*This document is a chapter from "Campus Neighborhoods at the University of Michigan: New Approaches to Learning and Living," a 1997 report prepared by a group of faculty, students and Division of Student Affairs staff.

WOMEN IN SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING RESIDENTIAL PROGRAM

Table of Contents

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The University of Michigan Women in Science and Engineering Program, in collaboration with University Housing and the Office of the Vice-President for Student Affairs, has developed a residential living-learning program for first-year and sophomore level women undergraduates interested in science, engineering, or mathematics. This program, entitled the Women in Science and Engineering Residential Program (WISE-RP), combines the current efforts already in progress at the University of Michigan in curricular and pedagogical reform in the classroom with the creation of a supportive and intellectually stimulating out-of-classroom environment and peer group. WISE-RP encourages and supports women undergraduates in these non-traditional fields during a period of traditionally high attrition, while creating a climate conducive to academic progress and success.

The overall goal of the WISE-RP is to increase the retention of women, including women of color, majoring and considering careers in science, engineering, and mathematics by creating a living-learning environment with a supportive, serious academic climate within their residence hall which complements and adds to the in-class experience. The immediate objectives are (1) to develop programmatic support efforts for student that are grade level, i.e. freshman or sophomore, specific; (2) to decrease the isolation of female undergraduates in the sciences, while at the same time maintaining or increasing self-confidence and self-esteem levels; (3) to create an integrated model of academic life with residence life by establishing introductory science/mathematics courses within the residence hall; (4) to evaluate whether or not this sort of intervention effort significantly increases the retention of female students in non-traditional areas; and (5) to disseminate a description or this model and its development and aid in its implementation at other larger research universities similar to the University of Michigan.

WOMEN IN SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING RESIDENCE PROGRAM

MISSION

The Women in Science and Engineering Residential Program (WISE-RP) is a supportive and intellectually stimulating out-of-classroom environment and peer group for women in science, engineering, mathematics and other technical fields. WISE-RP encourages and supports women undergraduates in these non-traditional fields during a period of traditionally high attrition, while creating a climate conductive to academic progress and success. WISE-RP is a supportive community of women which provides inspiration and guidance, builds confidence and pride and results in each individual attaining academic and personal success.

GOAL

The overall goal of the WISE-RP is to increase the retention of women, including women of color, majoring and considering careers in science, engineering and mathematics by creating a living-learning environment with a supportive, serious academic climate within the residence hall which will complement and add to the in-class experience.

OBJECTIVES

• To decrease the isolation of female undergraduates in the science, while at the same
• time maintaining or increasing self-confidence and self-esteem levels.
• To create an integrated model of academic life with residence life by establishing
• introductory science/mathematics courses within the residence hall, with special attention to gender and pedagogy issues.
• To develop programmatic support efforts for WISE-RP student, including, but not limited to, mentoring programs, undergraduate research opportunities, study groups, and peer advising groups, for student participants that are grade level, i.e. first year or sophomore, specific.
• To provide resources and linkages to enhance the undergraduate experience.
• To continually evaluate whether or not this sort of intervention effort significantly increases the retention of female students in non-traditional areas.
• To disseminate a description of this model and its development and aid in its implementation at other large research universities similar to the University of Michigan.

BACKGROUND AND RATIONALE

The University of Michigan has always had a deep concern over the high attrition rates of undergraduate students from mathematics, science, and engineering disciplines. Nationally, between the freshman and the senior years, the percent of students majoring in fields of science, mathematics, and engineering declines from 28.7 to 17.4, a 40% relative decline, with particularly severe losses in biology and engineering (Astin & Astin, 1992). Engineering loses more than half of its students (53% decline during the undergraduate years), while a similar loss occurs among students pursuing careers asscientist/practitioners (primarily medical careers). When all science-related careers are considered together, the number of student pursuing such careers declines from one in four to fewer than one in seven of the undergraduates (Astin & Astin, 1992).

