aaas annual meeting symposium, feb. 20, 2010 american association for the advancement of science...

AAAS Annual Meeting Symposium, Feb. 20, 2010

American Association for the Advancement of ScienceDemonstrating the Legal Sustainability of

Effective STEM Diversity Programs

AAAS Annual Meeting

San Diego, CA

February 20, 2010

Daryl E. Chubin

AAAS Capacity Center

Jamie Lewis Keith

University of Florida

Melinda W. Grier

University of Oregon

Shirley M. Malcom

EHR, AAAS

Steven Winnick

EducationCounsel, LLC

Wanda E. Ward

National Science Foundation


The National Imperative to Increase Faculty & Student Diversity in STEM Higher Education

• Origins of this Symposium:

• Problem Thread

• National Context

• Legal Approaches—on campus & off

• Academic & Policy Approaches

• A Sponsor’s Perspective


Richard Florida’s The Creative Class:Leveraging Talent, not Technology Alone

“The university is perhaps the single most important institution of the creative age. It's certainly what gave the U.S. its huge edge in the 20th century, by virtue of attracting the best and the brightest from all around the world. Unfortunately, . . . the single biggest problem with all universities these days is their apparent inability—and in some cases blatant disinterest—in educating our population broadly across all social, economic, and ethnic demographics.”

. . . technology, tolerance, talent

source: www.fastcompany.com/articles/2005/11/fastcities_florida.html


Origins: Operate on the Context, not just the Content

2004: To help guide program staff & university counsels in interpreting the Grutter and Gratz Supreme Court rulings . . .

2008: Sloan- and NSF-funded project (AAAS-AAU) to identify effective STEM programs & practices for students & faculty that are also legally sustainable

See http://www.aaas.org/publications/books_reports/standingourground/


Problem Thread

• Who participates in STEM education & the workforce—who does not and why?

• How can institutions of higher education improve academic success, career advancement, and utilization of talent—students to faculty and other professionals?

• How does Federal policy help/hinder?


The Context Has Changed

• Fragile Global & Domestic Economy

• New President & Administration

• Heightened: Consciousness about demographics & access of college-

age population

Sensitivity about importance of higher education & career opportunity

Accountability for all sources of funding

Legal opposition to programs that are seen to favor any one group


Our Demographic Future: The proportion of Hispanics and Asian/Pacific Islanders is increasing. Currently, one in three 18-24 year olds is African American, Hispanic or American Indian/Alaska Native and 4% are Asian/Pacific Islander.

Percent U.S. Population by Race and Hispanic Origin, 2000 with Projections to 2050

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

2000 2010 2020 2030 2040 2050

Perc

en

t

White, non-Hispanic

Hispanic (of any race)

Black

Asian

Source: Commission on Professionals in Science and Technology, data derived from U.S. Census Bureau.


Under-represented minorities (URMs) and non-URMs as a percent of . . .

17.3%

16.7%

25.7%

35.5%

49.9%

70.8%

73.9%

72.2%

63.2%

44.5%

12.0%

5.6%

2.1%

1.3%

9.5%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

STEM PhD Recipients (2005)

All Graduate Students (Fall2005)

STEM Bachelor's DegreeRecipients (2005)

All Undergraduate Students(Fall 2005)

The K-12 School-AgePopulation (2005) *

URMs Non-URMs Non-U.S. Citizens & Other/Unknown Race/Ethnicity

Note: Data for the K-12 population were not available by citizenship, so non-U.S. citizens are included in all percentages. Source: CPST, data derived from National Science Foundation, WebCASPAR Database, National Center for Education Statisics, Digest of Education Statistics, 2006, and U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division


The Educational Pathway for Women in Engineering

Engineering-Ready H.S. Seniors

Freshman Engineering Students

Engineering Baccalaureates

Engineering PhDs

52% of Males (about 890,000)

48% of Females (about 820,000)

84% Male (86,465)

16% Female (16,896)

80% Male (60,721)

20% Female (15,282)

83% Male

(5,368)

17% Female (1,136)

© 2006 WEPAN, www.wepan.org, prepared by CPST, www.cpst.orgDeveloped by WEPAN for member use only.


PhDs Earned by Women: Parity in the biological sciences by 2006, but lags (despite within-field gains) in all other natural sciences since 1977.

Percent Women Amongst Doctoral Degree Recipients in Natural Sciences and Engineering, Selected Years, 1977-2006

8.8%

2.8%

29.0% 29.6%

21.3%

49.2%

20.2%

13.1%

19.4%22.6%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

Physical sciences Mathematics Computer science Biological sciences Engineering

1977 1987 1996 2006

Source: Commission on Professionals in Science and Technology, analysis of data from NSF's WebCASPAR database system.


PhDs Earned by URMs: Little gain between 1977 and 2006, except in the biological sciences (with actual decline in computer science).

Percent URMs Amongst Doctoral Degree Recipients in Natural Sciences and Engineering, Selected Years, 1977-2006

2.5%1.5%

2.9% 2.9%1.5%

6.7%

2.7%2.3%

6.5%

2.6%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

Physical sciences Mathematics Computer science Biological sciences Engineering

1977 1987 1996 2006

Source: Commission on Professionals in Science and Technology, analysis of data from NSF's WebCASPAR database system.


Source: Nelson, 2007


An Empirical Basis for Optimism

“One of the most important findings from our research is that success in faculty diversity is no mere historical accident. A significant amount of the variation in faculty diversity reflects individual university effort and practice—strategies that can be replicated at other institutions.”

source: University Leadership Council, Breakthrough Advances in Faculty Diversity, 2008, p. 14

aaas annual meeting symposium, feb. 20, 2010 american association for the advancement of science...

Documents

aaas annual meeting

group slide

faculty diversity

sponsors perspective

stem education

faculty student diversity

nsffunded project aaasaau

students faculty