Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation Program (LSAMP) Evaluation - Staff Member

Appendix 1: Staff and Director Interview Protocol

Say to participant before beginning: This evaluation aims to identify and characterize the organizational structure and institutionalization of LSAMP alliances and assess the impact of LSAMP strategies to strengthen pathways and increase STEM degrees earned by students at the undergraduate and postbaccalaureate levels. If you have any questions about the study or do not feel comfortable answering any of the questions, please feel free to ask and/or opt out as you see fit.

Section A: Introduction 

1. We are here today to speak about the LSAMP program. Do you know the program by this name? [If no: Before we begin, can you tell me what name you use to refer to your LSAMP alliance [official application title of grant]]?

2. Can you tell me a bit about your involvement with LSAMP?

3. Does any of your other work shape the work you do on LSAMP?

What student types (class level and/or year(s), discipline(s), or focus area(s)) does your [alliance] serve most?

Section B: Description and Implementation of LSAMP Activities 

B.1 Activities 

1. Given the list of LSAMP activities you just described, what do you think are the two that you do most regularly? Are there any that are on the newer side (e.g., originated or became more prominent in the past 2-3 years)? 

2. For the activities you just mentioned, what do you think is working well and what is challenging? 

3. How are these LSAMP-related activities conducted? 

4. [If not mentioned] Tell us what professional development for students looks like at your institution.

B.2 Organizational structure of LSAMP 

1. How are students in LSAMP organized? In cohorts? Individually? 

2. How are faculty involved in LSAMP? 

3. How involved in LSAMP is your administration? For example, what is the president or provost’s involvement if they engage at all? 

B.3 How within-alliance work get done 

1. What types of LSAMP-related institution-level meetings or institution-based engagements do you take part in?

2. (Ask only of PI) How were the other institutions in your alliance selected? 

3. Outside of potential changes from state-based mandates around in-person events, thinking about the meetings and engagements we’ve just discussed, have any of these engagements changed in the last few years (meaning not as a direct result of the pandemic-era rules)? 

4. (For lead institutions only):What about with NSF? Has your engagement with NSF changed over time? 

B.4 Institutionalization 

1. (Ask of PI) Are there particular positions at your institution dedicated to LSAMP-related work, and if so, how do they work?

2. Are there any on-campus advocates for the program? Who are they? How do they champion the work? 

B.5 Student recruitment/retention 

1. Thinking about your LSAMP program, can you tell me a bit about your student recruitment process? (For example, do you have high schools you work with regularly or other pathways/partners.)

2. In what ways do you support student retention in your LSAMP program? For instance, do you provide mentoring or advising?

B.6 Funding 

1. How are LSAMP funds distributed and used on your campus? 

2. Are you supported financially by the LSAMP grant in any way? 

3. Do you know if your institution contributes financial support for LSAMP? 

Section C: Contextual Understanding of LSAMP goals

1. Please describe your program’s STEM-related goals for your students.

2. Please describe your program’s goals for the LSAMP program.

3. How do your program goals align with the goals of the LSAMP program? In what ways do they not align?

4. How does your LSAMP program enhance access to STEM for all students, including those not in the program? 

5. What kinds of additional supports do you feel the students you work with need overall? 

6. How does your LSAMP program work with other institutional initiatives? 

Section D: Impact of LSAMP Activities 

1. What are some achievements you have had in LSAMP? 

2. What have been some of the challenges implementing LSAMP at [institution]? How have you addressed them? 

3. In your role, how have you engaged with different departments on campus? 

4. (For Leads Only): How do you obtain feedback on your LSAMP programming and from which stakeholders (i.e., participants, other alliance members, administration, and NSF)?  (For Partner:) How do you obtain feedback on your LSAMP programming and from which stakeholders (i.e., participants, other alliances members, administration)?

5. What additional supports do you need to fully support LSAMP students, if any? 

Section E: Influence of the Alliance 

1. How do you engage with [Alliance] members at other alliance institutions, if at all? 

Section F: Wrap-up 

1. What do you wish NSF knew about your LSAMP program that we have not yet asked about?