November 2006 Mechanical Engineering: Editorial

editorial

equal opportunity

By
John G. Falcioni,
Editor-in-Chief

There was a time some years ago when people believed that young women didn't have the aptitude to study engineering. An expert panel convened by the National Academies feels that this sentiment is still alive today. What's worse, the panel suggests that the main culprits happen to be the colleges and universities charged with the responsibility of educating scientists and engineers.

In a damning report of its findings, released in late September, the panel blames unintentional "outmoded institutional structures" in academia for hindering the progress of women in science and engineering, and not a lack of cognitive ability.

It's hard to argue with the simple truth that the most important aspect of any engineering project is the aptitude of the engineers working on the job, and not their particular gender. It is more than shameful if a bias against an engineer's professional progress exists based on gender, as it would be if based on race or religion. It would also be naïve to pretend that such biases and prejudices don't exist at all. But at the same time it would be wise to remember that prejudice is not endemic to the engineering profession alone.

Any report issued by the prestigious academies, especially from a panel chaired by Donna E. Shalala, a former Secretary of Health and Human Services who is now president of the University of Miami, is hard to ignore. This report, which received national exposure in the press, paints a worrisome portrait of universities and their administrators.

Two glaringly troublesome issues arise from distribution of the report. First, if the report is to be believed fully, universities face a serious challenge in changing their curriculums and their staffs' perspectives on women. The second is a regrettably unfair generalization that now blankets all engineering and science educators.

"Women are a small portion of the science and engineering faculty members at research universities, and they typically receive fewer resources and less support than their male colleagues," said the report, Beyond Bias and Barriers: Fulfilling the Potential of Women in Academic Science and Engineering.

One of the eight primary findings in the report is, "Women are very likely to face discrimination in every field of science and engineering." Another finding says, "People are less likely to hire a woman than a man with identical qualifications."

According to an executive summary of the report, "Although most scientists and engineers believe that they are objective and intend to be fair, research shows that they are not exempt from those tendencies." A third finding states, "Academic organizational structures and rules contribute significantly to the underuse of women in academic science and engineering."

The panel's recommendations to end this bias call for large-scale, joint initiatives by university leaders and faculties, scientific and professional societies, federal agencies, and Congress.

"The fact that women are capable of contributing to the nation's scientific and engineering enterprise but are impeded in doing so because of gender and racial/ethnic bias and outmoded 'rules' governing academic success is deeply troubling and embarrassing," the report's call to action states. "Faculty, university leaders, professional and scientific societies, federal agencies, and the federal government must unite to ensure that all our nation's people are welcomed and encouraged to excel in science and engineering in our research universities. Our nation's future depends on it."