Women in Engineering and ComputingCENTER FOR DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

Significance

• In less than 10 years, the United States will need more than 1.7 million additional engineers and computing professionals to fulfill demand

• Women’s experiences — along with the experiences of people of color and other minority populations — should inform and guide the direction of engineering and technical innovation

Engineering and computing have not kept pace with other historically male fields such as chemistry and biology

AAUW analysis of data from U.S. Census Bureau (1960, 1970, 1980, 1990, 2000); L. M. Frehill analysis of data from U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics (2011, 2014b).

Women overal l are underrepresented in computing, and Black and Hispanic women are particular ly underrepresented

AAUW analysis of U.S. Census Bureau (2011a).

In engineering, women are even less well-represented than in computing, making up just 12% of working engineers

Black and Hispanic women each make up just 1 % of the engineering workforce

AAUW analysis of U.S. Census Bureau (2011a).

The disparity is greater for many women of color

• Although black, Hispanic, American Indian, and Alaska Native women together made up 18 % of the population ages 20 to 24 in 2013, they were awarded just 6 % of computing and 3 % of engineering bachelor’s degrees conferred that year

• In contrast, men from these demographic groups made up 19 % of the population ages 20 to 24 and were awarded 18 % of computing bachelor’s degrees and 12 % of engineering bachelor’s degrees

(L. M. Frehill analysis of National Science Foundation, National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (2014b), and U.S Census Bureau (2014d).

Why are engineering and computing male-dominated fields?

Gender as social construction

• Gender is used to describe those characteristics of men and women which are socially versus biologically determined

• Men and women are taught their appropriate behavior, attitudes, roles and activities – This learned behavior is what determines gender roles and responsibilities

• Gender roles vary greatly from one culture to another, and from one social, political, and economic group to another within the same culture

Gender equity in the classroom

• Gender issues arise from differential treatment due to social expectations about men and women…this plays out in the classroom!

• Teachers provide an essential link between students and their expectations, interests, and success

Microaggressions

• The everyday verbal, nonverbal, and environmental slights, snubs, or insults, whether intentional or unintentional, which communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative messages to target persons based solely upon their marginalized group membership. (Sue & Rivera, 2010)

• The most harmful forms of microaggressions remain outside the level of conscious awareness

Microaggressions continued

• Examples:• Racial/sexist jokes and verbal comments• Segregated spaces and unequal treatment• Denial and minimization of racism/sexism

• “Teachers have a professional responsibility to maintain safe learning environments for their students, and that responsibility includes recognizing and responding to subtle bias in the classroom” (Boysen, 2012)

Stereotype threat

•Fear of confirming negative beliefs about one’s group …

» Hinders performance» Affects choices and aspirations» Leads to harsh personal standards» Reduces learning and persistence » Decreasing willingness to speak up in class

Stereotype threat masks ability

An example of Students’ negative competence assumptions

• Said an Asian-American statistics professor, “I think my worst experience was probably an almost all male engineering stats course where, if I pointed out a couple of different ways of doing a problem, the teaching evaluations came back saying ‘She doesn’t know what she’s talking about.’” When her White male colleagues did the same thing, they were labeled “inventive” and “smart.”

What is the campus climate like for women here at Tech?

Professional Staff Faculty Students3.5

3.6

3.7

3.8

3.9

4

4.1

4.2

4.02

4.16

3.893.96

4.09

3.75

Michigan Tech Women would benefit academically from having more women students and women faculty on campus

Likert scale (1 = disagree 5 = strongly agree)

2005 2010

Michigan Tech’s enrollment of women

2009 2010 2011 2012 20130

1,000

2,000

3,000

4,000

5,000

6,000

5,368 5,167 5,195 5,157 5,167

1,780 1,809 1,839 1,790 1,812

Student enrollment by gender

Male Female

Hiring female faculty in The College of Engineering

2009-2010 2010-2011 2011-2012 2012-2013 2013-20140

2

4

6

8

10

12

6

10

56 6

2

5

2 23

Number of Michigan Tech faculty hired by gender 2009-2013

College of Engineering Male College of Engineering Female

The impact of these statistics relates to women’s sense of belonging here at Michigan Tech

Other identities to consider

• Sexual orientation & gender identity• “While there has been a gradual positive change in campus

climate for LGBTQ individuals, engineering departments have proven more impervious to inclusive practices than other disciplines” (NSF 2015 grant)

• Ability status

• Age

• Socioeconomic status

What can you do?

• Acknowledge the reality that we are all influenced by gender and racial biases, whether or not we consciously endorse them

• Emphasize growth in Intelligence over one’s “natural” ability

• Emphasize high standards with assurances about capability for meeting them

• Encourage self-affirmation

• Provide external attributions for difficulty

What can you do continued

• Intervene when someone disrespects or demeans another because of their race, gender, disability, sexual orientation, age, economic status, etc.

• Listen to the stories, experiences, and voices of others

• Challenge your own cultural assumptions

• Notice who is at the center of power

• Read books and articles to increase your understanding of, and sensitivity to, the needs, aspirations, and concerns of others

Observe classroom dynamics

Problem:

• Men tend to respond to questions more confidently, aggressively, and quickly, whereas women tend to wait longer to respond to a question in class

Solution:

• Encourage class participation

• Monitor whom you call upon

• Monitor language and materials

Personalize the classroom

Problem:

• When students were asked what they disliked about large classes, women tended to respond that such courses were impersonal, and that they felt isolated

Solution:

• Encourage the use of study groups and diverse group work

Use a cooperative versus competitive educational model

Problem:

• The perception of a "weeding out" atmosphere discourages many interested students (especially women) from pursuing a STEM degree

Solution:

• Utilize cooperative and collaborative work

Examine expectations & foster self-confidence

Problem:

• Women in particular "may develop extremely, perhaps even excessively, high standards for themselves as a prerequisite for staying in science" (Ware et al. 1985)

Solution:

• Hold everyone accountable to the same academic standards

Provide Diverse Role Models

Problem:

• Students are deterred from considering STEM careers because of narrowly defined images of scientists, engineers, and mathematicians presented by the media and society in general

Solution:

• Acknowledge women's (and other minorities) contributions to the field

Make Yourself Available

Problem:

• Some students perceive that faculty are too busy to talk or meet with them & studies show females feel this way more than males

Solution:

• Make yourself available

• Leave the door open

Know the Tech resources

• Center for Diversity and Inclusion• Women’s outreach• YWLP, WPC, WLC

• Women in Computing Sciences

• Women In Engineering Learning Community

• Society of Women Engineers

• Women’s committee of American Society of Mechanical Engineers (WASME)

Remember your role in creating a healthy, welcoming campus climate for ALL students!