Title IX and Science and Engineering
Title IX is a law that says any school receiving federal funding must provide equal opportunities for girls.
In many fields of science and engineering, girls have been nearly absent until recently. Why? Sometimes, lack of encouragement and lack of support from parents and teachers who hold traditional stereotypes about “where women belong.” Sometimes, a clear push away.
Women drop out of engineering twice the rate as men – having started with interest, ability, and adequate preparation. They may not see any women on the faculty or working in their field. They see signs of discrimination (e.g., suddenly getting lower grades for no apparent reason) and sometimes experience active discouragement and harassment. Old-style study programs cater to male preferences for fierce competition, exclusion, and interests in weapons and machine internals. There are other ways to produce engineers: using cooperation and teamwork as problem solving styles and using problems that benefit society and daily life.
Schools are obligated by law to work against discrimination and at least look at what is happening. Many have succeeded in changing the educational environment and graduate plenty of women in science and engineering fields.
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
High school student – Are girls taking physics, technology classes, and AP computer science? Ask your teachers and counselors why not. Is the school making an effort to learn how to compensate for stereotypes and reach out to girls?
College student – Do you see women on the faculty? Are women dropping out of physical science and technology majors? Ask about it. See if your school cares.
K-12 teacher – Is your school aware that Title IX applies to science and technology classes? Look up some of the resources in the timeline below and share them.
University folks esp. alumni – Look up your university on this site:http://www.womensprerogative.org/womeninsciences/index.cfm How are they doing in diversifying the faculty in science and engineering? Ask deans and department chairs if their recruitment process has been evaluated for reducing unconscious discrimination. Is there an effort to change? Write a letter to your alumni newsletter or magazine and either compliment them, or express your concern. (Suggestions for various actions are on this website.)
Check your university in the report by the American Association of University Professors called AAUP Faculty Gender Equity Indicators 2006. It looks at diversity across all fields, including science and engineering.http://www.aaup.org/AAUP/pubsres/research/geneq2006
Everybody – If you see occasions where speakers and experts in science and engineering are invited, look at who they are inviting. Are women and minorities visible? If not, ask about it.
NARRATIVE TIMELINE
A timeline on how Title IX was taken beyond the narrow association with sports to address the lack of women in science and engineering. With recommended reading for quick study. Also the same thing as a ten-page PDF updated Nov08
SUMMARY OVERVIEW
A short paper on the whole issue: Sevo, R. (2009). The application of Title IX to science and engineering. In B. Bogue & E. Cady (Eds.), Applying research to practice (ARP) resources. Available athttp://www.engr.psu.edu/awe/secured/director/assessment/TitleIX.aspx
POSITION PAPER
A 5-page paper explaining the basis for applying Title IX to science and engineering education. It summarizes arguments and data relevant to the issue with over 50 references. You may use it as a sample and resource for your position papers or articles. The paper may be copied and distributed with attribution.
GOOD WEB SITES FOR TITLE IX
American Association of University Women (AAUW).http://www.aauw.org/advocacy/issue_advocacy/actionpages/titleix.cfm (Position papers, comprehensive resource kit, research reports, action guide, announcements of briefings, hearings, and press conferences, testimony to Congress)
National Coalition for Women and Girls in Education (NCWGE). http://www.ncwge.org/ (Position papers, reports, press releases, testimony to Congress)
National Women’s Law Center (NWLC). Esp. Gender Equity in Education.http://www.nwlc.org/display.cfm?section=education (Press Conferences, press releases, testimony, legal views)
Title IX. http://www.titleix.info/ (Funded by NWLC; information, fact sheets, action guides, products, some content on higher education and S&E)
License to Thrive: 35 Years of Title IX. http://licensetothrive.org/ (Lots of facts on women and progress related to Title IX, quotes, resources)
Society of Women Engineers (SWE). http://societyofwomenengineers.swe.org/ (Position papers, statistics on women in engineering, expert with legal background)
Women’s Prerogative: Women in the Sciences. http://www.womensprerogative.org/ (campaign on women in science; information on Bureau of Labor Statistics data on women)
WEAA Equity Resource Center. http://www2.edc.org/WomensEquity/resource/title9/index.htm (now frozen in time, but still contains comprehensive resources for state coordinators for Title IX)
U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, Title IX page.http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/cor/coord/titleix.htm (legal resources and complaint form)
Commission on Professionals in Science and Technology (CPST). http://www.cpst.org/ (authoritative statistics on human resources)
American Civil Liberties Union, Education. http://www.aclu.org/womensrights/edu/index.html (Articles, press releases, fact sheets)
Feminist Majority Foundation. http://feminist.org/education/ (Position papers, research reports, action network)
Title IX Blog. http://title-ix.blogspot.com/ (heavy sports focus, detailed reports of particular cases & complaints, lots of links to other sites)
Title IX is a law that says any school receiving federal funding must provide equal opportunities for girls.
