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Session 1028

Team 2000: Women Engineering the Future Deborah Fisher, Norine Meyer, Amy Strobel, Cynthia Villanueva University of New Mexico

Introduction

In Fall 2000, a team of four women created a unique Engineering 116 course for female students at the University of New Mexico (UNM). The underlying intent of the engineering project management course was to develop and foster successful traits and behaviors of the profession of engineers and computer scientists. The course, titled TEAM 2000: Women Engineering the Future, had as its primary function the development of a recruitment video for girls. The class offered entry-level and sophomore students a head start in team collaboration under the direction of advanced undergraduate female students in a project management environment.

Course Purpose

The course had a multi-purpose agenda – addressing both retention of women engineers in the school and offering the students basic engineering skills while raising awareness on the need to recruit girls into engineering. Tasked with designing a recruitment video, the students were directed to: 1) address issues of female pre-college attrition in the math and science realm; 2) portray challenges and opportunities for women at the university level and in the work world; and 3) create a strategy (story) that would encourage young girls to view engineering and computer science fields as viable and exciting choices for a career for themselves.

Within the UNM School of Engineering (SOE), students generally do not have an opportunity to work in project management teams until they are nearing completion of the program. The Instructors designed the team collaboration introductory course to provide a grounding in the most essential skills needed in the engineering work world. The course curriculum goal was: 1) to lay a foundation in general engineering project principles; 2) expose students to engineering design phases; 3) develop an understanding of concurrent engineering and design manufacturing; and 4) use the small task group to analyze best product solutions. Recognizing that small task teams are more functional than large teams, the instructors limited the size of the course. The plan called for three teaching assistants to lead up three task teams. Working with small numbers, there was no expectation that the course would lead to statistically significant results. The primary intent was to engage entering and 2nd year students in team relationships, which would help to build strong bonds with their School of Engineering peers and provide basic skills in engineering concepts and team cooperation.

Proceedings of the 2001 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition Copyright  2001, American Society for Engineering Education

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Meyer, N., & Fisher, D., & Villanueva, C., & Strobel, A. (2001, June), Team 2000: Women Engineering The Future Paper presented at 2001 Annual Conference, Albuquerque, New Mexico. 10.18260/1-2--9884