New $2 million endowed chair in engineering school

[couch 'em]

Also, I would call classroom bias discriminatory. This article specifically addressed that in Myth 3.

Which it states isn't really a factor, or at least not any more a factor that in other disciplines where there is more gender parity. Considering the vast majority of teachers in the sub-college level are female, I doubt women are being treated in a biased manner. From my experience, quite the opposite is true. I had a math teacher in high school (female) who was fire a few years after I left because of her anti-male bias in teaching and grading.

What really needs to be addressed here is whether or not this is a biological issue. As of recently, many organizations believe it is not biological, but something happens as girls grow up to drive them away from the sciences.

It could very well not be biological, but I think this is one of those subjects that will never get fair treatment because of the taboos associated with it. Something interesting I came across - women are much more likely than men to use their engineering or math degree to go into non-math/engineering fields. Is this indicative of a natural preference for not doing math on a daily basis for the rest of their lives? I don't know.
Up until recently, my boss actually was a woman. She really, really knew her stuff. She had very diverse knowledge. Also former millitary. Her personality was much more like that of an engineer than of a arty or social science type person. Biology? Upbringing? who knows.

SMU should be trying to admit the best engineering students possible, BUT it is also appealing to do so with a diverse student population.

So what does this statement mean? We should admit the best students. Unless the best students don't create a diverse population. You can't admit the best students AND work to create diversity in a situation

You'll see that SMU is trying to recruit girls to the engineering school and retain the ones that are there already.

I sure hope what they are doing to "retain the ones that are there already" is not special treatment, because, again, that is sexism.

[perunapower]

Which it states isn't really a factor, or at least not any more a factor that in other disciplines where there is more gender parity. Considering the vast majority of teachers in the sub-college level are female, I doubt women are being treated in a biased manner. From my experience, quite the opposite is true. I had a math teacher in high school (female) who was fire a few years after I left because of her anti-male bias in teaching and grading.

That's not what the article I was referring to said at all. "Reality: In fact, biases are persistent, and teachers often interact more with boys than with girls in science and math." That's what it said. There is obviously some discrepancy in this area because your article says there isn't and mine says there is.

It could very well not be biological, but I think this is one of those subjects that will never get fair treatment because of the taboos associated with it. Something interesting I came across - women are much more likely than men to use their engineering or math degree to go into non-math/engineering fields. Is this indicative of a natural preference for not doing math on a daily basis for the rest of their lives? I don't know.

It's a good question that requires some research and deeper digging. What fields were they more likely to go into? Law, teaching, medical?

So what does this statement mean? We should admit the best students. Unless the best students don't create a diverse population. You can't admit the best students AND work to create diversity in a situation.

Why not? Not all the best engineering students come from one area. This is going to be really subjective because of the definition of best. I'm not saying it needs to be an exact representation of society. I'm saying let's have a good representative of different ethnicities, different economic backgrounds, different genders, etc. That way there are different perspectives, different beliefs, different ideas that can shape the solutions to our problems. That diversity is important not only in the university, but in the real world.

[Samurai Stang]

I'm not saying it needs to be an exact representation of society. I'm saying let's have a good representative of different ethnicities, different economic backgrounds, different genders, etc.

That sounds quite a bit like a representation of society to me, particularly considering your use of the term 'representative.' Are you willing to take this to its logical conclusion and support a quota system?

[perunapower]

I'm not saying it needs to be an exact representation of society. I'm saying let's have a good representative of different ethnicities, different economic backgrounds, different genders, etc.

That sounds quite a bit like a representation of society to me, particularly considering your use of the term 'representative.' Are you willing to take this to its logical conclusion and support a quota system?

No, because it needs room to fluctuate. It doesn't need to be a percentage based upon the percentage in society as a whole. It doesn't even need to be a percentage; it's all subjective. I'm saying there needs to be female influence in engineering. There needs to be African-American influence in engineering. There needs to be Hispanic influence in engineering. There needs to be lower class influence in engineering. Engineering is all about creating solutions to societal problems, if you don't have all the perspectives how can you possibly come up with the best solutions to the problems you're faced with?

On a different note, why don't you quit trying to trace my arguments to nonfactual conclusions. If I wanted a quota system, I would have argued that we need to ensure that each part of society has its own direct proportion of the student body.

[Samurai Stang]

Engineering is all about creating solutions to societal problems, if you don't have all the perspectives how can you possibly come up with the best solutions to the problems you're faced with?

On a different note, why don't you quit trying to trace my arguments to nonfactual conclusions. If I wanted a quota system, I would have argued that we need to ensure that each part of society has its own direct proportion of the student body.

Engineering is not the problem, culture is. If the problem is to be attacked it needs to be done so at the source. Tell me, if culture is the reason that certain individuals do not excel in engineering, and you are seeking a cultural change for women, then why are you also suggesting that women and minorities embrace their already existing culture in the field of engineering? Perhaps because I am Japanese I can apply my ancient wisdom to solving a problem no one else could. What you are proposing is racist and sexist drivel. And actually, if you read my post you would notice that I had a question mark. That means that rather than stating what you believe, I was asking for clarification.

I'm just not going to even bother with you anymore.

[couch 'em]

No, because it needs room to fluctuate. It doesn't need to be a percentage based upon the percentage in society as a whole. It doesn't even need to be a percentage; it's all subjective. I'm saying there needs to be female influence in engineering. There needs to be African-American influence in engineering. There needs to be Hispanic influence in engineering. There needs to be lower class influence in engineering. Engineering is all about creating solutions to societal problems, if you don't have all the perspectives how can you possibly come up with the best solutions to the problems you're faced with?

On a different note, why don't you quit trying to trace my arguments to nonfactual conclusions. If I wanted a quota system, I would have argued that we need to ensure that each part of society has its own direct proportion of the student body.

You are so mind-blowingly idealistic and irrational it is painful. It is clear to me now, and I should have realized this long ago, that you are either an extreme affirmative-action socialist, or you are just messing with me. If it is the latter, good work, I fell for it. If it is the former, I need to stop responding to you because I find that mentality extremely offensive. I want to be treated in accordance to my own abilities and not each special group that wants recognition. I am a human being, an American, and a Texan, and that is all that should matter in this society.

I will also keep an eye out for nose-diving Japanese Zeros flying around Dallas so I can head the other way.

[jkflamebo]

Isn't that why they have CCPA?

your second brilliant post in the thread. a close second behind the godly leo pucacco comment. very nice, wish leo stuck around

[redpony]

WELL!! talk about discrimination- why didn't the Spanish dept. get part of that $2 million? I suspect our favorite professor of Spanish will never say a word about this because it was money going to an educational group and not for sports/athletics. QUE MALO, QUE MALO! (hehe).

GO PONIES!!!