BU above average for women in ENG

While Boston University is nationally known for its ratio of women to men, the College of Engineering has always been a little different.

While the University possesses a majority of female students, women make up 28 percent of the ENG student body, eight percent above the national average, according to University statistics.

From admitting more women into engineering programs to curriculum changes in the hopes of sparking female interest, engineering colleges seem to have seen the potential of the female engineering market and have gone full steam ahead. However, College of Engineering Deans Dr. David Campbell and Solomon Eisenburg believe that in a very complex world, the influx of women into engineering can only be beneficial in solving problems.

“It has been a long-time priority of the college to actively involve women in the study of engineering,” said Campbell. “We fully comprehend the reality that the world is made up of many different people with many different perspectives.

“The real world is very diverse and so the problems people face are very diverse. The addition of women is intrinsically good for development,” Campbell said. “It brings a fresh perspective to solving problems, overcomes limitations and often makes the resolution that much better.”

Campbell and Eisenburg agreed each school has its own way to recruit candidates, but for BU, it is more about treating all students as equal and less about trying to meet the “special” needs of female undergraduates.

“There is a fine line between a school being proactive and tending to their female students as inferior,” Eisenburg said. “We opted against a ‘Women in Engineering’ program in order to encourage female students to become assimilated into the school.

“We do not think of our female engineers as less able or needing extra support, but instead as equally capable to succeed,” he said.

Campbell said women hold many public and leadership positions within the school, as well as heading the FIRST robotics team.

“There really is a balance present throughout the school,” Campbell said. “Although women may be outnumbered in certain programs within the school, they comprise a huge portion of the engineering honor society and hold many of the leadership roles available to engineering students.

“It seems like many women are often more motivated and dedicated to their work because they had a harder time to get here,” Campbell said.

Neha Patel, a College of Engineering senior, agreed one doesn’t notice the ratio between men and women within the school.

“As a biomedical major, there are so many women within the program, that the percentage difference is very small and you don’t even notice it,” Patel said.

Campbell and Eisenburg said they believe the team-based community within the school allows for a smooth transition for women into the engineering field.

“In many of the classes offered here, students work in coed teams, where women and men are often placed in authoritative roles. It really helps students to get to know each other and become comfortable with one another,” Campbell said. “The students get the opportunity to see that there are a lot of people who look like them and have the same interests as them.”

Allison Warner, a College of Engineering senior, said the gender difference wasn’t a big deal to her.

“In one of my [introduction] classes freshman year, there were only about five girls in a class of 50,” Warner said. “As time passes, you get used to it and don’t even notice it. You really become one of the guys.”

Eisenburg explained the female students’ satisfaction with the college is evident in the retention rate.

“Our approach to retention is generally gender blind and the attrition rates are the same all across the boards,” Eisenburg said. “The number of men and women leaving the program are far and few and the numbers tend to stay balanced. We don’t really lose women after they have enrolled in the college.”

Although the school is above average for the percentage of the female students, it is closer when dealing with female faculty within the school. While the national average states that women make up close to 6 percent of the faculty, they make up 10 percent of the faculty at ENG.

Campbell said they are working diligently to recruit qualified women to the engineering staff.

Campbell and Eisenburg said they believe the only way to fix the lack of female engineers is to begin teaching today’s youth engineering can be a possibility for anyone — male or female.

Campbell explained there is a desperate need for engineers and since most girls have ruled engineering out by ninth grade, the school is currently trying to bring engineering into the middle schools and high schools.

“We have recently designed a camp for children in grades six to nine,” Campbell said. “Our hope is to spark some interest within these kids and educate them against the societal biases that have hindered women from entering engineering.

“The more they learn about engineering, the more they may grow to like it and realize that math and science do not have to be a struggle,” he said.

Eisenburg said he encourages all women, with any interest, to join the school.

Bethany King, a College of Engineering senior, said women should make their own decisions about choosing whatever field they feel is right for them.

“You shouldn’t let society tell you what you should or should not try,” King said. “If engineering is what you want to do, then this is where you should be.”