The loss is even more significant for women. Although women made steady gains in representation in science and engineering majors from the 1960's to the 1980's, over the past decade these gains have leveled off or even, in the case of engineering, declined. Studies such as those conducted at Harvard and Radcliffe showed that although 83% of entering female freshmen stated they were very interested in science, by junior year only 44% were still science majors, as compared with 62% of the men (Rayman & Brett, 1993). Evidence shows that the biggest drop-off in women's interest in science frequently occurs after the first introductory science course, which is often considered a "weeding-out" course, due to extremely stiff competition (Manis, Thomas, Sloat, & Davis, 1989). Studies have also shown that women are more likely than men to abandon their interest in science in response to receiving a poor grade (Chronicle of Higher Education, 1991).

The University of Michigan, as well, experiences losses of students, male and female, from science and engineering fields. In a study conducted by Manis et al. (1989), it was found that there is considerable movement by undergraduates away from science majors during the years at Michigan, with no corresponding attraction into scientific fields by students who were initially interested in other fields. The attrition from science was much more marked among women than men.

There have been a number of studies that have addressed issues of male and female attrition from technological fields of study (Astin & Astin, 1992; Rayman & Brett, 1993; Manis et al., 1989). Critical factors that affect students who study science and pursue science-related careers can be found in both their backgrounds and their college experiences. The strongest predictor of student persistence in science is the student's entering level of mathematical and academic competency, a background factor (Astin & Astin, 1992). Nevertheless, large numbers of students with outstanding precollege backgrounds leave science and technical fields at the college level. Significant environmental factors at the college level include the characteristics of the student peer group as well as the type of pedagogy the institution employs. Astin and Astin found that if science students associate with peer groups who have high intellectual self-esteem, these students are "provided with a more 'science-oriented' experience which adds something to their scientific and mathematics knowledge through informal conversations, curricular activities, and other out-of-classroom experiences" (1992). In addition, studies have indicated that a strong student-centered pedagogy encourages student persistence in science studies, recruitment into research careers (including college teaching), and satisfaction with the faculty and curriculum (Astin & Astin, 1992; Manis et al., 1989). Indeed, simply attending a large research based institution (such as the University of Michigan) has a negative effect on student persistence in science majors and careers for all (Astin & Astin, 1992).

The attrition issues are particularly compounded for women. Even when women have been as successful as their male counterparts in their academic program, a variety of factors, external as well as internal, serve as barriers to their achievement. Women may perceive the climate of their undergraduate program as hostile and inappropriately combative and, hence, antithetical to their values and may feel they must walk a tightrope between being regarded as too feminine or too aggressive (Manis et al., 1989). This experience may be compounded by the lack of female faculty role models and by the large number of engineering and scientific faculty from cultures that do not generally favor the entrance of women into professional life (Oggins, Ingelhart, & Brown, 1988). Women perceive that they receive less emotional support from their families for their career decisions than do men. Women often describe feelings of isolation and loneliness in non-traditional fields of study (Manis et al., 1989). Finally, women's perceptions of their own abilities may differ from those of their male counterparts; even when objective measures of achievement are equal, women may exhibit lower self-esteem and underestimate their potential (Oggins, Ingelhart, & Brown, 1988). As a result of the synergistic effect of all these issues, women receive only 30% of the science and engineering bachelor's degrees, although they earn more than 50% of the total baccalaureate degrees awarded. In addition, they receive less than 25% of advance science degrees awarded. As low as these figures are, they would be even lower if the field of psychology is excluded since it represents a more traditionally "female" field (Science, 1993).

WISE-RP DESIGN/STRATEGIES

Key to the success of the WISE-RP are a number of strategies, ranging from social to academic. They include the following:

Contiguous Living Arrangements

In the WISE-RP, all participating women students live contiguously on one floor of a coed residence hall. Currently, the approximately 120 women students participating in WISE-RP live on the top floor of Mosher-Jordan Residence Hall. Although this sort of living arrangement may appear to be easily achieved, perhaps even without a special program, it is important to remember that the University of Michigan houses over 10,000 single undergraduate and graduate students in 18 residence hall facilities. It is highly unlikely that women students with similar interests in non-traditional fields will find themselves living within the same residence hall, much less the same floor.

