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Amherst Incorporating Diversity Education into the
Engineering Curriculum: How Do We Train
Students to Work in Diverse Teams?
Lead Institution: University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA
Category: Course/Curricular/Diversity
Date Implemented: June 2006
Website: http://www.umass.edu/ice/igert/curriculum.html
Program Description: The initial goal of this project was to
incorporate diversity education into the required undergraduate
Chemical Engineering curriculum at UMass Amherst. Since the
project's inception, the curriculum has been modified to include students during 2007-2011, almost all agreed the activities were
undergraduate Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) effective in achieving the stated outcomes. Several students
students and two interdisciplinary graduate programs (Graduate expressed an interest in taking a full three-credit course on
Certificate in Cellular Engineering and NIH PREP). The diversity and broader impacts in engineering, which was piloted
objectives of the new curriculum were to (1) raise awareness in 2008. Among REU (2006-2011), Graduate Certificate
about diversity in the engineering workplace among engineer- students (2007-2011), and NIH PREP graduate interns (2009-
ing students, including the current percentages of 2011), the average student response to course
women and minorities at different professional materials has been positive and is increasing over
levels and challenges faced by underrepresented time. The less positive response from earlier years
individuals in these environments; and (2) educate likely reflected the need to adapt certain course
students about the institutional policies and personal materials and case studies for graduate populations.
skills, including communication styles, negotiation Assessment Information: The undergraduate
styles, and management styles, that facilitate chemical engineering component of the program is
diversity in the engineering workplace. The activi- regularly assessed with student surveys, student
ties included (i) developing lectures to formally interviews, faculty assessment, and alumni surveys
discuss diversity issues such as the state of underrep- as a part of our ongoing ABET assessment. The
resented groups in the engineering workforce, historical trends, REU and graduate components of the program are assessed as a
and institutional policies that promote diversity; (ii) developing part of the external evaluations of these programs, which
scenarios involving conflict resolution and diversity that include student surveys and student focus groups. The initial
students could role-play and discuss; and (iii) inviting female course materials were developed for undergraduate chemical
and minority guest speakers to discuss their personal career engineering students, students completed surveys to assess
paths and experiences. Discussions included examining achievement of the program objectives, and the results were
institutions listed as encouraging for women and minorities and shared in an on-campus workshop on diversity education. With
their guidelines for promoting diversity, including strategies for the initial positive results from that assessment, our department
recruiting and hiring, policies for family leave, on-site child formally changed the course objectives for our Chemical
care, spousal hiring, part-time work arrangements, and mentor- Engineering Professional Development course.
ing of women and minorities in the workplace. Guest speakers Funding/Sustainability: Implementation funding was $6,000
expose students to individuals who can serve as role models for from an internal competition for diversity education. These
underrepresented engineering students, raise awareness among funds went towards purchasing relevant texts, faculty and staff
the general student body about the challenges faced by women time for assessment, and travel costs for invited guest lecturers.
and minorities in engineering, and help to change mispercep- Expansion of the program to REU students and graduate
tions among the general student body regarding "who does students was supported by grants from the NSF and NIH. The
engineering." Other topics discussed include academic career undergraduate Chemical Engineering component materials
paths, differences in communication and negotiation styles have been institutionalized and formally integrated into our
among women and men in the workplace, and strategies for curriculum. For the components involving REU and graduate
managing and effectively communicating with individuals who students, we continue to apply for federal training grants to
have different communication styles. offset the costs of assessment and guest speakers. The UMass
Anticipated and Actual Outcomes: The anticipated outcomes Graduate School, UMass Provost's Office, UMass Vice
were that students would have (1) a higher awareness about Chancellor for Research and Engagement, College of Engineer-
diversity in the engineering workplace among engineering ing, and College of Natural Sciences have provided some
students, including the current percentages of women and matching funds. At the graduate level, the program has been
minorities at different professional levels and challenges faced semi-institutionalized, with some discussions of long-term
by underrepresented individuals in these environments; and (2) support to develop a curriculum for all graduate students at
a greater understanding of institutional policies and personal UMass Amherst. Although the materials have already been
skills, including communication styles, negotiation styles, and developed for both undergraduate and graduate audiences, and
management styles, that facilitate diversity in the engineering the lecture and role-playing aspects of the curriculum can be
workplace. Post-graduation, an anticipated outcome was that continued even if no additional funding is obtained, ongoing
students receiving this training would work more effectively in funding is needed for program evaluation and guest speakers.
diverse teams. Among undergraduate chemical engineering
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