THE POLICY OF STEM DIVERSITY: Diversifying STEM Programs in Higher Education

Abstract

In the midst of an aging science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workforce and a growing minority population, the need to recruit and retain underrepresented minorities in STEM is vital to the prosperity and security of the United States. While institutions of higher education strive to not only increase, but diversify STEM programs, they must also heed the increasingly litigious policy environment that governs their recruitment and admission of underrepresented minority students. Recent state and federal court rulings have increased the need for institutions of higher education to understand policy and law impacting their admission policies; prompting them to develop aims and policies that encompass diversity.