Contiguous living arrangements are highly important to the success of the WISE-RP. First-year women in science and engineering comment frequently on the sense of isolation and loneliness they experience both within and outside of the classroom (Manis et al., 1989). The formation of a living-learning community provides introductions, support, encouragement, and informal networks.

One of the women engineering students who participated in our pilot program in 1993 commented in a focus group that "I was so scared to come here. I cried the whole first weekend. I was ready to go home to Chicago and enroll in a community college. But then I met a woman in the program in the room across the hall from me. We just started talking. I found out right away she wanted to be a civil engineer. Before long, we were talking about our families and all the things we're interested in. This program is why I am still here today" (Wenzel & Davis, 1994). Many of the women students in the pilot program commented that this was the first time they have had female friends who are also interested in mathematics and science (Wenzel & Davis, 1994). The resident advisor in the pilot program, a woman engineering student in her junior year, commented that she was impressed by the quantity of and quality of conversations about particular courses that the students were taking, which also included talk about science, engineering and mathematical issues in general. The resident advisor had never observed this before in her two previous years within the university housing system (Davis, 1994).

Formal and Informal Study Groups

The WISE-RP provides participants with both formal and informal study groups. Formal study groups are arranged by the WISE-RP program staff and include designated facilitators (generally upper division students or graduate students). Informal study groups are arranged by the students themselves, who are provided by program staff with lists of all WISE-RP students and the courses that they are taking. Rooms and facilities are also made available for these groups to use.

The sheer size of the research university, with large introductory courses and large university residence halls, make it very difficult for such study groups to form spontaneously. In a study conducted by Coppola et al., a student commented in a focus group that he was certain that there must be other chemistry 210 students in his residence hall with whom to study, but it was December before he could find them. By then it was too late (Coppola, Malanchunk, & Davis, 1994). In addition, women students in non-traditional fields often find it particularly difficult or intimidating to become a member of a study group.

Academic/Career Workshops

A variety of academic/career oriented workshops are conducted within the residence hall for WISE-RP participants. In a typical year, the following workshops are offered:

• Connecting with Faculty
• Word and Web Training
• Issues in Women in Science
• Academic Advising/Preparing to Crisp
• Biology of Cancer
• Final Exams: Preparing for Success
• Conversations with (former) President Duderstadt and Vice-President Hartford
• "Next Steps" Workshop
• Gender-Based Research Symposium (with UROP)
• Tour of Parke-Davis Research Facilities
• Careers in Biology (or Mathematics, or whatever)

Topics for workshops are selected by the students themselves. An important component of these workshops is the use of female role models. There is evidence that the use of successful role models is very important for women in terms of self-efficacy expectations (Betz, 1994). The lack of female role models in science, engineering and mathematics is often cited as a factor which discourages women from considering these careers (Manis et al., 1989). It is entirely possible for a woman student to major in science and engineering at Michigan and never encounter a female faculty member.

Social/Nonacademic Workshops

To balance the academic/career workshops, a variety of nonacademic workshops are presented.

These can include the following:

• Ropes Course
• Halloween Concert
• Halloween Party
• Time/Stress Management
• Total Mind and Body Relaxation
• Massage Workshop
• Finals Study Break
• Time Management
• UM Hockey Game
• Pseudo-Slumber Party
• Project SERVE Week
• End of Year Reception
• Pizza Party

Academic Advising

A WISE-RP academic advisor, with a background in science or engineering, holds regular office hours within Mosher Jordan Residence Hall specifically for student participants. This individual helps residents clarify issues which arise from their academic experience, discover resources that help in decision-making, and identify options within the University. He or she discusses with students concerns surrounding specific academic difficulties, the issues involved in selecting an academic major, and the finer points in negotiating the University registration system.Special Sections of Frst-Year Classes taught for WISE-RP Participants.

Over the past decade, the University of Michigan has made a concerted effort to improve the academic experience of first-year students within introductory science and mathematics courses. Nevertheless, these curricular modifications are not designed to counteract certain phenomena regarding women's behavior and attitudes in traditional science and mathematics courses: the reluctance of women to speak up in classrooms dominated by their male classmates, and the lower level of confidence expressed by women, compared to men of similar abilities and interests, in their ability to succeed in areas seen as non-traditional for women.

