1. Women in Engineering and
Computing
CENTER FOR DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

2. 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

3. 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).

4. Women overall are
underrepresented
in computing, and
Black and Hispanic
women are
particularly
underrepresented
AAUW analysis of U.S. Census Bureau (2011a).

5. 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).

6. 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).

7. Why are engineering
and computing male-
dominated fields?

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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)

12. 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

13. Stereotype threat masks ability

15. 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.”

16. What is the campus climate like for women here at Tech?
4.02
4.16
3.89
3.96
4.09
3.75
3.5
3.6
3.7
3.8
3.9
4
4.1
4.2
Professional Staff Faculty Students
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

17. Michigan Tech’s enrollment of women
5,368 5,167 5,195 5,157 5,167
1,780 1,809 1,839 1,790 1,812
0
1,000
2,000
3,000
4,000
5,000
6,000
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Student enrollment by gender
Male Female

18. Hiring female faculty in The College of Engineering
6
10
5
6 6
2
5
2 2
3
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
2009-2010 2010-2011 2011-2012 2012-2013 2013-2014
Number of Michigan Tech faculty hired by gender 2009-2013
College of Engineering Male College of Engineering Female

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

20. 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

21. 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

22. 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

23. 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

24. 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

25. 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

26. 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

27. 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

28. 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

29. 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)

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