Course Structure

Collaborative structures like the Team-Based Learning implemented in introductory Biology course allow students to see that everyone struggles to work through problems and provides peer resources to students who may not feel comfortable reaching out to form study groups on their own.
Introductory Geology lab emphasizes connections between students through group work to foster interdepartmental community and a heightened understanding of material.
Students note a significant improvement in their performance when every resource available is provided (outside textbooks, practice exams, recordings of classes on Moodle, solutions manual).
Courses like the Summer Science Program and the Phoenix Program–which factor in the academic preparation that each student is bringing to the course–are often considered incredibly helpful environments for learning.

“I feel like [the Geo department] never lets you leave without [you] understanding what you did.”

"As soon as the female black math majors found out I was interested in math, they immediately took me under their wing. They told me what classes to take, what professors to stay away from...but they immediately mentored me into the major... a lot of times, students of different backgrounds don't have that resource coming straight in."

People

The Geology department identifies promising students in their first year and encourages them to pursue the major through offering TA and research opportunities.
Professors who meet with students after they’ve performed poorly on a test to address needs going forward have a big impact on student motivation and self-concept.
Q Center fellows are often cited as immeasurable forms of support. They often have flexible hours that suit students' schedules, and are willing to spend long hours recapitulating concepts discussed in class, using different terminology or pedagogical approaches to help a student approach difficult content from a new perspective.
Older students in a given major who act as peer mentors, contextualizing day-to-day struggles and encouraging the mentee to continue in their field. There are no official channels for this within departments; most people find these relationships by coincidence.

Representation

Students are quite aware of the way in which their identities (be it gender, race, sexuality, nationality) play out within their larger class environments. Most of our interviewees pointed to at least one course in which they were "one of the only _____ people in the room."
When common identities are shared within a course or major, students cite feelings of immense empowerment. These communities allow them to feel more comfortable, connected and confident from the very first day of classes.
Representation is just as important amongst faculty and academic support staff. Students report feeling significantly closer to faculty who "look like them," and often rely on them for guidance and advising (whether formally or informally).

"Not every person who has the same skin tone as you or looks like you is going to have the same experiences...but race is part of your lived experience. And being able to have someone who you can talk to about that lived experience is really, really important. Having allies who have lived through it, and have fought through it, and have succeeded: that's a game changer."

Mentoring System

The most common suggestion made by students was the implementation of mentoring systems. These could exist intradepartmentally or for certain identity groups, but all students would benefit from upperclass guidance.
The creation of a mentorship culture could increase a feeling of collaboration within STEM and cut down on competition. It would also create a greater sense of community within STEM departments by fostering relationships between older and younger students.

Q Center

Universally, students expansion of the Q Center so that a greater number of students could benefit from its services.
Many students requested for there to be more Q Center Fellows and for the Q center to formally cover an increased number of STEM courses.
In addition, a physical expansion of the space would allow for more students to be accommodated comfortably–some students even advocated that certain departments (such as math) create satellite Q Centers in areas more proximal to the department's geographic location on campus.

Class Structure

Smaller class sizes in introductory courses would help create the more intimate, personalized learning experiences that many students feel they need to succeed.
The implementation of more collaborative, team-based learning approaches would not only foster stronger relationships among students but allow for spaces in which students feel free to show vulnerability and work through difficult problems together.
Accommodation of non-traditional teaching styles that have proven to be effective.

Office Hours

The accessibility of office hours can be enhanced in several ways, perhaps most easily by increasing the number of hours offered by professors or TAs to cut down on scheduling conflicts.
Underrepresented students may feel more comfortable attending office hours if their professors encourage them to come with the promise that they are welcoming, understanding, and committed to their success. Some ways to do this are to remind and invite students during the first weeks of the semester or to break down office hours barriers during an orientation event.