Document Type
Conference Proceeding
Publication Date
1-1-2003
Publication Title
Proceedings - Frontiers in Education Conference, FIE
Abstract
In this paper we describe a pilot study for freshmen women engineering students we launched at the College of Engineering at UMass Amherst in the fall of 2002. This pilot study, which targeted increased retention of women in engineering, was comprised of the following three main elements: a weekly seminar, use of Pocket PCs and a web-based information and exchange center. The students' feedback to our seminar was very positive. The students noted that the seminar allayed their fears and concerns about pursuing engineering, provided a (classroom and online) forum for networking with their peers and other women engineers. This pilot study is the first step in a longitudinal study that will include a series of such seminars as well as follow up assessment provided by the seminar participants throughput the engineering program. We hope that this seminar can serve as a model for women in engineering retention programs and can be deployed at other universities.
Keywords
Freshmen seminar, Women in engineering, Women retention
Volume
2
First Page
F1D8
Last Page
F1D13
DOI
10.1109/FIE.2003.1264674
ISSN
15394565
Rights
© 2003 IEEE.
Recommended Citation
Ganz, Aura; Howe, Susannah; Rivera, Vanessa; and Chu, Yuechun, "Breaking the Silicon Ceiling: Women in Engineering Freshmen Seminar" (2003). Engineering: Faculty Publications, Smith College, Northampton, MA.
https://scholarworks.smith.edu/egr_facpubs/53
Comments
Archived as published.