SWE - Winter 2008 - (Page 5)

PRESIDENT’S NOTE What is the role of public policy? SWE continues to make progress in the public policy arena, enhancing our position and credibility as a resource for government and policy makers. We began this effort four years ago, making this start of the calendar year an ideal time to review the role of public policy, how our involvement in this sphere contributes to attracting and retaining women in engineering, and our progress to date. One of the Society’s objectives is to be a center of information on women in engineering. But if we are to fulfill our overall mission, it is not enough to simply gather data and wait for others to utilize it. Based on our expertise, the logical step is to advocate for women in engineering and to promote and improve science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education. By doing this, we are advocating to increase the visibility and Michelle Tortolani importance of STEM education and work; and promoting women’s successes both in completing academic programs and advancing in academic careers. tion papers are the vehicle for SWE to provide background on an issue, publicize our position, and offer our recommendations. I Hosted several briefings to Congressional staff on STEM-related topics and one roundtable discussion for organizations concerned about these issues. Through these briefings, SWE becomes a resource for policy makers, who then leave the briefings with a better understanding of the issues and are better equipped to make their own informed decisions about possible legislative remedies. I Testified before a subcommittee of the House Committee on Education and Labor at a hearing on, “Building on the Success of 35 Years of Title IX.” We addressed how Title IX can be used as a tool to increase the participation of women in engineering. I Accepted an invitation to chair the planning committee for the newly formed Congressional Diversity and Innovation Caucus; and will plan briefings and educational programs for members of Congress and their staffs on the importance of diversity in STEM fields. We will continue to strengthen our position as a resource to policy makers, making recommendations to improve STEM education; and continuing to educate other professional societies and policy makers on Title IX’s application to STEM fields. Where are we going? Why should we influence public policy? First, it is a scale issue. No one organization or activity can solve the problem of declining numbers of women entering engineering. It will require a collective focus of awareness, information, partnering, programs, tools, and action to improve the recruitment and retention of women in engineering. Secondly, if we are going to serve as an advocate, then we have a responsibility to be an advocate. How can you as a SWE member become more involved in these initiatives? I We have developed a formal public policy program because we recognize the necessity to educate those in government who can help SWE advance its mission. Our goals are to raise awareness of the need to improve STEM education, share effective programs, and offer programs to support the success of girls in K-12 STEM education. We have found that policy makers are interested in our point of view, and we have moved into a position where we are recognized and sought after. As of today, we have: I Published two position papers — one on “STEM Education and the Need for a U.S. TechnologicallyLiterate Workforce,” and a second on “The Application of Title IX to STEM Fields.” These posi- Where are we today? I Contact your legislators — legislators listen to their constituents. I Reinforce the points we have communicated in our position papers to your legislators. I Use the toolkit, available on the public policy page of our Web site, to access the available data and information to understand events and issues of importance to women engineers and effectively communicate the issues to legislators at the local and state levels. I Stay informed of the Society’s activities on public policy initiatives by accessing the public policy page of our Web site and through updates published in the monthly issues of SWE News. Thanks to our combined efforts, we have made significant progress in these areas and continue to, coming closer to fulfilling the SWE mission. FY08 SWE President SWE WINTER 2008 5

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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