In 2001, NSF encouraged computing researchers to address the need for BP by introducing the Information Technology Workforce (ITWF) program and housing it within the Computer & Information Science & Engineering (CISE) Directorate. ITWF called for systematic research efforts to address the underrepresentation of women and minorities in computer science and engineering. In 2005, NSF CISE established the Broadening Participation in Computing (BPC) program, calling for large alliances to design and carry out comprehensive programs for BP. The BPC program funded 13 statewide or national alliances and over 100 smaller projects. The important impact being made by the alliances was summarized in this column last year. 1 From 2006– 2010, NSF hosted annual BPC Community meetings with over 300 participants from various sectors.

Two national organizations advance the participation of women in computing. The Anita Borg Institute for Women and Technology (ABI) hosts the Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing (GHC), an annual conference with over 3,000 student, faculty, researcher, and industry attendees (see http://gracehopper. org). The National Center for Women and Information Technology (NCWIT) builds networks through its Academic Alliance, Workforce Alliance, and K– 12 Alliance to broaden the participation of women (see http://www.ncwit.org). The Center for Minorities and People with Disabilities in Information Technology (CMD-IT) is emerging to provide a similar community for minorities and persons with disabilities (see http://www.cmd-it.org).

The ACM, IEEE Computer Society, NCWIT, Computer Science Teachers Association, Microsoft, and Google are guiding an advocacy coalition called “Computing in the Core” to raise awareness among federal and state policymakers about the need for a larger more diverse computing workforce. The group promotes a set of principles underpinning K– 12 CS education, including that “ethnic and gender diversity in the information technology field and computer science classrooms is crucial to the long-term success of the field” (see http://www. computinginthecore.org).

What is needed
is an overarching
community to
connect, support,
and amplify bP
initiatives worldwide.
Proposed siGbP Rationale

Given the infusion of resources invested in BP over the past decade, one would expect the participation gap to be shrinking. While the literature reports positive outcomes from individual BP initiatives, collectively we are not closing the gap on a national or international level. I suggest the key reasons include lack of coordination to create a strategy for widespread change, lack of a referencing mechanism to enable BP efforts to build upon prior work, and lack of awareness or appreciation of BP issues.

Coordination. There is strong evidence that a positive intervention at one stage does not insulate a person from getting derailed at a later point when a chilly climate is encountered. 2 So, if one middle school teacher adopts innovative approaches to engage girls in computing, her gains may be lost if the girls find no CS classes or male-dominated classes in high school. If one technology department adopts effective practices for mentoring diverse new hires, the gains may be lost for lack of mentors at mid-career. What is needed is widespread systemic change. Yet each existing BP organization is focused on one or a few under-represented groups, pipeline stages, or geographical regions. No organization addresses the general issue of BP or the collective needs for people of all ages and in various settings. No organization convenes leaders of other BP organizations, or sits at the table with ACM SIG leaders, with goals to connect similar efforts, identify gaps, and strategically plan for the future. There is little international collaboration around BP.

Referencing. A central referencing
mechanism is not available to enable
BP researchers and implementers to
build upon existing work. Many smaller
groups are undertaking independent
grassroots approaches to create pro-
grams, with limited knowledge of simi-
lar work. No organization serves as a
primary reference for BP research and
practice in general. Though computing
researchers are making important ad-
vances in BP, the literature is scattered
among journals and conferences within
computing, engineering, science, edu-
cation, and the social sciences. Though
a number of BP portals are emerging,
only www.BPCPortal.org aims to serve
all audiences, but falls short due to a
lack of awareness of its existence.

 

Proposed siGbP activities The formation committee to create an ACM SIGBP was formed in 2009. Members include leaders of the ACM-W, CRA-W, ABI, GHC, CDC, Tapia Celebration, NSF, and NSF BPC Alli-