Acknowledging the role that faculty play in student success is vital. As such, it is important to better understand how STEM faculty perceive and approach their work if we are to produce enough scientists and engineers to remain competitive as a nation. Faculty mindsets largely impact classroom experience - even over other factors like gender, race, age & teaching experience. This study explores how faculty perceive their roles in supporting students and how these attitudes and perceptions might influence faculty mindsets. This qualitative study utilized a subsample of data acquired from a larger National Science Foundation (NSF) funded project to examine the experiences of 20 biology faculty from four large public (4-year) universities in California. Mindset theory and an institutional agent framework informed the research findings centered around three themes: 1. Challenges that Faculty Experience; 2. Systemic Gaps Impacting Student Readiness & Faculty Efficacy; and, 3. Factors Influencing Faculty Mindsets. In this context, faculty mindset is not conceptualized as binary (fixed vs. growth), but rather exists on a spectrum on which individuals fluctuate. Highlighting the importance faculty attitudes, inputs and mindset allowed for more nuanced insights on how these might influence behaviors and interactions with students. The study implications include addressing the need for faculty support and specifically defines the TRUCHA Educator Approach to promote faculty efficacy and willingness to serve as institutional agents.
