Inclusivity

DRPs can broaden participation in mathematics.

DRP's can be run in a way that is disproportionately powerful for members of underrepresented and stigmatized groups within math. The format of a DRP avoids many of the mechanisms that exclude students from the math community, instead promoting a sense of belonging. Here are just a few examples:

  • Students who are visible minorities in a classroom are no longer minoritized in a one-on-one mentoring relationship.

  • Individualized attention allows a project to progress at the speed of the student.

  • There is no written testing or formal evaluation, the emphasis is on learning and communication rather than performance.

  • Acceptance to participate in a DRP need not be competitive or based on grades or past performance.

  • Mentors and mentees are near peers: a grad student is comparatively close to an undergraduate in age or experience and authority. This limits the intimidation factor and promotes a sense of belonging to a mathematical community.

  • Mentors can also benefit from the mentorship experience. The act of mentoring reinforces a graduate students sense of place in the mathematical community and the value of their experience. The process of guiding a mentee as they struggle to learn new material can put ones own experiences in perspective and even serve (secondarily) as a process of self-coaching.

But they can also reinforce existing inequalities.

Without careful leadership, a DRP program is at risk of promoting existing stigma and bias. We have see DRP's that develop a reputation among undergrads as being "for the top math students", and so applications only come from students who already self-identify as mathematicians.

If applications ask for a transcript, you may exclude promising students who perform poorly in the classroom from even applying. If advertisements are inaccessible to the average undergrad (think: "Apply to the DRP! Recent topics include sheaf cohomology and infinity topos!") or only posted in the math majors lounge, the program may similarly only reach those who are already well served by existing structures. If mentors have mismatched expectations (e.g. the project should be research level) the relationship can turn stressful and exclusive rather than bridge-building.


How can you build a DRP that promotes diversity?

We don't have all the answers, but here are some important issues to consider.

Applications and selection

What parts of your application might reinforce stigma?

  • Asking for grades, a transcript, or even a list of higher math classes taken can make it seem like this is a grades-based competitive process. Consider saying something like "to pair you with a good fit for a mentor, we'd like to know what (if any) 300+ level math classes you've taken. Please list them here"

  • Consider open ended essay-style questions, phrased so that it is difficult to produce a canned response. For instance, "tell us about something you saw in a math class or on your own that made you curious to learn more mathematics. What what it that sparked your curiosity?" "Describe a time you were stuck or frustrated working on math. What happened?"

  • Consider contractual-style questions "You are expected to put in X hours a week to your DRP project. How will you fit this in with your other courses / what activities might interfere / how many credits are you enrolled in...?"

What is the goal of your application?

  • Who do you want to attract to the program? Will your application speak to these people and give them a chance to tell you who they are?

  • DRP's require time commitment. One function of a serious application that requires thoughtful answers is to filter for students who are committed and invested in the program.

Are you collecting demographic information (e.g. gender) and/or using it in your decisions? Asking for this information on an application form can negatively affect students from minority or stigmatized groups. Some places assure students that demographic info is not taken into account, or collect it separately from the application.

Faculty mentors can help interpret information on the application form, having a broader knowledge of what courses contain and what references mean.

Short informal assessments from references. Can be very helpful, can give you information about which students would benefit (e.g. people who are minoritized in the classroom). The Faculty mentor can help with this process as well.

Finally, pay attention to what kinds of answers you get, and what kinds of applicants you get, and adjust the questions year to year. If you're not getting enough (to give an example) female students, consider changing your advertising approach.


Mentor tranining

Communicate your goals of diversity and inclusivity to mentors, and educate them in best practices for mentorship

  • Consider holding an orientation meeting with mentors or prospective mentors

  • Give guidance and concrete strategies for supportive mentoring (see below!)

  • Communicate your goals of diversity and inclusion and discuss as a group how you can meet these.

  • Remind mentors of the goals of a DRP: reading, not research. Meeting the student where they are is more important than doing the most abstract math possible.

Strategies for inclusive mentoring practices:

  • "listen first, talk second". The student should be at the board the whole time, not the mentor!

  • Set clear expectations and weekly goals with your mentee, and adapt them if they are too easy or not achievable

  • Give positive feedback - many mathematicians have a habit of going straight to criticism. Start with the positive!

  • Do give constructive criticism.

  • If the mentee has done little work over the week and is unprepared, you can simply reschedule instead of talking for them.

  • Ask the DRP organizers and other mentors for advice if something's not working out.

Explicit community building

Many programs have no group activities beyond a short kickoff meeting and the final presentations. Some have additional activities such as mentor teas or mentor-mentee group socials. If you plan to run such events, think about how to structure them to be an inclusive space. For instance, inviting all mentors and mentees to a pizza lunch could build community, or could be intimidating if a few mentees show up to a room full of grad students! Mentor-only discussions can be a positive place to talk about teaching and learning, or they can feel like a burden to people already stretched for time. Even if you only have the final presentations, there are ways to make them more or less inclusive

Considerations for final presentations:

  • Will you have a question period? Questions can include the audience, but also can be a showcase for show-offs and can intimidate the speaker. Consider having a moderator, talking about what makes a good question, or having organizers ask an encouraging question after every talk.

  • Introductions. Organizers can set the tone of the event with a short introduction.

  • No surprises: Make sure mentors know to have their mentees practice to the point where they are comfortable

  • Consider other concrete ways to demonstrate that the presentations are not an oral exam but rather a celebration of a semester of work. Printed programs? Special snacks beyond pizza? Invite all the undergrads? Invite the whole department?

Data collection

If your goal is to serve underrepresented student groups, you should be collecting data to know whether you are meeting that goal! This can be done on an application form, but it's also important to have an exit survey to assess whether project went well and also make sure that the data you get comes from students who actually followed through with their project.

Store this information (securely!) so that you have aggregate data from many years. The faculty mentor might be useful for this.

See data collection on the DRP Toolkit page for some ideas.