| |||||||||
|
Abstract
The Center for Information Technology Integration recruits students from a "high tech" pool that produces six times as many male students as females. This poses a challenge to CITI's ability to produce a diverse workplace and affects CITI's ability to meet the needs and goals of the University and society. We propose to develop a novel pilot program and associated measurement strategies that restructure CITI, making opportunities available to a broader pool of applicants, opening the door to effective affirmative action, and promoting gender diversity even in the face of a highly unbalanced applicant pool.
Documentation
Institute for Research on Women and Gender (IRWG) Proposal
Evaluation Questions
These questions were used to evaluate CITI's present circumstances.How do female students learn about internship opportunities at CITI?
Appeal to the student body in general. Target female engineering organizations (i.e. gEECS, SWE) -
1. How do students (in general) learn about internship opportunities
at CITI?
2. Has CITI ever been featured in EECS speaks or any other engineering
publications? Participate in presentations that are available to students?
Arrange for students to give presentations in classes or even give a seminar.
How can CITI make itself better known to qualified internship candidates?
Need to define what makes an internship candidate "qualified". Qualifications must extend beyond technical aptitude. CITI wants to improve its communication within the organization as well as with the academic community and its sponsors -
1. How should CITI try to establish its presence in the academic community?
2. How is CITI currently communicating with sponsors?
Why would female students choose to work at CITI over other opportunities?
The reasons a female student should choose to work at CITI should be no different than any other student's. CITI provides a great employment and research opportunity to any student, and it serves to prepare students for a future career in computing. Also, it pays reasonably and its work schedule is very flexible. Thus, it is far more accommodating than many student jobs in the Ann Arbor area.
How do female interns assess their experience at CITI? (Positive and negative aspects.)
Ideally, the overall work experience at CITI is hoped to help the intern learn more about the technology, gain work experience, and prepare the intern for a career in computing. An accommodating work environment can facilitate the process of achieving such goals.
Who would benefit from a better understanding of CITI's efforts to address gender diversity?
Any company with an information technology department or a technical computing organization probably faces or at some point faced the problem of gender diversity. Also the University of Michigan academic community could benefit from a greater awareness of current IT research and an opportunity to take part in it.
How does the proposed restructuring of CITI affect the cost of doing business? Who will pay?
More jobs that do not necessarily have a direct effect on single particular company-sponsored projects, therefore it will be hard to tell who will be providing the salary of the individual. However, additional jobs are possible with the careful planning and allocation of income.
How do CITI staff and interns view the new roles and responsibilities?
Personal interviews, perhaps more "personal" time between old and new CITI staff members would establish more focus.
What steps can be taken to promote acceptance of the new way of doing business?
CITI interns are primarily concerned with their personal technical task at hand, but if they were more responsible for CITI's relations with its sponsors (the "big picture" of the project), then perhaps they would be able to see the overall benefits the changed bring to the organization.
Resources
(Woman Engineer, Spring 2003) Women Engineers Strive For Excellence [James Schneider]
(Science Magazine, 20 June 2003, v300 p. 1875) Women Scientists: 9.3 Minutes of Fame? [J.D. Wagner and S.R. Caudill]
(Network World, 29 Sept 2003) Female IT professionals cope in a male-dominated industry [Ellen Messmer]
(Science Magazine, 3 Oct 2003, v302 p. 33) Princeton Study Strikes Sad But Familiar Chord [Andrew Lawler]
Unlocking the Clubhouse: Women in Computing [Jane Margolis and Allan Fisher]
Creating the Multicultural Organization: A Strategy for Capturing the Power of Diversity [Taylor Cox Jr.]
 |
|
 |