Special sections of mathematics and science courses are conducted specifically for participating students. Some of these are within the WISE-RP residence hall while others are elsewhere on campus. These sessions, although using the same curriculum, differ in significant ways from parallel class sections within the larger university setting. First, the mere physical setting of the residential hall as the location for these courses may offer a subtle psychological boost, in that the undergraduates enrolled may find the classes less intimidating since they are being offered on the students' "home turf," rather than in a somewhat more anonymous traditional classroom setting. Secondly, the faculty who are selected for teaching these classes are supportive of the initiative to reduce female attrition rates in science, and as such have examined their curricular offerings and pedagogical techniques in order to consider any appropriate changes.

The most important difference, however, lies in the pedagogical techniques used in these classes and the fact that the classes are either all female or majority female. The "chilly climate" has been well documented for women, from grade school through graduate school (Hay & Jensen, 1992). This includes the fact that male students are called on more frequently, female students are interrupted more frequently, male students are asked higher-order thinking questions, male students are coached through questions more frequently, using only male examples, looking at male students when asking class questions, etc. This does not occur in the predominately female sections in WISE-RP. Indeed, in focus groups with pilot program participants, the lack of a chilly classroom climate issue was the most frequently raised issue. Students felt comfortable and secure, able to ask questions and participate without being ridiculed or devalued by male students (Wenzel & Davis, 1994).

It is important to recognize that the chilly climate can occur not only in the classroom, but also in out-of-classroom settings, such as the residence hall. The most surprising preliminary finding of the pilot program evaluation is that participating women students found the combined academic and residential atmosphere of the living-learning situation the most desirable part of the pilot program. They felt that they had been "given permission" to be exactly the sort of person they wanted to be: studious, serious, interested in excelling in mathematics and science, taken seriously, and participating fully. They did not have to conform to campus and residence hall sub-cultures which discourage this serious yet stimulating academic atmosphere and which all too often devalue women. Significantly, however, the women emphasized that they did not feel "cloistered" but were developing self-esteem and self-confidence that they carried with them to the rest of the coed university setting.

Research Opportunities

In addition to workshops on how to find research internship opportunities, selected WISE-RP students participate in the University of Michigan Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP). UROP and the university-wide WISE Program jointly developed a women in science undergraduate research internship program in 1989. This successful program is now conducted exclusively by UROP. UROP works closely with WISE-RP staff in conducting research experiences in science, engineering and mathematics for both first-year and sophomore level students.

WISE-RP STAFFING CONFIGURATION

WISE-RP serves a number of schools and colleges which enroll undergraduate students in science, engineering, and mathematics. As such, there is no direct reporting line to any individual school or college. Instead, WISE-RP reports collaboratively to the university-wide Women in Science and Engineering Program and University Housing. Any WISE-RP staff, however, are considered Housing employees.

Professional Positions

The WISE-RP Director provides the critical on-site leadership for the living-learning program. This person must have professional training in student services and/or higher education and be knowledgeable about issues in science/engineering/mathematics education as well as equity issues. It is not necessary, and perhaps not even desirable, for this individual to have faculty status. The Director works in collaboration with the Director of the university-wide Women in Science and Engineering Program and a designated representative in University Housing. He or she also works closely with the CORE of the residence hall. The director manages all aspects of the program, including recruitment, marketing, retention, evaluation, subject matter, organization and staff selection. He or she also serves as a liaison with the rest of the University and community constituencies.

Coordinator of Residence Education (One @ 100%)

The Coordinator of Residence Education's responsibilities remain as they currently are, with the exception that he or she works together with the WISE-RP Director to fulfill the mission and goals of the program.

Administrative Assistant (One @ 50%)

The Administrative Assistant provides support to the Director as well as the participants in the program.

Graduate Student Assistant/Research Assistant (One @ 50%)

The Graduate Student Assistant assists that program by participating in the evaluation efforts as well as developing and conducting programmatic efforts.

Paraprofessional Student Positions

Resident Advisors (3)

Currently, the WISE-RP requires three Resident Advisor positions. Ideally, all resident advisors are pursuing degrees in science, engineering, or mathematics.

