Track 4: Center for Equity and Diversity in Engineering at the University of New Orleans - Using Equity and Inclusion in the Transformation Preparation of Engineers

This award is funded in whole or in part under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public Law 117-2).

The existence of barriers that prevent access to and success in educational and career pathways have manifested have challenged the global prominence of the United States in science and engineering. For students from historically-underrepresented populations, these barriers can prove overwhelming. Providing supportive pathways for historically-underrepresented students addresses both the need for a robust STEM workforce and upward social and economic mobility of students.

This project will work specifically to address the need for a more diverse and inclusive engineering workforce in the New Orleans metropolitan region and Southeast Louisiana – otherwise known as “The Silicon Bayou” – by creating a Center for Equity and Diversity in Engineering at the University of New Orleans (CEDE@UNO). Aligning with the NSF Broadening Participation in Engineering Program, CEDE@UNO will foster the education and professional development of a diverse engineering talent pool at the only public urban-serving research university in Louisiana and within one of the most culturally diverse metropolitan cities in the United States.

Over the course of three years, CEDE@UNO will target four specific goals: 1) increase the diversity of University of New Orleans’ engineering enrollment to more closely reflect New Orleans’ demographics; 2) increase the first-year retention rate among historically-underrepresented engineering students; 3) increase the graduation rate of historically-underrepresented engineering students; and 4) increase the percentage of engineering graduates who are women. The Center will serve all students and faculty of the Dr.

Robert A. Savoie College of Engineering but will particularly focus on improving recruitment, retention, and degree completion of women and historically underrepresented engineers. The Center will accomplish its work using a phased implementation of multiple curricular and co-curricular support strategies that weave together individual, yet synergistic, activities proven to positively impact institutional and engineering student success: 1) targeted undergraduate student recruitment; 2) grades 8- 12 outreach; 3) creation of transfer pathways; 4) modification of College hiring practices; 5) summer bridge program for engineering students; 6) academic support programs, including peer tutoring, supplemental instruction, and a digital loan initiative; 7) faculty professional development focused on equity and inclusivity; 8) evolving the first-year engineering seminar; 9) providing study/lounge space for networking and support; 10) peer mentoring; 11) growth of affinity groups for underrepresented minority and female students; 12) alumni mentorship and experiential learning; and 13) engineering-focused career placement services.

Collectively, these activities will enable the Center and the University’s Dr. Robert A. Savoie College of Engineering to drive the organizational, cultural, and pedagogical changes needed to achieve project goals.

Tracking and comparing program data over time, along with survey and interview data evaluation, will provide a deeper understanding of how multiple, equity-minded practices support one another and facilitate greater success at an urban-serving institution and throughout a city like New Orleans. The project will also advance understanding of how a focus on the values of equity, diversity, and inclusion within these practices can transform a student’s sense of belonging in college and as a graduate.

In addition to meeting the demand for a more diverse and inclusive engineering workforce in New Orleans and Southeast Louisiana, the impacts of this project include fostering and advancing the existing culture at the University of New Orleans, promoting the growth of women and historically underrepresented engineering graduates, and sharing experiences regarding successful practices with other urban-serving institutions.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.