A retrospective on undergraduate engineering success for underrepresented minority students

Journal of Engineering Education, Jan 2003 by May, Gary S, Chubin, Daryl E

ABSTRAcT

This paper examines the various factors that contribute to the success of minority students in engineering programs by exploring past and current paradigms promoting success and analyzing models for advancing the participation of members of these populations. Included is a literature review of articles, government reports, Web sites, and archives published since 1980. Student success is correlated to several indicators, including pre-college preparation, recruitment programs, admissions policies, financial assistance, academic intervention programs, and graduate school preparation and admission. This review suggests that the problem of minority underrepresentation and success in engineering is soluble given the appropriate resources and collective national "will" to propagate effective approaches.

I. INTRODUCTION

For decades, this nation has enjoyed a leadership role in development and implementation of cutting edge research and technology. The investment made in science and engineering research in industry, universities, and government laboratories has benefited the U.S. many times over in exports sold, jobs created, and productivity. However, to maintain a competitive edge in an environment of increased international competition, the nation must bring more of its resources to bear by developing a society that is better educated and can provide the technological breakthroughs needed for this new century. A diverse population of engineers and scientists is necessary in this new work force. This issue of diversity is critical since many demographic studies indicate that the ethnicity of the U.S. workforce is changing dramatically.

According to Census Bureau projections [1], non-Hispanic white males will decline as a fraction of the working age (18 to 64) population from 37 percent in 1995 to 26 percent in 2050. Over that same span, the fraction of African Americans in the workforce will increase from 12 percent to 14 percent, that of Hispanics will increase from 10 percent to 24 percent, and that of Asians will increase from four percent to nine percent (see Figure 1). The end result is that currently underrepresented groups will increase from about a quarter of the workforce to nearly half (48 percent). The current and projected need for more science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) workers, coupled with the fact that women, minorities, and persons with disabilities comprise an increasing proportion of the labor pool, argue for policies, programs, and resources that support greater participation by these groups in STEM education and careers.

Recent reports by the National Science and Technology Council [1] and the Commission for the Advancement of Women and Minorities in Science, Engineering and Technology [2] have eloquently identified the perils inherent in a society characterized by ethnic, gender and socioeconomic disparity. While progress has been made over the past twenty years, the risk remains. Currently, U.S. jobs are growing fastest in areas that require knowledge and skills stemming from a strong grasp of science, engineering, and technology [3]. In some areas, particularly in computer and information technology, business leaders are warning of a critical shortage in skilled domestic workers that is threatening their ability to compete in the global marketplace [2]. The business community is not alone in its need to develop and maintain a highly skilled domestic STEM workforce. Both academia and the Federal government have a vested interest in finding ways to deepen their pools of science and technology educators and researchers.

At the same time, STEM workers remain overwhelmingly white, male, and able-bodied, and the available pool of talented women, minorities and persons with disabilities remains significantly underutilized. Ironically, if individuals from these underrepresented groups were represented in the U.S. STEM workforce in parity with their percentages in the total workforce population, this shortage would largely be filled. Thus, more than ever, the nation must cultivate the scientific and technical talents of all its citizens, not just those from groups that have traditionally worked in STEM fields.

The National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering, Inc. (NACME) was established in 1974 by a group of concerned business leaders to develop and catalyze a suite of strategies to increase the participation of underrepresented minorities in engineering. As a primary part of its core research mission, NACME has articulated the goal of documenting the various factors that contribute to the success of minority students in engineering programs. In so doing, NACME seeks to explore past and current paradigms that promote minority success in engineering and yield new models for advancing the participation of members of these populations at every phase of educational achievement.

This paper is a response to this goal. The methodology used for the compliation of this report included a thorough review ofvarious articles, government reports, Web sites, and archives. The criteria used for inclusion in this literature review were a publication date after 1980, as well as the relevance of the source to minority student success in engineering and the appropriateness of the source for the topical categories selected.