NATIONAL RECOGNITION

The WISE Residential Program has become a national model. From the very beginning, the importance and significance of creating a supportive out-of-classroom experience for women in science, engineering, and mathematics has been recognized, both by national funding organizations as well as peer institutions.

The Department of Education, through the Fund to Improve Post-Secondary Education (FIPSE), recognized the importance of this model very early in its development. The financial support provided by FIPSE, which is an extremely competitive program, validated the undertaking while providing a national forum for dissemination purposes.

Recently, the National Science Foundation presented the "Recognition Award for the Integration of Research in Education" (RAIRE) to both the WISE Residential Program and the University of Michigan Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program. This new initiative on the part of NSF provides $500,000 in support to UROP and WISE-RP over the next three years. The University of Michigan was only one of ten institutions so honored nationally.

Lastly, the University of Michigan has been asked by the Committee on Institutional Cooperation (CIC), through its NSF funded Women in Science and Engineering Initiative, to serve as a host site for a best practices workshop on living-learning programs for women in non-traditional fields of study. Three representatives from each participating CIC institution (fifteen in all) will convene in Ann Arbor next April for a two-day workshop.

INITIATIVES FOR THE FUTURE

Production and Dissemination of a "How-To" Manual

As part of the FIPSE funded initiative, a "how-to" manual will be published and disseminated. This manual will describe in detail how to develop, conduct and evaluate a residential living-learning program for women in science and engineering. A paper copy will be produced for distribution. In addition, an electronic version will be available within the UM-WISE Program web page.

Incorporation of Instructional Technology into the Living-Learning Program

The Residence Halls Computing Program (RESCOMP) and the Information Technology Division have done an extraordinary job in providing computing services to students living in UM residence halls. Together, they provide both computing infrastructure (laboratories and networks) as well as education.

Since the WISE-RP is composed of students working in scientific and technical fields, it seems only natural to fully utilize the computing opportunities available to them. To date, most of the instructional technology efforts reported nationally or locally have either concentrated on in-classroom experiences or distance learning (which still often utilizes the classroom format). Within the WISE-RP, we have the unique opportunity to develop a model for out-of-classroom instructional technology programs.

A number of intriguing possibilities exist. A seminar series could be developed focusing on the analysis and presentation of data. Faculty members, no matter where their research is taking place, could share data sets. These could be analyzed by WISE-RP students and then graphically displayed, using both the latest available technology and software. This will provide a wonderful opportunity for young scientists and engineers to be introduced to the complexities of research, as well as methods of presentation.

In addition, instructional technology provides tremendous potential for electronic mentoring. Currently the UM-WISE Program is developing an electronic mentoring program for undergraduate and graduate women jointly with the Committee on Institutional Cooperation (CIC). Potential mentors will be faculty members and research scientists within CIC institutions. WISE-RP students will be an integral part of the CIC-mentoring program. The possibility also exists for electronic mentoring between the WISE-RP students and K-12 students across the State of Michigan. Thus, WISE-RP students will have the opportunity to not only be mentored, but also serve as mentors themselves.

Obviously, any instructional technology programs will be a highly collaborative effort. The UM WISE Program, ITD, RESCOMP, the various schools and colleges, K-12 schools, faculty, teachers, and the Merit Network are all possible participants.

Further Development of a Sophomore Specific Programmatic Effort

One of the most rewarding aspects of the WISE-RP is the high number of women wishing to return to the program as sophomores. This, however, offers special challenges. It is desirable to have dedicated programming for second year students, that builds upon and complements the first year experience. Although some attempt to do this has been made, it is clear that this is an area that could use more development. One possibility is "Planning Your Future" groups, an activity developed by the UM-WISE Program for upper division women students within the College of Engineering. These small discussion groups, generally two-hour sessions conducted once a week for six weeks, are led by trained counselors and focus on how to build a peer support network, how to maintain effective relationships with faculty and mentors, and how to accurately assess one's own talents and strengths. Issues pertaining to women's development and self-esteem are also addressed in these small group sessions. Upper division students who have participated in "Planning Your Future" groups in the past have indicated that the experience provided them with a strong sense of commonalty with other women students as well as a sense of future visions and how to achieve them.

