Missed Opportunity for Diversity in Engineering: Black Women and Undergraduate Engineering Degree Attainment

Abstract

Efforts dedicated towards broadening participation for Black and other underrepresented groups in engineering at post-secondary institutions has intensified in recent decades. However, Black women have not yet reached parity in undergraduate engineering degree attainment. To elucidate this trend, data from the U.S. Department of Education was analyzed to investigate postsecondary completion for Black women in engineering. Results indicate that the percentage of degrees awarded to Black women has slightly decreased during the last five years when compared to women of all races. However, the percentage of Black women obtaining engineering degrees has increased when compared to the general Black engineering population, with a larger percentage of Black women obtaining engineering degrees compared to their male counterparts than any other ethnicity. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to provide recommendations for research avenues that may strengthen knowledge around the enrollment and retention of Black women in engineering at post-secondary institutions.

How stereotypes and relationships influence women and underrepresented minority students' fit in engineering

“…Extant research reveals many challenges to creating diverse and inclusive environments within US science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) educational contexts (McGee, 2020; Morton & Parsons, 2018; National Science Foundation, 2019). Women and underrepresented minority (URM) students, whom the National Science Foundation (2019) notes includes African American, Latinx, and American Indian students, are less likely to declare a STEM major in college, and URM students are also less likely to complete such a program within 5 years when compared to White men and Asian students (Fletcher et al, 2021; Mau, 2016; Riegle‐Crumb et al, 2019). For much of the past 50 years, the pipeline model was used to explain numeric declines in the overall STEM workforce before graduation or job entry.…”

Women’s learning motivations: Qualitative inquiry of doctoral students in civil engineering

“…Only a few women in upper management may encourage preservice and junior-level women in engineer to join the industry, regardless of their specialisations and educational backgrounds. Another recent study (Fletcher et al, 2021) also argued that gender and skin colour played significant roles in engineering as many mid-level and upper management positions are occupied by White and male people. Although women in engineering and women of colour tried to climb to the upper management, the gaps could not be closed.…”

“…Unlike other subject matters, such as biology and mathematics, engineering students and professionals require an in-depth understanding of applied mathematics, statistics, and quantitative skills in one or more scientific subject matter(s), such as transportation, material science, and chemistry (Profillidis, 2016). Therefore, during academic training, such as in undergraduate degree in engineering programmes, students need to understand, learn, practice, and handle multiple skills and knowledge across their classroom environments and internship sites (Fletcher et al, 2021). Currently, an undergraduate degree in engineering is designed for traditional-age secondary school graduates and returning students who want to gain practical knowledge as frontline staff and engineers at the industry level.…”

Examining how social networks influence women and under-represented minority students’ pursuit of engineering in university: when, who, and how?

“…However, women and racial/ethnic minority students and workers continue to be under-represented in STEM fields. Indeed, women and under-represented minority (URM) students are less likely to declare a STEM major 1 , and URM students are less likely to persist in one (Fletcher et al, 2021;Mau, 2016). This underrepresentation is particularly pronounced in engineering (Roy, 2019).…”