Introduction

Engineering faculty numbers at all three academic ranks have been increasing in recent years. The data in the graph below define the magnitudes of these increases.

The growth trends shown in the graph above follow a period of increasing undergraduate and graduate enrollments. Full-time undergraduate enrollments increased from a minimum in Fall 1996 and reached a maximum in Fall 2003. Master's and doctoral full-time enrollments increased from their minima in Fall 1998 and Fall 1997, respectively. Master's enrollments reached a maximum in Fall 2003 and doctoral enrollment growth slowed substantially in Fall 2004. Typically, faculty growth lags behind enrollment growth and the period of faculty growth extends beyond the end of enrollment growth.

This report focuses on the number of women who have decided upon professional careers in engineering education, a matter important to the entire engineering profession. Engineering Trends is pleased to acknowledge the expansion in Fall 2001 of the annual surveys of the American Society for Engineering Education to include faculty ethnicity and gender data.

Growth of the Number of Women in the Three Faculty Ranks

As shown in the graph below, increases in the number of women in all three academic ranks have occurred since Fall 2001. The significant growth at each of the academic ranks should be applauded and it results from a concerted effort of the entire engineering academic community.

It is noteworthy that that the rankings of the data in the two graphs above are reversed. The ratio of all full professors to assistant professors is greater than unity. For women, the ratio is less than unity. Growth in the fraction of women with faculty appointments is shown in the graph below.

The achievement of growth in the number of women in all three academic ranks must also be considered relative to maintaining this growth. The combined growth from 8.9% in Fall 2001 to 10.3% in Fall 2004 is substantial. However, the current level would appear to indicate that sustained effort for many more years is necessary to bring about a satisfactory outcome.

Issues of Importance for Continued Achievement

Continued growth in the number of women with engineering faculty positions will be primarily determined by (a.) the promotion of women holding assistant professor positions, (b.) the number of doctorates awarded to women and (c.) the interest of women in academic careers. The fact that women in the assistant professor rank greatly outnumbers those in the associate and full professor ranks results in a major way from the usual period of "time-in-grade" prior to promotion and the rapid growth in recent years in engineering doctorates awarded to women. (A decade ago, the fraction was only 60% of the AY2004-05 number).

An Engineering Trends study in 2005 (Report 0105A) estimated that there was essentially the same interest level of women in academic careers as there was for all engineering doctoral degree recipients. It is surprising that the well-known interest in increasing the number of women in engineering faculty positions has not prompted a greater interest on the part of women in academic careers.

An Engineering Trends report (0506C) issued at the same as this present report indicates that the fraction of engineering degrees awarded to women since AY2000-01 is not increasing at the same rate as in the previous 25 years. The increases in the fractions of bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees awarded to women from AY1975 through 2000-01 was about 0.7% per year for each of the three degrees. Since AY2000-01 (through AY2004-05), bachelor's degrees declined 0.2% per year, master's degrees increased only 0.1% per year and doctoral degrees increased 0.3% per year. It should be anticipated that the declines in the bachelor's degree data will be passed on to the master's and doctoral fractions in the next few years.

Summary

Significant progress has been made in increasing the number of women in engineering faculty positions as shown by data compiled since Fall 2001. However, the fraction of women holding academic positions (10.3% in Fall 2004) indicates that substantial additional progress is necessary. Continued growth will require effort in increasing the number of women receiving doctoral degrees, increasing the fraction of those graduates who choose academic careers and providing the means for advancement of assistant professors through the academic ranks.

Acknowledgments

The faculty, degree and enrollment data used in this study originated from the annual surveys of the American Society for Engineering Education and the Engineering Workforce Commission of the American Association for Engineering Societies. Engineering Trends acknowledges the efforts of these organizations in providing credible data and expresses its gratitude for their services to the engineering profession. Persons seeking further information about their surveys and the availability of survey data should visit the ASEE Web site (www.asee.org) and the EWC Web site (www.aaes.org).

Footnote

Engineering Trends data are compiled mainly from information submitted by universities to the annual surveys of EWC and ASEE. On the very rare occasions where errors in data appear, Engineering Trends corrects the error, if possible, or deletes the data if the error is large enough to alter significantly the trend of the university or the US total.