What we know about what works: Warming the climate for underrepresented students

1. What we know about what works: Warming the climate for underrepresented students Barbara Bogue, Penn State

2. What is the problem? • Lack of diversity in existing programs results in:

3. What is the problem? • Lack of diversity in existing programs results: • Discrimination against underrepresented groups • Poor preparation for today’s workforce • Lack of understanding of “real world” population and problems • Failure to attract growing population who view engineering as a non-traditional path • By 2011, 2.6M more women than men in US higher ed

4. What does it look like? Climate • Climate studies indicate that underrepresented students find many STEM classrooms unwelcoming • Variation in results • AWISE Study (Marra, MU; Bogue, PSU): • Differences by department rather than gender • Students of Color report lack of community, engagement

5. What does it look like? Data

6. Intent to Major in STEM Source: AAUW “Why So Few”, 2010. Data Source: NSF, Division of Science Resources Statistics, 2009, Women, minorities, and persons with disabilities in science and engineering: 2009 (NSF 09-305) (Arlington, VA), Tables C-4 and C-5.

7. Mechanical Engineering Enrollments of Men and Women: 1990 to 2007

8. What are the solutions? • Challenge Maxims we live by

9. What are the solutions? • Challenge Maxims MYTHS we live by . . . with knowledge and action

10. Diversity myths we live by • It’s a distraction from the real work of the university • If we just bring up the numbers, the problem will be solved. • Diversity can only be achieved with big, revolutionary change • It’s a zero-sum game. • Others?

11. Myth 1: It’s a distraction from real work of the university • It is the real work of the university • Educating students to succeed in the world • Education—good education—is by definition diverse • Diversity and diverse environments can and do benefit everybody in them

12. Myth 2: If we just increase the numbers, the problem can be solved. • Low percentages of women and minorities is NOT the problem • It’s an indicator that there IS a problem • Challenge is to identify WHY there are low percentages of women and minorities

13. Myth 3: Diversity can only be achieved with big, revolutionary change. . . from the top • Change is constant & impacts systemically • The question: Are we moving and improving? . . . Or just moving? • Challenge for leaders is to move ahead in a mindful direction • Identify areas we can impact • Offer visible role models, Family Policies, Meeting times, Offer packages • Work to change those we can’t • Admissions policies & practice, University Hiring and Promotion Policies

14. Myth 4: It’s a zero-sum game. • Variation: If she can’t measure up, maybe she doesn’t really belong here. • Whom do we want in our undergraduate classes? • Should the emphasis be only on high qualifiers? • What about creativity? • What about distance traveled? • What about many of us here?

15. What are barriers to positive change? • Organizational Habits • Ladder of Inference (Senge) • Unintended bias • Bias Literacy (Sevo & Chubin) www.Momox.org • Harvard Project Implicit [Bias] Project-https://implicit.harvard.edu/ • Intended Bias

16. So what’s a leader to do? • Build Platform for Change Leadership • Articulate/clarify challenges • Identify and call out bias • Make the changes that are possible • Create and support a reward structure • Change departmental folkways and habits that skew climate

17. Research Base an Invaluable Tool • Use research findings to create better climate for everyone • Examples: • Gender communications • Stereotype Threat • Negotiating styles • Role models and mentoring • Math achievement Applying Research to Practice is Technology Transfer for STEM Outreach and Educational Programming

18. Use Research to Support Objectives • Objective: Better understand experience of underrepresented minorities in engineering environments • ARP: Stereotype Threat reports research that minorities of any kind carry an extra burden of proof that impacts performance negatively • Result: Educate faculty and students, using data and research • Objective: Convince pre-college girls to decide to enroll in higher level math courses and ultimately engineering. • ARP: Gender Differences in Math Performance reports that high school girls are already taking higher level math • Result: Change focus of objective to convince girls to apply math skills studying STEM disciplines

19. Difference in Perception & Reality FROM SWE AWE NAE CASEE ARP RESOURCES

20. AWEonline.org *ARPS=Applying Research to Practice, a series of user-friendly guides to research from SWE AWE and NAE CASEE

21. http://www.aauw.org

22. Create Ownership • Create Ownership (or at least modify behaviors) • Name and challenge closely held beliefs and mythologies • Educate: Disseminate research and literature • Identify good practices • Challenge beliefs and myths • Legitimize research in non-engineering areas • Remember the staff

23. Also important… • How are we inviting people in? • Who is talking to recruits? • What do current students see? • Quick, arbitrary Google search (Mechanical Engineering Departments) yielded these results from the first 14 pages in list: • 5 pictured women • 2 pictured minority students • 2 pictured no people at all

24. Leverage Tools for Change • Leverage Research • AAUW “Why So Few Women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics” • SWE AWE CASEE Applying Research to Practice (ARP) materials • NSF Data and Reports • Leverage imperatives to educate and lead change • Funding: Broader Impact as a tool for education and change • Caveat—protecting younger faculty • Leverage Best Practices—NEXT!

25. Thank You & Contact Info • Barbara Bogue Associate Professor of Engineering Science and Mechanics and Women in Engineering Director, The AWE Project Penn State bbogue@psu.edu • The AWE Project-AWEonline.org

27. Also a problem in the workforce