In an era of scarce resources, colleges and universities are increasingly turning to big donors to fund efforts focused squarely on closing achievement gaps in science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields (STEM).
For more than a decade, institutions have tried — without much success — to address the ongoing disparity. Still, that has not kept them from trying.
“The time is never right to simply throw in the towel because there is so much that can and should be done to help move the needle when it comes to STEM,” says Dr. Daphne Greenfield, an educational consultant who provides ongoing guidance to colleges and universities on how best to focus their work on underrepresented groups. “Critical resources are needed now more than ever before to help turn the numbers around.”
Indeed, while STEM has become a buzzword in educational and professional circles, it has become increasingly difficult to recruit women and minorities to such academically diverse fields.
Experts note that historically, these groups have accounted for a small fraction of college students who pick STEM majors. In fact, according to a recent report by the U.S. Census Bureau, though women make up nearly half of the American workforce, they constitute only 26 percent of STEM workers. Similarly, African-Americans account for 6 percent and Hispanics for 7 percent of professionals currently employed in a STEM-related career.
“Clearly, we have a lot of work to do,” says Greenfield. “And industry and research has to help fund initiatives and studies that will allow faculty at colleges and universities to work on finding some tangible solutions.
Sonoma State’s approach to STEM
