PLN: Women in SMET Undergraduate Programs (WISUP)

Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro TN

Investigators

Abstract

Middle Tennessee State University is using a planning grant to design a demonstration program, WISUP@MTSU, (Women in SMET Undergraduate Programs @ MTSU). The project team is investigating and identifying the best practices to attract and to retain women in all fields of science, mathematics, engineering, and technology and to to build on successful programs already in place at MTSU. The goal is to design a technology intensive and supportive program to attract and to retain high school senior and undergraduate freshmen women into SMET disciplines at MTSU. The experience, technical and scientific talents of the WISUP Team and the strong support from the College of Basic and Applied Sciences and the university will result in a successful planning grant and the submission of a full demonstration proposal in the next NSF/PGE funding cycle. MTSU is currently graduating slightly less than the national percentage of women in the SMET disciplines, yet university-wide the majority of both undergraduate and graduate students are female (54%). The institution is uniquely situated to serve rural and urban, low-income, and first generation students. MTSU also graduates more teachers than any university in Tennessee (more than 25% of all teachers in the entire state). The full program to be proposed should reach not only potential SMET students but also public school teachers who can encourage their student to consider SMET majors and careers.