In many fields of science and engineering, girls have been nearly absent until recently. Why? Sometimes, lack of encouragement and lack of support from parents and teachers who hold traditional stereotypes about “where women belong.” Sometimes, a clear push away.
Women drop out of engineering twice the rate as men – having started with interest, ability, and adequate preparation. They may not see any women on the faculty or working in their field. They see signs of discrimination (e.g., suddenly getting lower grades for no apparent reason) and sometimes experience active discouragement and harassment. Old-style study programs cater to male preferences for fierce competition, exclusion, and interests in weapons and machine internals. There are other ways to produce engineers: using cooperation and teamwork as problem solving styles and using problems that benefit society and daily life.
Schools are obligated by law to work against discrimination and at least look at what is happening. Many have succeeded in changing the educational environment and graduate plenty of women in science and engineering fields.
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
High school student – Are girls taking physics, technology classes, and AP computer science? Ask your teachers and counselors why not. Is the school making an effort to learn how to compensate for stereotypes and reach out to girls?
College student – Do you see women on the faculty? Are women dropping out of physical science and technology majors? Ask about it. See if your school cares.
K-12 teacher – Is your school aware that Title IX applies to science and technology classes? Look up some of the resources in the timeline below and share them.
University folks esp. alumni – Look up your university on this site:http://www.womensprerogative.org/womeninsciences/index.cfm How are they doing in diversifying the faculty in science and engineering? Ask deans and department chairs if their recruitment process has been evaluated for reducing unconscious discrimination. Is there an effort to change? Write a letter to your alumni newsletter or magazine and either compliment them, or express your concern. (Suggestions for various actions are on this website.)
Check your university in the report by the American Association of University Professors called AAUP Faculty Gender Equity Indicators 2006. It looks at diversity across all fields, including science and engineering.http://www.aaup.org/AAUP/pubsres/research/geneq2006
Everybody – If you see occasions where speakers and experts in science and engineering are invited, look at who they are inviting. Are women and minorities visible? If not, ask about it.
NARRATIVE TIMELINE
A timeline on how Title IX was taken beyond the narrow association with sports to address the lack of women in science and engineering. With recommended reading for quick study. Also the same thing as a ten-page PDF updated Nov08
SUMMARY OVERVIEW
A short paper on the whole issue: Sevo, R. (2009). The application of Title IX to science and engineering. In B. Bogue & E. Cady (Eds.), Applying research to practice (ARP) resources. Available athttp://www.engr.psu.edu/awe/secured/director/assessment/TitleIX.aspx
POSITION PAPER
A 5-page paper explaining the basis for applying Title IX to science and engineering education. It summarizes arguments and data relevant to the issue with over 50 references. You may use it as a sample and resource for your position papers or articles. The paper may be copied and distributed with attribution.
GOOD WEB SITES FOR TITLE IX
American Association of University Women (AAUW).http://www.aauw.org/advocacy/issue_advocacy/actionpages/titleix.cfm (Position papers, comprehensive resource kit, research reports, action guide, announcements of briefings, hearings, and press conferences, testimony to Congress)
National Coalition for Women and Girls in Education (NCWGE). http://www.ncwge.org/ (Position papers, reports, press releases, testimony to Congress)
National Women’s Law Center (NWLC). Esp. Gender Equity in Education.http://www.nwlc.org/display.cfm?section=education (Press Conferences, press releases, testimony, legal views)
Title IX. http://www.titleix.info/ (Funded by NWLC; information, fact sheets, action guides, products, some content on higher education and S&E)
License to Thrive: 35 Years of Title IX. http://licensetothrive.org/ (Lots of facts on women and progress related to Title IX, quotes, resources)
Society of Women Engineers (SWE). http://societyofwomenengineers.swe.org/ (Position papers, statistics on women in engineering, expert with legal background)
Women’s Prerogative: Women in the Sciences. http://www.womensprerogative.org/ (campaign on women in science; information on Bureau of Labor Statistics data on women)
WEAA Equity Resource Center. http://www2.edc.org/WomensEquity/resource/title9/index.htm (now frozen in time, but still contains comprehensive resources for state coordinators for Title IX)
U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, Title IX page.http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/cor/coord/titleix.htm (legal resources and complaint form)
Commission on Professionals in Science and Technology (CPST). http://www.cpst.org/ (authoritative statistics on human resources)
American Civil Liberties Union, Education. http://www.aclu.org/womensrights/edu/index.html (Articles, press releases, fact sheets)
Feminist Majority Foundation. http://feminist.org/education/ (Position papers, research reports, action network)
Title IX Blog. http://title-ix.blogspot.com/ (heavy sports focus, detailed reports of particular cases & complaints, lots of links to other sites)
