SWE - Winter 2008 - (Page 22)

leave both the academic and business worlds at steady rates, and remedies must be sought. SWE President Michelle Tortolani, left, with Dr. Frehill, SWE Executive Director and CEO Betty Shanahan, and Dr. Shalala. Newly formed caucus a cause for optimism The House Diversity and Innovation Caucus is led by U.S. Representative Silvestre Reyes of Texas. Representative Reyes and five other original co-chairs created the caucus in March 2007 to help develop policy solutions regarding the under-representation of minorities and women in STEM fields. The caucus held an inaugural event in June in which SWE played a key role (see Fall 2007 issue of SWE, pg. 30). Speaking at the October briefing, Rep. Reyes said, “If we are to remain an innovative and economically competitive nation, the face of our high-tech work force must reflect the true face of America. Our work force will not be the best that America has to offer if we do not ensure that we are taking advantage of all pools of domestic talent.” Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson, also a Texas Democrat and caucus co-chair, served with Representative Reyes as an honorary co-sponsor of the briefing. She is a senior member of the House Committee on Science and Technology and longtime advocate for women and minorities in the STEM professions. The Diversity and Innovation Caucus has approximately 51 members and is growing, with plans to take a more visible role in the upcoming year. This group cares about and thinks about the issues critical to the SWE mission. It would be worthwhile for readers to determine whether their congressional representatives are members, and if not, encourage them to become part of it. See the public policy section of SWE Web site for details. Policy solutions in development At this writing, Congress has returned to session following the Representative Reyes and Dr. Shalala confer before the briefing. Thanksgiving break, facing a full agenda as the year comes to a close. The Higher Education Act has been approved by the House Education and Labor Committee, and should be considered by full House sometime in early 2008. Included within this bill is a provision supported by Representative Johnson to encourage universities to hire and promote more women and underrepresented minorities. The provision is consistent with a recommendation made in the Beyond Bias and Barriers report. According to Representative Johnson’s office, the provision would award a one-time, competitive grant to a consortium of organizations to “assess the feasibility and potential design of an inter-institution monitoring organization on gender and racial equality in campus faculty and administration.” Funding for the provision would be provided by the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE), an existing program that supports innovative education improvement projects. Essentially this provision means that a group would study the feasibility of establishing a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)-like body to monitor academic equity. If that monitoring body were to be permanently established in the future, the impact would be considerable. “While there are many steps in the legislative process before this provision becomes law, the fact that a congressional caucus and a congressional champion like Representative Johnson are analyzing such major legislation through a diversity lens is an exciting development, one that we hope will continue for many years into the future,” said Melissa Carl, SWE’s Washington representative. Another piece of legislation introduced by Congresswoman Johnson in fall 2007 is the Gender Bias Elimination Act of 2007, H.R. 3514. It is, “A Bill to authorize workshops to eliminate gen- der bias for women in careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, and for other purposes.” Still in committee, it is not likely to move to discussion on the House floor in 2007, and likely will need to be re-introduced. In keeping with recommendations from the Beyond Bias and Barriers report, this bill would authorize workshops designed to eliminate gender bias for women in STEM careers and direct research-funding agencies to better enforce federal antidiscrimination laws. H.R. 3514 was endorsed by SWE and more than 65 other organizations as a “critical first step to ensuring that talented and accomplished women scientists and engineers are provided with an equitable work environment.” The endorsement is available online at: www.swe.org/stellent/groups/websit e/@public/documents/webdoc/swe_ 007565.pdf What this means for SWE SWE President Michelle Tortolani observed that, “It will require a collective effort to improve the recruitment and retention of women in engineering and science, and no single organization or activity will solve the problem.” Consequently, as one part of the overall solution, public policy efforts help members of Congress understand and recognize the lack of female retention in the STEM profession. Referring to recent legislative developments, particularly Representative Johnson’s provision in the Higher Education Act, Betty Shanahan, SWE executive director and CEO, states, “This provision brings needed attention to issues of gender and racial diversity at the university level. We see it as a concrete step and important victory for women and minorities, and appreciate the leadership shown by Representative Johnson and the House Education and Labor Committee for including this provision.” “We are now entering the fourth year of our formal public policy program,” Tortolani said, “and we find that policy makers are interested in our point of view. We have moved into a position where we are recognized and sought after, and need to continue building the momentum.” I 22 SWE WINTER 2008 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/swe/fall07/index.php?startpage=32 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/swe/fall07/index.php?startpage=32 http://www.swe.org/stellent/groups/website/@public/documents/webdoc/swe_007565.pdf

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of SWE - Winter 2008

SWE - Winter 2008 Heritage Club President’s Note View from the Executive Suite Editor’s Page Readers’ Forum EWeek 2008 New Faces of Engineering The Leaky Science and Engineering Pipeline Why Do Women Leave the Engineering Work Force? A Greener America = New Growth Fields for Engineers The Off-On Ramp Revolution Recognizing the Historic Contributions of African-Americans Membership Information & Calendar A&B Women in Tune with Technology: SWE 2007 Conference Overview Keynote Address Achievement Award Region, Section, and Collegiate Awards SME Bowl and SWE Anniversaries Engineering World: Point of View: Why I Blog Career Toolbox Book Review SWE Smiles Opportunity Index SWE Scrapbook

SWE - Winter 2008

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