CoNECD is the only annual conference dedicated to all the diverse groups that comprise our engineering and computing workforce. The vision of the CoNECD (pronounced, “connected”) Conference is to provide a forum for exploring current research and practices to enhance diversity and inclusion of all underrepresented populations in the engineering and computing professions including gender identity and expression, race and ethnicity, disability, veterans, LGBTQ+, 1st generation and socio-economic status.
This year’s conference was held in New Orleans, Louisiana, between February 26-28.
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Presentation
Community Colleges & Gender Equity in Computing | Challenges, Needs, and Tools
Monday, February 27th, 3:30 PM CT // Julia Room of the New Orleans Marriott Warehouse Arts District Hotel
Attendees of the Collaborative Network for Engineering and Computing Diversity (CoNECD — pronounced “connected”) 2023 Conference in New Orleans joined NCWIT at a session focused on the issues community college programs encounter, as well as their needs, while working to improve gender equity in computing. Student background, administrative processes, funding resource levels, as well as faculty and administrator buy-in all have implications for how community colleges accomplish gender equity work. Presenter Jamie Huber Ward, Associate Director of Extension Services and a social scientist with NCWIT at the University of Colorado Boulder, shared how the NCWIT Extension Services Learning Circles are supporting community colleges through self-assessment tools and student surveys. She was joined by co-presenters Nancy Binowski, Professor and Chair of the Department of Information Technologies at the County College of Morris, and Erin Carll, Associate Director of the Center for Evaluation and Research for STEM Equity at the University of Washington, for an in-depth look at a paper authored by a collaborative team of researchers from NCWIT, University of Washington Center for Evaluation and Research for STEM Equity (UW CERSE), University of Virginia, County College of Morris, Research Triangle Educational Consultants, and Laurel Ridge Community College.
In the paper, NCWIT resource materials — including the self-assessment tool and student entry survey — were described as helpful to the campus change leader teams because they provided information that informed their actions. The Learning Circles community was also helpful because it provided participants with the opportunity to learn directly from their peers.
Presenters:
- Nancy Binowski
- Erin Carll
- Jamie Huber Ward
Authors:
- Gretchen Achenbach, National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT) and University of Virginia
- Nancy Binowski, County College of Morris
- Catherine E. Brawner, Research Triangle Educational Consultants
- Erin Carll, University of Washington Center for Evaluation and Research for STEM Equity (UW CERSE)
- Jamie Huber Ward, NCWIT and University of Colorado Boulder (UC Boulder)
- Elizabeth Litzler, NCWIT and UW CERSE
- Sherri Sanders, NCWIT and UC Boulder
- Melissa Stange, Laurel Ridge Community College
- Zhen Wu, NCWIT and UC Boulder
