ENGINEERING SOCIETIES

Engineering Professional Societies play an important role in supporting and defining academic engineering culture.  Societies are in a unique position to accelerate the gender DEI change proposed.  STEM ProSs a) help inform accrediting bodies, b) set cultural standards for the discipline, c) model discipline culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion, d) offer prestigious recognition and awards, and e) convene national conferences that provide opportunity for broad inclusive engagement and dissemination of information.  Societies serve as national melting pots, for individuals across various careers stages, a variety of academic institutions, and different academic, and academic-influencing professional sectors (e.g., STEM accrediting bodies, national laboratories, corporations, government).  Given the multiple, varied disciplinary functions performed by Societies, and that Societies often engage other culture gatekeepers (e.g.,  accrediting bodies; and corporate, laboratory, and academic organizations), Societies are uniquely positioned as critical levers for STEM systems change (e.g., National Academy of Sciences et al., 2005). 

 ASEE provides a lead and coordinating role for the KnowlEDGE project.  Through KnowlEDGE, ASEE leaders will collaborate with ABET leaders to broaden the commissioner pipeline, support resources to ehance the awareness of the importance of and barriers to inclusion of women in engineering, and advocate for accreditation criteria change to support greater engagement of diverse women engineers.  ASEE will also develop example evidence-based resources and process guidelines to share with other Engineering professional societies to increase collective awareness and transparency. Proposed KnowlEDGE activities and resource deliverables specific to ASEE include: 

  • PEV Process Transparency, Diversification 
  • PEV Gender DEI Training Modules 
  • Gender DEI Change Advocacy
  • KnowlEDGE Cohort Application & Funding (link to learn more about Cohort teams)

Recognition of gender DEI work by exemplar engineering colleges