The Roles of STEM Faculty Communities of Practice in Institutional and Departmental Reform in Higher Education

This study examines how involvement in four cross-institutional STEM faculty communities of practice is associated with local departmental and institutional change for faculty members belonging to these communities. It is informed by the communities of practice and change in higher education literature and utilizes data gathered through a survey of community members ( n = 2,503). The findings reveal engagement experiences and aspects of community design associated with departmental and institutional change related to STEM reform. These findings contribute to recommendations for designing future STEM reform initiatives.