If You’re Not There, You Can’t Do It:

Shirley M. Malcom, Ph.D.

Advancing Arguments forDiversity in the Sciences

IF YOU’RE NOT THERE, YOU CAN’T DO IT: ADVANCING ARGUMENTS FOR DIVERSITY

Inherently Difficult Problems

Integration of research and education

Interdisciplinarity

Finding and developing “border crossers”

Achieving diversity

IF YOU’RE NOT THERE, YOU CAN’T DO IT: ADVANCING ARGUMENTS FOR DIVERSITY

Access

Retention

Advancement

IF YOU’RE NOT THERE, YOU CAN’T DO IT: ADVANCING ARGUMENTS FOR DIVERSITY

Evidence of Underparticipation

Percentage Percentage PercentageSex, Race/Ethnicity

and DisabilitiesU.S. Population Total Workforce S&E Workforce

1999 1999 1999

White men 35.2 39.9 63.2White women 36.7 34.8 18.6Asian men 1.8 2.0 8.4Asian women 2 1.8 2.6Black men 5.7 4.9 2.1Black women 6.4 5.9 1.3Hispanic men 5.8 5.9 2.4Hispanic women 5.7 4.2 1.0American Indian men 0.4 N.A. 0.2American Indian women 0.4 N.A. 0.1Persons with Disabilities ~20 N.A. N.A.

Source: CPST, data derived from National Science Foundation, SESTAT and U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, March 1999, and NSB, 2002.Note: Totals may not add to 100 due to rounding.

IF YOU’RE NOT THERE, YOU CAN’T DO IT: ADVANCING ARGUMENTS FOR DIVERSITY

Bachelor’s Degrees Awarded in Biological Sciences by Sex, Race/Ethnicity and Citizenship, 1981-2001

IF YOU’RE NOT THERE, YOU CAN’T DO IT: ADVANCING ARGUMENTS FOR DIVERSITY

PhDs Awarded in Biological Sciences by Gender, Race/Ethnicity and Citizenship, 1985-2002

IF YOU’RE NOT THERE, YOU CAN’T DO IT: ADVANCING ARGUMENTS FOR DIVERSITY

PhDs Awarded in Chemistry by Gender,Race/Ethnicity and Citizenship, 1985-2002

IF YOU’RE NOT THERE, YOU CAN’T DO IT: ADVANCING ARGUMENTS FOR DIVERSITY

Percent of Engineering Baccalaureates Earned by Women, Minorities and Non-U.S. Citizens, 1980-2003

IF YOU’RE NOT THERE, YOU CAN’T DO IT: ADVANCING ARGUMENTS FOR DIVERSITY

Percent of Engineering Doctorates Earned by Women,Minorities & Foreign Nationals, 1980-2003

IF YOU’RE NOT THERE, YOU CAN’T DO IT: ADVANCING ARGUMENTS FOR DIVERSITY

Engineering Degrees by Level and Race/Ethnicity, 2003

IF YOU’RE NOT THERE, YOU CAN’T DO IT: ADVANCING ARGUMENTS FOR DIVERSITY

Engineering Degrees by Level and Group, 2003

IF YOU’RE NOT THERE, YOU CAN’T DO IT: ADVANCING ARGUMENTS FOR DIVERSITY

PhDs Awarded to U.S. Citizens in Natural Science and Engineering, by Race/Ethnicity (Underrepresented

Groups and Asians), 1977-2002

0

200

400

600

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1000

Native American Asian African American Hispanic

IF YOU’RE NOT THERE, YOU CAN’T DO IT: ADVANCING ARGUMENTS FOR DIVERSITY

Bachelor’s Degrees Awarded in Mathematics by Sex, Race/Ethnicity and Citizenship, 1981-2001

IF YOU’RE NOT THERE, YOU CAN’T DO IT: ADVANCING ARGUMENTS FOR DIVERSITY

Bachelor’s Degrees Awarded in Computer Science by Sex, Race/Ethnicity and Citizenship, 1981-2001

IF YOU’RE NOT THERE, YOU CAN’T DO IT: ADVANCING ARGUMENTS FOR DIVERSITY

PhDs Awarded to U.S. Citizens in Mathematics and Computer Science, by Race/Ethnicity

(Underrepresented Groups and Asians), 1977-2002

0102030405060708090

1977

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1981

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2001

Native American Asian African American Hispanic

IF YOU’RE NOT THERE, YOU CAN’T DO IT: ADVANCING ARGUMENTS FOR DIVERSITY

PhDs Awarded to U.S. Citizens in Mathematics and Computer Science, by Race/Ethnicity, 1977-2002

0100200300400500600700800900

1000

1977

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1981

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Whites Underrepresented Groups

IF YOU’RE NOT THERE, YOU CAN’T DO IT: ADVANCING ARGUMENTS FOR DIVERSITY

Rationale

Why do people come?

Why do people stay?

Why do people leave?

IF YOU’RE NOT THERE, YOU CAN’T DO IT: ADVANCING ARGUMENTS FOR DIVERSITY

Fixing the System

vs.

Fixing the Students

IF YOU’RE NOT THERE, YOU CAN’T DO IT: ADVANCING ARGUMENTS FOR DIVERSITY

What Does Diversity Bring?

Perspectives

Experiences

Environment

Educational value

IF YOU’RE NOT THERE, YOU CAN’T DO IT: ADVANCING ARGUMENTS FOR DIVERSITY

Underparticipation

A reflection of choices?

Unlikely to affect fields?

Patterns resistant to change?

IF YOU’RE NOT THERE, YOU CAN’T DO IT: ADVANCING ARGUMENTS FOR DIVERSITY

Challenging Notions of Critical Mass

Self-propagation

Hyper-responsiveness

Justice O’Connor’s vision

IF YOU’RE NOT THERE, YOU CAN’T DO IT: ADVANCING ARGUMENTS FOR DIVERSITY

What Next?

Challenging hostile climates

Challenging counterproductive policies

Challenging practices

Enforcement (Title IX)

IF YOU’RE NOT THERE, YOU CAN’T DO IT: ADVANCING ARGUMENTS FOR DIVERSITY

A Seat at the Table

Effective advocacy

Leadership

Power

Data

Arguments

Promising practices

Partners

IF YOU’RE NOT THERE, YOU CAN’T DO IT: ADVANCING ARGUMENTS FOR DIVERSITY

Understanding Power,Its Uses and Abuses

IF YOU’RE NOT THERE, YOU CAN’T DO IT: ADVANCING ARGUMENTS FOR DIVERSITY

Using Power for “the Good”

Colleges and universities

Public sector

Private sector

Nonprofit sector

Community

Personal interactions

IF YOU’RE NOT THERE, YOU CAN’T DO IT: ADVANCING ARGUMENTS FOR DIVERSITY