POWRE: A Gender Lens on Rowan University's College of Engineering

Rowan University, Glassboro NJ

Investigators

Abstract

Concern about the underrepresentation of women in engineering and other sciences has received national attention. This underrepresentation reflects a gender gap in educational preparation and opportunities, and results in an underpresentation of women in one field of lucrative and rewarding occupations. The new College of Engineering at Rowan University incorporates a number of innovative features in its program, which have been noted as favorable to the encouragement and retention of female students and their ensuing career commitment and success. The proposed research will assess the extent to which female engineering students at Rowan are satisfied with their program, committed to completing an engineering degree and career, are confident in their abilities to achieve their engineering goals, and are academically successful. The project is designed to have a beginning-of-the-year survey and an end-of-the-year survey, to assess the changes over the academic year. In the beginning-of-the-year survey, students will be asked about their preentry characteristics and training, engineering aspirations and plans, and self-confidence about achieving their engineering goals. In the end-of-the-year survey, students will be asked to assess various aspects of the Rowan program in terms of their satisfaction with them, the extent of their participation in extra-curricular activities, their current engineering goals and level of self-confidence to achieve them. Objective data will provide information on their academic performance prior to entry, at the end of the first semester, and at the end of the second semester. Focus group interviews will give a more in-depth probe into female engineering students' experiences, problems and concerns.