WISE-RP students have recently expressed an interest in community service projects, particularly as they pertain to math/science education. A number of students have already participated in career days at the K-12 level and have provided great assistance in recruiting efforts for WISE-RP at area high schools. The possibility of mentoring or tutoring, either in person or electronically (see above) will be explored and developed in the future.

The WISE-RP has had to turn students away in the past two years. Early in the origin of the program, it was felt that approximately 120 students participating in the program was optimal. A larger program, we thought, would lack the sense of community that we were trying to achieve. In addition, the increase in students applying to the program has been largely in the field of engineering. The WISE-RP has always tried to evenly divide participants between the fields of science and engineering. This is getting increasingly difficult to do.

EVALUATION

Research has indicated that the first and second year are critical points of attrition for women in science, engineering and mathematics. An important component of the WISE-RP is continual evaluation to determine whether or not women participants are retained in these non-traditional disciplines. It is also important to look at levels of self-esteem and self-confidence. Women's self-esteem and self-confidence often drop during the undergraduate years, and often are a predictor of switching out of science.

Preliminary analyses of information collected as part of the first year of the WISE-RP suggest that the program does indeed offer the sorts of advantages envisioned for it. Participants who lived in the WISE-RP during this pilot year (1993-94) were asked to comment on how the atmosphere in their residence hall helped or hindered their academic progress and interests. Several factors were frequently cited as advantages: (1) It was easy to find someone to confer with on problems in courses or assignments. (2) Hall mates understood the pressures and standards, including the amount of time required to complete assignments, that respondents face. (3) Norms developed which reflected these pressures, making it more acceptable to devote more time to studying and less to partying.

Conversely, students with similar academic interests who were not participating in the WISE-RP frequently commented on the difficulties of studying in their residence halls, citing the noise level in many of the halls, the lack of understanding of the time required for science courses, and, in some cases, a lack of commitment to academic goals among hall mates that made it difficult for the respondents to adhere to their own goals.

In the past three years, WISE-RP participants and a control group (students interested in science, mathematics, or engineering who are living in other residence halls) have been asked to complete a questionnaire at the beginning of their first year at UM. This survey asks about their educational career interests and goals, their preferred ways of studying, their perceptions of difficulties encountered by students in the sciences, how they react when they do not do as well as they would like to, a measure of self-esteem, and attitudes about various aspects of pursuing scientific careers.

WISE-RP participants have continued to be surveyed as they proceed through their undergraduate years at Michigan. This data is currently being analyzed. Longitudinal evaluation, both qualitative and quantitative, will continue to be an important component of the evaluation process.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

REFERENCES

Astin, A.W. & Astin, H.S. (1992). Undergraduate science education: the impact of different college environments on the educational pipeline in the sciences. Higher Education Research Institute, Graduate School of Education, University of California, Los Angeles, CA.

Betz, N. (1994). Basic issues and concepts in career counseling for women. In W.B. Walsh & S.H. Osipow. (Eds.), Career counseling for women. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Chronicle of Higher Education. (1991, June).

Coppola, B., Malanchunk, O., & Davis, C. S. (1994). Evaluation of Chemistry 210: Structure and reactivity. manuscript in preparation.

Davis, C. S. (1994). Unpublished data.

Hay, S. & Jensen, M. L. (1992). Gender and pedagogy in higher education: A selected bibliography. CEW Research Report, University of Michigan.

Manis, J. D., Thomas, N. G., Sloat, B. F., & Davis, C. S. (1989). Factors affecting choices of majors in science, mathematics and engineering at the University of Michigan. Report #23, Center for the Education of Women, University of Michigan.

Oggins, J., Inglehart, M., & Brown, D. R. (1988, August). Entering traditionally "male" fields: Women's limits of women's choices. American Psychological Association, Atlanta, GA.

Rayman, P. & Brett, B. (1993). Pathways for women in the sciences. Center for Research on Women, Wellesley College.

Science Magazine. (1993, April).

Wenzel, S. & Davis, C. S. (1994). Focus group transcripts. Unpublished data. University of Michigan.