Abstract of Increasing the Effectiveness of General Engineering Recruitment Strategies
Author(s):
Jane Zimmer Daniels and Mitch Warren
Background
Undergraduate engineering enrollments in the United States
reached an all time high of 406,144 students in 1983. By 1996
this figure had dropped dramatically to only 317,772 students.
The number of traditional college-aged students declined over
this time period and the proportion of students choosing
engineering as their intended college major also declined.
However, this decline in engineering enrollment was
disproportionate between females and males. The enrollment of
males declined 25% from 1983 to 1996 (341,495 to 256,013),
while the enrollment of females declined only 4% during the
same period of time (64,649 to 61,759) and has actually
increased since 1989.
Information from the Women in Engineering Programs and
Advocates Network (WEPAN) indicates that fewer than 20
engineering schools in the United States had formal Women in
Engineering Programs until 1990, but that number has increased
to more than 100 today. The activities initiated and the
strategies developed by these programs to interest young women
in engineering careers may well serve as a model for increasing
the effectiveness of general recruiting strategies.
The Model
In 1968 the Schools of Engineering at Purdue University made
a significant commitment to increase the participation of women
in engineering by hiring an academic advisor with part-time
responsibilities to investigate reasons why so few women were
studying engineering. As is happening today, undergraduate
engineering enrollments were declining at that time. Women were
seen as a neglected, but potentially excellent, source of
students. Therefore efforts began to encourage young women to
view engineering as a viable career option.
Between 1968 and 1974 individual efforts produced moderate
growth in the number of women studying engineering at Purdue
University. In 1974 departmental goals were set and additional
resources allocated to bring about dramatic increases in the
enrollment and graduation of women students in engineering.
Ambitious goals were set of enrolling 1,000 young women by 1978
(1978 actual enrollments reached 995). This was a four-fold
increase in four years, as fewer than 300 women were enrolled
in engineering in 1974 and only 25% of these women were
completing an engineering degree. The activities initiated and
refined since 1968 to recruit and support undergraduate women
in engineering at Purdue have developed into the comprehensive
Women in Engineering Programs (WIEP).
Over the years, three principles, relevant to the
recruitment of high school women, have emerged from student
evaluations of pre-college programs:
- the value of age-appropriate role models
- the importance of opportunities for quality interactions
between high school students and engineering faculty, staff
and students
- a preference for hands-on activities over didactic
presentation
Utilizing the WIEP model for general recruitment
activities
In recent years, the Schools of Engineering at Purdue
University began holding receptions around the state of Indiana
in an attempt to counteract the declining numbers of graduating
high school seniors and the declining interest in choosing
engineering as a college major. These receptions included
presentations by engineering faculty and students followed by a
question/answer session. After a year or two of these
receptions, few changes were seen in the number of students
enrolling at Purdue University. Considering the recruiting
successes of the WIEP at Purdue University, the general
recruiting activities for the Schools of Engineering chose to
incorporate the three elements listed above into the receptions
held in the fall of 1997.
During the fall 1997 semester, the Schools of Engineering
hosted two receptions in Indiana for prospective as well as
admitted students. One reception was held on the north side of
Indianapolis and the other in Fort Wayne. These receptions were
designed to provide students with information about engineering
and Purdue University and answer typical questions often posed
by prospective students. One question typically asked is, "what
is engineering?" It was determined that the small "hands-on"'
project approaches that had proven effective with young women
would be used to demonstrate more graphically to all students
some basic engineering principles. In addition students were
separated from their parents and rotated among three
activities-the hands-on activity, a panel of faculty, a panel
of students. The smaller groups allowed for more informal,
personalized interactions.
The "project" chosen was a "tin tug boat" competition.
*Using aluminum foil, students were instructed to build the
"boat" which would support the greatest number of pennies
(weight): In addition to the goal of helping provide an
application of some engineering principles, although
elementary, the project also seemed to provide the students
with some quality time alone (apart from parents and Purdue
staff persons) to ask questions and discuss issues
informally.
Results
Following each of the receptions, students were asked to
complete brief evaluations of the reception which included
questions about their intent to major in engineering at Purdue
University. The responses to three questions in particular
indicate some rather, dramatic differences between the fall
(WIEP model) and spring (traditional) receptions.
Survey questions and responses
|
Fall 1997 |
Spring 1997 |
|
| 1) Prior to attending the reception, had you finalized
your college selection? |
| Yes |
11.5 % |
43.5 % |
| No |
88.5 % |
56.5 % |
| 2) Do you feel the information received at this
reception helped you to narrow or make your final college
choice? |
| Yes |
71.2% |
54.4% |
| Undecided |
26.9% |
31.4% |
| No |
1.9% |
14.2% |
| 3) After this reception, the possibility of attending
Purdue has: |
| Increased greatly |
38.5% |
18.1% |
| Increased slightly |
48.1% |
47.2% |
| Not changed |
13.56% |
34.9% |
| Decreased slightly |
0.0% |
7.5% |
| Decreased greatly |
0.0% |
0.0% |
The responses to question number 1 are not surprising
considering that the receptions held during the fall semester
came earlier in the college selection process. Responses to
questions 2 and 3 on the other hand are quite positive and
there are no obvious reasons for the results other than the
change in program format. These changes seem to have had a
genuine positive impact of the perception of the prospective
students and their intent to major in engineering at Purdue
University.
Plans for the future
Another successful Women In Engineering Program has been the
Personal Connection Program, wherein admitted women students
are matched with alumnae or current students from their
geographical area. Often the "match" between prospective
student and current student means that they attended the same
high school. Resources to expand this program to the entire
pool of admitted students are being sought. As an intermediate
step, current students are telephoning admitted students to see
if they have any questions. Unfortunately the number of student
volunteers and time available does not permit matching of
geographical area.
Continued communications and coordination between the Women
in Engineering Programs, and the Minority Engineering Programs
as well, should result in further adaptations to the general
recruitment activities of the Schools of Engineering at Purdue
University. In addition to improving the effectiveness of
existing activities, it is hoped that such changes will result
in activities which are more inclusive of the diversity among
the students served by the general recruitment program.
Jane Zimmer Daniels, Director, Women in
Engineering Programs
Mitch Warren, Senior Coordinator of
Recruitment