A new approach to increasing diversity in engineering at the example of women in engineering
Abstract
A new initiative to incorporate diversity issues into the common engineering curriculum at
the University of Wollongong (UoW) in Australia is outlined and the effect on student awareness
quantified. The diversity issues were illustrated at the example of women in engineering seeing that the
numbers of women in engineering have dropped drastically over the last five years at UoW. However,
the methodology applied can be adjusted to any diversity group to suit needs of the institution
performing the activity. The method is based on the hypothesis that raising awareness and
understanding across the entire student body will be a first step to change. The approach is different to
the traditional recruitment and marketing approach of convincing women to try engineering with little
follow up support. The initiative involves a diversity lecture delivered to all fourth year engineering
students as part of a compulsory management subject. It is anticipated that with the current approach all
students are made aware of the problems women expect to face in the engineering profession. This
awareness is hoped to bring about some of the required change in culture and prepare women to draw
on available support. The strategy does not exclude men, but includes men as instruments for positive
change through an understanding of the benefits of a gender balanced and diverse work environment on
everyone. The initiative is popular with students who through their feedback are requesting more such
activities, in particular in early years of engineering education.