Collection

2025 Rocky Mountain Section Conference

Authors

Angela Bielefeldt; Malinda Zarske

engineering retention intentions among majority female students includedengineering identity and belonging in the classroom; factors most significant for minoritizedwomen included interest in engineering and feelings of engineering competence [2]. This alignswith strategies to increase retention in engineering that include enhancing the sense ofcommunity among first year students [3]. Other studies have explored institutional climateincluding the student work-life balance and weed out culture, mentorship, and sense ofbelonging; the relative importance of these factors tends to vary among demographic groups [4].A recent large study across 83 US institutions found that 63% of female students compared to70% of male students persisted in engineering to