STEM Teaching & Learning Community

Advancing Equity in STEM Teaching

The STEM Teaching and Learning Community (STEM TLC) is a professional development community for STEM faculty at UC Santa Cruz. Originally launched through the HSI SEMILLA grant and the HHMI Active Learning grant, it now continues as an ongoing space for instructors to explore and apply pedagogical practices that foster equity and inclusion in STEM education, strengthening student outcomes across disciplines.

STEM TLC responds to persistent performance disparities in many STEM courses at UCSC by bringing faculty together to examine shared challenges and collaborate on strategies to close equity gaps. Through regular meetings, faculty exchange ideas, workshop teaching practices, and learn from colleagues across campus and beyond.

The community meets four times per quarter throughout the academic year, featuring:

• Exploration and sharing of inclusive teaching practices
• Guest talks from UCSC faculty and invited speakers
• Opportunities to workshop classroom strategies
• Discussions of current research on teaching and learning