Attracting Women to Engineering through Service-Based Learning

Abstract

Introduction The National Academy of Engineering (NAE) points to enhancing student interest in engineering, science and technology entrepreneurship; and increased professional skills in design, communication and teamwork as some of the 'Grand Challenges of Engineering' (NAE, 2009). In response, the Department of Civil Engineering & Construction Management (CECM) at Georgia Southern University aims to systematically integrate experiential and community service learning opportunities throughout the departmental curriculum in order to further the NAE vision of access to enhanced visibility and professional skills of its students. The objective of this revolutionary department transformation is to attract and retain traditionally underrepresented groups to engineering, particularly women, and in effect, increase departmental diversity. To achieve the goal of more women engineers, the CECM department will take advantage of, and better align itself with the existing experiential learning nature of its sister programs on campus and beyond. This will include common coursework at the freshman level in the first year experience (FYE) courses, at the sophomore level in the surveying courses, at the junior level in the construction economics and finance courses, and at the senior level in the capstone senior project course. Further, the proposed experiential, community service learning activities with Habitat for Humanity of Bulloch County will transcend the four years with integrated assignments in each of these courses, including 100 hours of required community service prior to graduation. This paper describes the approach currently being undertaken by Georgia Southern University, and provides a model for similar programs who would benefit from a holistic service-based approach for female recruitment and retention. While data regarding the effects of this approach on female recruitment was not available at this time, as the department is in the middle of the transition toward service learning, the department notes an increased interest from female undergraduates in the service based learning approach.