Comparative Case Study of Four Diversity and Inclusion Summit Events

Amy Rachel Betz; Craig Wanklyn; LaVerne Bitsie-Baldwin

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Conference: 2021 CoNECD
Location: Virtual - 1pm to 5pm Eastern Time Each Day
Publication Date: January 24, 2021
Start Date: January 24, 2021
End Date: January 28, 2021
Conference Session: CoNECD Session : Day 4 Slot 1 Technical Session 2
Tagged Topics: Diversity and CoNECD Paper Submissions
Page Count: 10
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--36074
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/36074
Download Count: 294

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Paper Authors

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Amy Rachel Betz Kansas State University

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Dr. Amy Betz is the Assistant Dean for Retention, Diversity, and Inclusion for the College of Engineering at Kansas State University. She is also an associate professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. She received her Ph.D. from Columbia University in 2011.

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Craig Wanklyn P.E. Kansas State University

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Craig Wanklyn, P.E., is the Assistant Dean for Recruitment in the Carl R. Ice College of Engineering at Kansas State University. He is also an assistant professor in the Department of Architectural Engineering and Construction Science and Management. He received his Master’s degree from Kansas State University in 2006 and became a licensed professional engineer in 2009.

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LaVerne Bitsie-Baldwin Kansas State University

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LaVerne Bitsie-Baldwin is director of the Kansas State University Carl R. Ice College of Engineering, Multicultural Engineering Program. She holds an endowed chair, the Dow Directorship for the Multicultural Engineering Program. Bitsie-Baldwin is a citizen of the Navajo Nation and is originally from Tohatchi, New Mexico.

The Multicultural Engineering Program (MEP), established in 1977 as part of the dean's office in the Kansas State University College of Engineering, is a comprehensive program designed to identify, recruit, mentor and graduate Black, Hispanic and Native American students who are enrolled in the college. Bitsie-Baldwin has held this position at K-State since 2005.

Bitsie-Baldwin holds a B.A. in mathematics with a minor in secondary education from Fort Lewis College, Durango, Colorado, and an M.S. in mathematics from Kansas State University. She has also completed course requirements for a Ph.D. in the field of geometric topology.

Her professional memberships include the NAMEPA, American Society for Engineering Education, and the American Indian Science and Engineering Society.

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Abstract

For the past four years, a Diversity and Inclusion Summit (originally called a Town Hall) was held in the Carl R. Ice College of Engineering at Kansas State University, a 16,000+ undergraduate student, predominately white, land-grant institution in the Midwest. The College of Engineering has a selective admissions process, an enrollment of approximately 3,100 students, and direct admit to degree programs with no caps on enrollment. The purpose of this work is to compare the format and outcomes of these events to each other to better understand which programming choices have the greatest impact on engineering student outcomes. Of particular interest is to determine how these events help to create a sense of belonging for underrepresented minorities as well as support the cultural growth and allyship of majority students. The Town Hall events are unique in that they are targeted for the College of Engineering and are jointly planned by students, faculty, and administrative staff. Observational data, university data, event information, and student and staff feedback will be used for the case study. The use of a case study was chosen because of the data available and because case studies have shown to be an effective methodology for tracking and improving program outcomes. The case study began after the third event, preliminary results were incorporated into the fourth event, and then another analysis of all four events was conducted.

The first town hall event featured a faculty panel, guest speaker, and round-table discussions on a variety of topics including LGBTQIA+ issues and veterans’ affairs. The keynote speaker was an engineering graduate of the university who held a high-ranking position with a well-known major employer. The second town hall, similar to the first, featured a faculty panel and round-table discussions. The keynote was delivered by two employees from the diversity and inclusion team at a well-known major employer. The third event was rebranded as a Diversity and Inclusion Summit. It was promoted to students, staff, and faculty as an intercultural learning experience and featured a land-acknowledgement address, student panel, and round-table discussions. The keynote speaker was an engineering graduate of the university who held the position of vice president of diversity affairs with a well-known employer. The fourth event was slightly rebranded once again to a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Summit with small group discussions on a variety of topics and a discussion panel. The keynote speaker was an engineering graduate of the university who held the position of chief diversity officer at a well-known employer. All four events were attended by a college administrator and faculty member who took observational notes regarding the events. A debriefing with the Multicultural Engineering Program Student Advisory Board was completed after the event to obtain student feedback and impressions.

Citation
Format

Betz, A. R., & Wanklyn, C., & Bitsie-Baldwin, L. (2021, January), Comparative Case Study of Four Diversity and Inclusion Summit Events Paper presented at 2021 CoNECD, Virtual - 1pm to 5pm Eastern Time Each Day . 10.18260/1-2--36074

TY - CPAPER
AB - For the past four years, a Diversity and Inclusion Summit (originally called a Town Hall) was held in the Carl R. Ice College of Engineering at Kansas State University, a 16,000+ undergraduate student, predominately white, land-grant institution in the Midwest. The College of Engineering has a selective admissions process, an enrollment of approximately 3,100 students, and direct admit to degree programs with no caps on enrollment. The purpose of this work is to compare the format and outcomes of these events to each other to better understand which programming choices have the greatest impact on engineering student outcomes. Of particular interest is to determine how these events help to create a sense of belonging for underrepresented minorities as well as support the cultural growth and allyship of majority students. The Town Hall events are unique in that they are targeted for the College of Engineering and are jointly planned by students, faculty, and administrative staff. Observational data, university data, event information, and student and staff feedback will be used for the case study. The use of a case study was chosen because of the data available and because case studies have shown to be an effective methodology for tracking and improving program outcomes. The case study began after the third event, preliminary results were incorporated into the fourth event, and then another analysis of all four events was conducted.

The first town hall event featured a faculty panel, guest speaker, and round-table discussions on a variety of topics including LGBTQIA+ issues and veterans’ affairs. The keynote speaker was an engineering graduate of the university who held a high-ranking position with a well-known major employer. The second town hall, similar to the first, featured a faculty panel and round-table discussions. The keynote was delivered by two employees from the diversity and inclusion team at a well-known major employer. The third event was rebranded as a Diversity and Inclusion Summit. It was promoted to students, staff, and faculty as an intercultural learning experience and featured a land-acknowledgement address, student panel, and round-table discussions. The keynote speaker was an engineering graduate of the university who held the position of vice president of diversity affairs with a well-known employer. The fourth event was slightly rebranded once again to a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Summit with small group discussions on a variety of topics and a discussion panel. The keynote speaker was an engineering graduate of the university who held the position of chief diversity officer at a well-known employer. All four events were attended by a college administrator and faculty member who took observational notes regarding the events. A debriefing with the Multicultural Engineering Program Student Advisory Board was completed after the event to obtain student feedback and impressions.

AU - Amy Rachel Betz
AU - Craig Wanklyn P.E.
AU - LaVerne Bitsie-Baldwin
CY - Virtual - 1pm to 5pm Eastern Time Each Day
DA - 2021/01/24
PB - ASEE Conferences
TI - Comparative Case Study of Four Diversity and Inclusion Summit Events
UR - https://peer.asee.org/36074
DO - 10.18260/1-2--36074
ER -