GDSE/RES: Increasing the Participation by Women in Undergraduate Physics: What Can We Learn from Women's Colleges?

Colorado College, Colorado Springs CO

Investigators

Abstract

Colorado College proposes to study the factors that explain the success of women's colleges in producing women scientists at about twice the rate of coeducational schools, with a particular focus on physics departments. The study will look at how the colleges recruit and retain physics majors, the departmental culture, faculty attitudes, curriculum, pedagogy, and student experience. The project builds on a study just completed that surveyed nine coeducational undergraduate physics departments, including two HBCU's, to learn what works to encourage women to major in physics. Key factors appear to be particularly female-friendly departmental culture, the presence of adult female role models, an emphasis on cooperation rather than competition, and a strong connection with alumni. These factors tend to be strong in women's colleges. By visiting physics departments in women's colleges, PI will study the effect of their culture of achievement on the production of female physics majors, and learn if there are methods that can be adapted to coeducational schools. The findings will contribute to a fruitful dialogue between single-sex and coeducational institutions, and find ways to help all physics departments improve on how they recruit and retain women students.