The Value of SBEAGEP

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The Value of SBE/AGEP

• John MohrUniv of Calif, Santa Barbara
• 2007 AAAS Meetings, San Francisco, CA Session
  "Broadening Participation in the Social,
  Behavioral and Economic Sciences"

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Introduction

• What is the Value of SBE/AGEP?
• Why Spend the ?

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Introduction

• Paper in association with the SBE/AGEP Steering
  Committee
• Karen Cook (Stanford University) Robert Hummer
  (Univ. of Texas)
• Outline

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Why Spend NSF ?

• 2006NSF Strategic Plan 4 Strategic Outcome
  Goals(1) Discovery Foster research to
  advance the frontiers of knowledge(2)
  Learning Cultivate a world class, broadly
  inclusive science and engineering workforce(3)
  Research Infrastructure Instrumentation, etc.
• (4) Stewardship Capable Responsive Org.

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Learning Cultivate a world-class, broadly
inclusive science and engineering workforce.

• (1980) The Science and Engineering Equal
  Opportunities Act gave NSF standing authority to
  support activities to improve the participation
  of women and minorities in science and
  engineering.

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Key Strategy of AGEPFaculty

• Broaden Participation in Science Faculty A
  Goal in itself (as part of Broadening
  Participation Mandate)
• But Also Instrumental to other broadening
  participation goals
• Role Models
• Mentors
• Outreach

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Broadening Participation in Higher Education
Some Progress

• Census Data Age 25-29 College Graduate
• 1959 4.6 Black ? Hispanic (11.9
  White)
• 1974 7.9 Black 5.7 Hispanic (22.0 White)
• 2004 16.9 Black 10.9 Hispanic (28.9 White)

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Broadening Participation in Faculty Ranks Less
Progress

• Full Time Faculty with Tenure
• White (Non-Hispanic) 84.9
• Black (Non-Hispanic) 4.5
• Hispanic 2.9
• Asian/Pacific Islander 6.1
• Amer. Indian/Alaska Native .4
• Race/ethnicity unknown .5
• Nonresident Alien .7
• (Source U.S. Dept of Education IPED Winter
  2003-2004)

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Broadening Participation in Science/Engineering
Faculty Even Less Progress

• Faculty in Science/Engineering Fields
• White (Non-Hispanic) 80.5
• Black (Non-Hispanic) 3.8
• Hispanic 3.0
• Asian/Pacific Islander 11.5
• (Source National Scence Foundation)

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Broadening Participation in Science/Engineering
Faculty The Good News

• Faculty in Science/Engineering Fields
• Tenured or on Tenure Track
• White (Non-Hispanic) 81.5
• Black (Non-Hispanic) 81.8
• Hispanic 80.0
• Asian/Pacific Islander 78.8
• (Source National Scence Foundation)

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Learning Cultivate a world-class, broadly
inclusive science and engineering workforce.

• Clear Need
• Progress being made
• Main Task, increase of Ph.D. students

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Learning Cultivate a world-class, broadly
inclusive science and engineering workforce.

• In addition to Goal of Broader Participation
• Goal of Promoting Better Science Education also
  demands diversity

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Diversity Enhances quality of education.

• Increasingly globalized world
• Much Scientific Evidence Diversity Enhances
  Learning
• Michigan Supreme Court Decision (OConnor)

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Diversity Enhances quality of education.

• Does Diversity Make a Difference? (2000)
  American Council on Education American Assoc.
  of University Professors (Classroom studies)
• Patricia Gurin (Michigan) (Survey Evidence)
• Anthony Antonio (Stanford) (Cognitive Psych)

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Learning Cultivate a world-class, broadly
inclusive science and engineering workforce.

• Mandate and a Need for Broadening Participation
  (especially at Faculty Level)
• Diversity in Educational Settings a Valued Good
  in itself

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Discovery Foster research to advance the
frontiers of knowledge.

• Social Science  Very Clear that bringing women
  and under-represented minorities onto the
  research faculty critical to producing excellent
  science
• Demographic Change since 1970s

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Discovery Diversity Critical for Excellent
Social Science.

• My Dept 32 Faculty 19 Men 13 Women
• 21 White
• 4 African-American
• 4 Hispanic
• 3 Other (Chinese, Philippine, Indian)

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Discovery Diversity Critical for Excellent
Social Science.

• Why Diversity Matters?
• Scientific Fact  Race, Class, Gender huge impact
  on every measured outcome.
• Prime Goal of Social Science understand how
  these institutions operate, how they are
  internalized, resisted, transformed

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Discovery Diversity Critical for Excellent
Social Science.

• Why Diversity Matters? (1) Methodologically
  (Access, Insight)
• (2) Perspective (Feminist Theory ex.)
• (3) Exchange (Faculty as synergistic)
• White Guys Cant Jump -- But they can learn.
• Diversity Changes the Mix of thinking (Corporate)

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Discovery Diversity Critical for Excellent STEM
Science?
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Discovery Diversity Critical for Excellent STEM
Science?

• Direct Effect?
• A more diverse faculty (Gender Race) lead to
  better science?
• Papadopoulos, Greg. 2006. Engineering field
  must have diversity. CNET News, October 5, 2006

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Discovery Diversity Critical for Excellent STEM
Science?

• Indirect Effect?
• Increasingly STEM and Social Sciences are tightly
  coupled and interdependent.
• The more Good STEM Science is Dependent on Good
  Social Science, then the more Good STEM Science
  is dependent on Greater Diversity in Social
  Science

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Discovery Diversity Critical for Excellent STEM
Science?

• Increasingly tightly coupled and interdependent
  STEM SBE Sciences
• (1) Science Technology increasingly able to
  Protect humanity from the ravages of nature.
• (2) Science Technology increasingly has
  ability to harm humanity
• (3) Science itself becoming increasingly social

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Discovery Diversity Critical for Excellent STEM
Science?

• (1) Science Technology increasingly able to
  Protect humanity from the ravages of nature
• Natural disasters like Hurricanes Katrina and
  Rita
• Recent Tsunami disaster
• (Also) Man-made disasters such as terrorism
  (e.g., 9/11)

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Discovery Diversity Critical for Excellent STEM
Science?

• (2) Science Technology increasingly has
  ability to harm/influence humanity
• Global Climate Change
• Biotechnology
• Cultural Changes (TV, Computing, etc.)

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Discovery Diversity Critical for Excellent STEM
Science?

• (3) Science itself becoming increasingly social.
• Larger systems of social organization,
  collaboration
• Larger technology, cyber-infrastructure
• Interface between nanotechnology and human social
  cognition

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Conclusion

• SBE/AGEP Worth its salt?
• Broadens Participation at Faculty Level (Critical
  Juncture)
• Diversity Enhances Educational Excellence
• Diversity Direct Positive Impact on Quality of
  SBE Science
• Diversity Direct Positive Impact on Quality of
  STEM Science
• Diversity Indirect Positive Impact on Quality of
  STEM Science (through increases quality of SBE
  Science)