Relationships Between Engineering Student and Faculty Demographics and Stakeholders Working to Affect Change*

Journal of Engineering Education, Apr 2004 by Johnson, Michelle J, Sheppard, Sheri D

ABSTRACT

Recent data suggest that the United States is unable to meet the demand for individuals well prepared to contribute to science, mathematics, and engineering with their native workforce. Low participation rates of females and underrepresentcd minorities in these fields are major factors contributing to this situation. This study tracks the progress of the high school class of 1990 through the engineering pipeline and beyond, specifically focusing on the progress of female and underrepresented minority students within the class. Points along the pipeline where the participation rates of students dropped significantly are identified as critical decision points and factors contributing to students leaving at these decision points are discussed. Key stakeholder groups working with underrepresented minority and female students at these critical decision points are identified. The intent of this paper is to create a synthesized, national picture of the student and faculty who make up engineering schools in the United States, and of the stakeholder groups actively working to change this picture.

Keywords: underrepresented participation, engineering pipeline, workforce

I. INTRODUCTION

Rapid technological advancements in society increase the need for individuals well prepared to contribute to applying and expanding science, mathematics, and engineering (SME) knowledge. Recent data suggest that the United States is unable to meet the demand for such individuals with their native workforce [1]. Low participation rates of females and underrepresented minorities (Blacks, Hispanics, and American Indians) in SME fields are major factors contributing to this situation. Lack of peer support, role models, and adequate preparation are frequently cited by students and identified in the literature as barriers to the successful recruitment and retention of many of these individuals. In addition, the existence of certain SME cultural and pedagogical norms discourage, isolate, and ultimately turn off many willing and qualified female and minority students [1-7].

Increasing the participation rates of underrepresented minorities and females in all aspects of the engineering workforce (non-academic and academic) is challenging. Many researchers show that students' actions before high school, especially those made in middle school (typically, grades six through eight), affect their ability to successfully compete at the university level [3, 4]. For example, if students choose to not participate in challenging mathematics and science courses, they are later underprepared for the rigor of engineering [3-7]. In the period between high school graduation and the baccalaureate degree, students must also face choices and make critical decisions that greatly influence their progress through and successful completion of the baccalaureate engineering degree. For example, Adelman [4] indicated that students with intentions of obtaining an engineering baccalaureate degree who decided to begin their postsecondary engineering career in a two-year institution instead of a four-year institution were more likely to not persist toward the degree; only twenty percent transferred to a four-year institution.

Having obtained the baccalaureate degree in engineering, many students directly enter the engineering workforce and do not pursue a graduate education in engineering leading toward a Masters, or a Ph.D. Although generally perceived to not be a necessity to successfully participate in most engineering sectors within the U.S. workforce [8], the Masters and Ph.D. degrees in engineering arc necessary for the academic sector of the engineering workforce. Studies suggest that increasing female and underrepresented minority in academic faculty ranks will positively impact retention rates and serve to increase the number of these students reaching the baccalaureate degree [1, 6]. If the academic workforce is to benefit from increased participation of female and underrepresented minorities in the overall engineering workforce, we must also encourage students to pursue these additional levels of graduate education.

This paper identifies critical trends in the participation rates of underrepresented students entering into and journeying through the engineering pipeline and beyond, and focuses on the roles played by key stakeholders who work to increase the successful participation of these students in engineering. Stakeholders are defined as organizations that characterize themselves as having defined roles that serve female and/or underrepresented minority groups.

The "engineering pipeline" is a commonly used metaphor that describes the progress of students through the educational system that leads to degrees in engineering. Some researchers argue that the pipeline metaphor does not adequately describe the choices students make along the way to becoming an engineer and advocate using the "path" metaphor [4]. Although, we agree that the pipeline metaphor is limited, we use the image to organize our data because it is a familiar concept to most engineering faculty and it is sufficient for giving an overview of the participation rates of students from kindergarten to the baccalaureate degree.