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If we build it, they will come.
| Content Provider | Semantic Scholar |
|---|---|
| Author | Keefe, John P. O’ |
| Copyright Year | 1998 |
| Abstract | As the demand for engineers and other technically trained professionals grows in our increasingly technological society, the problem of attracting and retaining members of underrepresented groups to these fields is becoming increasingly more critical. To address this issue, many universities, schools, and organizations have put in place programs to encourage underrepresented groups to pursue technical careers. This paper will present a sampling of the many different programs and approaches being directed toward this goal, concentrating on those currently being funded through the National Science Foundation's education-related programs, including such programs as "Gender Equity" and "Bridges to Engineering Education." While these programs address many areas of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education, this paper will concentrate on exemplars of programs which are successfully addressing under-representation of such groups as women, the economically disadvantaged, Native Americans, African Americans, and Hispanics, in these fields. Programs which will be examined include school-based programs at all age levels from elementary school through graduate study; teacher education programs; informal education programs, including summer programs, after-school programs, and museum-based programs; software and website development; and conference and publication related activities. A special discussion will be given to three of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga's relevant programs: • Adventures in Computers, Engineering, and Space (ACES), to encourage middle school girls to consider careers in these fields, and to continue their education in science and mathematics; • Upward Bound Promoting Resolve In Science and Math (PRISM), a program funded by the U.S. Department of Education to help students from low income families develop both interest and potential in these fields; and • Bridges to Engineering Science: Teaching Teachers (BESTT), a new grant to develop a program to widen the pipeline to engineering by inserting appropriate engineering sciencerelated content into K-12. Each of the programs discussed can serve as a model for other communities concerned with under-representation of women, ethnic groups, and socioeconomic sectors in technical careers. Proceedings of the 2003 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition, Copyright 2003, American Society for Engineering Education P ge 850.1 The Problem of Under-Representation “Under-representation” is defined in the literature as a group having a percentage representation in a given field significantly inconsistent with its percentage occurrence in the population. That women and minorities such as Hispanics, Blacks, and Native Americans continue to be underrepresented in the fields of engineering and computer science can be clearly seen by an examination of the population demographics and degree breakdowns by race and gender in Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in Science and Engineering. Women in 1997 comprised 51% of the general population of citizens and permanent residents in the United States, and, as illustrated in Figure 1, 49.3% of the population in the age range 20-29. Statistics show the percentage of bachelor’s degrees awarded to women of those awarded in 1996 to citizens and permanent residents was 55.2%, and degrees in “Sciences and Engineering” at 47.1%. However, the government’s definition of “Sciences” includes such areas as Sociology, Anthropology, Linguistics, Ethnic Studies, and Psychology, in which women receive the majority of degrees granted. A closer examination shows that in the same year, women received only 17.9% of the bachelor’s degrees granted in engineering fields and 27.6% of those in computer science. (1997 population information and 1996 degree information was used, as this was the most recent, and most time consistent, information available). Breakdown by Sex 0.0% 10.0% 20.0% 30.0% 40.0% 50.0% 60.0% 70.0% 80.0% 90.0% Percentage of Population 20-29 Percentage Engineering Percentage Computer Science Men |
| Starting Page | 155 |
| Ending Page | 155 |
| Page Count | 1 |
| File Format | PDF HTM / HTML |
| PubMed reference number | 9558809 |
| Journal | Medline |
| Volume Number | 64 |
| Issue Number | 3 |
| Alternate Webpage(s) | https://peer.asee.org/if-we-build-it-will-they-come-attracting-and-retaining-underrepresented-groups-in-engineering.pdf |
| Journal | Journal |
| Language | English |
| Access Restriction | Open |
| Content Type | Text |
| Resource Type | Article |
