What Help Do Faculty Perceive Is Needed to Improve their Community Engagement through Outreach?

A survey-based needs assessment at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, a research- intensive land grant university, explored ways to meet the goal of increasing science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) outreach. 40% of surveyed faculty reported barriers to doing STEM outreach. Over 50% of faculty reported an inability to individually resolve barriers to STEM outreach in ways that ensure broader community engagement in their research through outreach. Using a Sociological lens, the current study examined institutional-level barriers and enablers to faculty engaging in outreach. Results suggest several institutional approaches to STEM outreach, including creating infrastructure with experts in science communication; providing science communication expert consultants; teaching courses in science communication; measuring and rewarding outreach (e.g., giving “popular” talks, writing letters to the editor, running after school programs).