Engineering a Warmer Welcome for Female Students

Abstract

It is noted that although more than half of undergraduates at American colleges and universities today are women, enrollment levels in engineering programs by women have not changed greatly in the past 20 years. The challenge is to show that engineering disciplines have social value and relevance. Attention is given to the approaches taken by Smith College, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and Tufts University to involve students in a hands-on way. The importance of combating chauvinistic attitudes so that the environment for learning can be improved is stressed, and the work done by various organizations to promote an interest in engineering among female students before they reach college is surveyed.