Reading Reaction #3: Thinking Into the Future

It is always great to think about improving what is here and now but it is also extremely beneficial to be thinking about what is going to happen later on in the future as well. In the National Academy of Engineering (2004), the authors use the knowledge of what is known now about engineering and what engineering is currently constructed as to creating a goal to reshape engineering as they best see fit. Their major goals to succeed by 2020 include: valuing and understanding engineering education more, make engineers more historical and socially aware of the world’s challenges, push engineers towards leadership opportunities, and increase the diversity in recruitment and retention. From and Ethnic Studies viewpoint, I believe that they do cover two fundamentals of improving engineering education which is: in diversity and to become a “global engineer”. They state that it is important to “ethically assist the world in creating a balance in the standards of living for developing and developed countries alike” (National Academy of Engineering (2004), p. 51). I find this important because we need to focus on the good for all people rather than just looking out for ourselves. Plus, it is important to increase diversity, whether it be race, gender, socio-economic status, etc. With diverse engineers can come great ideas and innovation and potentially create different viewpoints in looking at certain aspects of engineering.

But after reading Hess’s piece, I am conflicted in believing whether all of this is possible. He points out that there is institutionalized racism and discrimination for women and people of color with the glass ceiling. He also discusses the importance of providing a more diverse staff to “provide diverse role models for the students” (Hess 252). Beyond that I also wonder if it would be better to hire younger professors who have had experiences with a slightly more diverse group of engineers or diverse undergraduate program rather than retain older professors who most likely only had most, if not all, White males in their undergraduate program. From interviewing a woman of color in engineering, I have learned this to be true. She stated that the younger professors were more engaged with students and more willing to help rather the older professors who tend to maintain a distance to her (this may not be true for all professors but for some). I think this may help create a more comfortable atmosphere by having a new generation of staff coming in who may have new goals in mind.

I believe that the goal of diversifying engineering is a great goal, but I really doubt that it will become diverse in 2020. I believe we are still far away in creating equality and equal opportunities, like in recruitment. We see this in Cal Poly where most of the students are from good high schools and from higher income homes, which do provide more opportunities and courses (such as AP courses) to excel. I do not know when this goal will actually be achieve, but I do have hope that we are progressing by focusing more on this problem and trying to do something about it.

Works Cited:

National Academy of Engineering (2004), “Chapter 3: Aspirations for the Engineer of 2020” (pp. 47-52) (in The Engineer of 2020: Visions of Engineering in the New Century).

Hess (1995), “Conclusions: Science, Technology & Multicultural Education”.