Bringing Together a Community: Exploring Biology Major's Engagement in an Informal Departmental Learning Space Designed for Inclusion and Diversity

Program Abstract: Informal learning spaces are taking on an increasingly significant role in university settings to enhance the student experience. While prior research has demonstrated the value of larger informal spaces such as learning commons and libraries, less is known about the impact of and student engagement in smaller unstructured community spaces (e.g., study rooms, atriums). This presentation will focus on the design, implementation, and assessment of an intentionally designed departmental space at a large public institution intended to improve the experience of students historically underserved and poorly retained in biology/biotechnology. Early mixed methods results have documented the benefit of the space for students of diverse backgrounds and in offsetting barriers associated with student success. This exploratory project adds to our understanding of the contributions of unit-level community spaces on student growth, and may be of interest to other faculty and administrators seeking to develop such spaces at their institutions.