mon challenge for women of color students involves tensions between their demanding CS programs and external pressures to manage and participate in the family structure and to contribute to the family income. Exacerbating the issue are rigid course schedules, faculty who do not understand the cultural expectations upon these students, family members who do not understand the time commitment required to pursue a computer science degree, and lack of job opportunities for students in CS-related fields.

The role of minority-serving institutions. Minority-serving institutions (MSIs), including Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving institutions (HSIs), and Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), have a strong history of producing a disproportionate number of minority female STEM majors who continue on to Ph.D.s. The field of computer science is no exception. While more research is needed in this area, especially for HSIs and TCUs, existing research attributes the persistence of women of color in CS to MSIs’ nurturing environments, faculty who believe in their students, a collaborative peer culture, and special programs such as summer research experiences. Researchers also credit the persistence of women of color in computing to the personal drive of the women themselves.

Nontraditional pathways. More than their White female counterparts, women of color take nontraditional paths to computer science. Many come to CS education later in their lives, long after leaving school with non-CS degrees or no degree at all, and perhaps after starting a family or working full-time. Many begin their computer science education in community colleges, and while some directly transfer afterward to a four-year institution, others periodically “stop out,” taking months or years off before returning to study. Studies reveal that persistence through programs by nontraditional women of color result from a combination of individuals’ drive for economic and academic success and programs that accommodate and encourage them. More research is needed in this area to address profiles of nontraditional students, academic

Future research
needs to address
educational and
career choices and
career trajectories
of women of color.

programs and activities that attract and retain them, and types of degrees and employment they gain.

Policy Implications and
Future Directions for Research

The existing research indicates some potential, immediate steps for institutional policy and action. To help women of color traverse the digital divide and feel they belong in CS, institutions might offer real-world opportunities to gain computer expertise—and thereby a sense of empowerment—in the classroom. They could also provide meaningful and well-paid CS-related employment, such as research and tutoring opportunities, and develop and sustain a supportive learning community that includes women of color and other marginalized students. Practices of organizations and departments that have already made great strides in this area should be documented, widely disseminated, and adapted by others. Further, institutions should explore ways to adapt some practices of MSIs and programs that successfully serve nontraditional students in computer science. To address tensions between family and academic demands, departments might offer more flexibility in their programs, including offering some online courses and scheduling courses more than once a year; allow for a fully integrated, part-time academic track; and increase the number of CS research stipends and work opportunities. Finally, high-level recognition of the many accomplishments of women of color in computing should be given, so that these women may serve as role models to girls and young women of color who may follow in their footsteps.

New research will reveal effective
ways to bring more women of color into
the field. Future studies should include
women in all racial/ethnic groups, but
especially for those groups about whom
information is scarce: Latinas/Hispan-
ics, American Indians/Alaska Natives,
and Asian Americans/Pacific Island-
ers. Future research needs to address
educational and career choices and
career trajectories of women of color,
and more should be learned about the
paths of nontraditional students into
computing careers. Many more stud-
ies on women of color in computing
regarding balance between family and
school or work should be conducted.
Future research should highlight ele-
ments of success for women of color in
CS, rather than dwelling on challenges.
For example, at the institutional, de-
partmental, and programmatic levels,
effective recruitment and retention
practices at MSIs, predominantly White
institutions, and community colleges
need to be better studied so that others
may learn from them. Addressing these
knowledge gaps will point us to practi-
cal solutions to increase the numbers
of women of color in computing and to
ensure their success.

References

1. national academies. Rising Above the Gathering Storm, Revisited: Rapidly Approaching Category 5. national academies Press, Washington, D.c., 2010.

2. national science foundation, national center for science and engineering statistics. Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in Science and Engineering: 2011, tables 5-7 and 7-7, nsf 11-309. arlington, Va, 2011; http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/wmpd/.

3. ong, M., Wright, c., espinosa, l., and orfield, g. Inside the Double Bind: A Synthesis of Empirical Research on Women of Color in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. White Paper presented to the national science foundation, Washington, D.c. (nsf/ reese Project Drl-0635577), March 31, 2010; http:// www.terc.edu/work/1513.html.

4. ong, M., Wright, c., espinosa, e., and orfield, g. Inside the double bind: a synthesis of empirical research on undergraduate and graduate women of color in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Harvard Educational Review 81, 2 (summer 2011), 172–208.

5. ong, M. and hodari, a.k. Beyond the double bind: Women of color in steM. nsf/reese research project funded by nsf-Drl 0909762, 2009–2012.

 

Maria (Mia) Ong ( [e-mail]) is a social scientist at terc in cambridge, Ma, specializing in the experiences of women of color in steM in higher education and careers. she is a member of the committee on equal opportunities in science and engineering (ceose), a congressionally mandated advisory committee to the national science foundation, and a member of the social science advisory Board of the national center for Women in Information technology (nc WIt).

the author wishes to thank the IDB Project team, especially christine Bath, and richard ladner and an anonymous reviewer. this work was supported by nsf-Drl grants 0635577and 0909762, and nsf-reu award 0635577. any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations are solely those of the author.

copyright held by author.