Advancing Women in STEM: Assessment and Evaluation of Programs

The diversity gap in STEM presents both a challenge and opportunity for higher education. Despite high interest from first-generation students, women, transfer students, and marginalized groups, these populations remain underrepresented in science and technology fields. This presentation at the Big Ten Academic Alliance Summit Series on Advancing Undergraduate Women in STEM by research professor Cynthia L. Blitz, titled “Advancing Women in STEM – Program Survey Results,” documented program offerings and best practices at   the alliance universities across themes of the Summit and as found in the   data from the completed surveys. This included the identification and analysis of barriers to and facilitators of broadening participation.

The presentation recommended a roadmap for the alliance universities to perform their own evaluations of individual strengths and weaknesses. A post-presentation plenary discussion further detailed setting program goals and implementing evaluation tools. This presentation was part of the series launch at Rutgers University–New Brunswick.