BROTHERHOOD: An Assessment of the Experiences of Black and Latino Male Engineers at the University of Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering

[摘要] Retention and graduation rates of Black and Latino male students in higher education continue to be an issue. More specifically, Black and Latino male students fall well behind other groups in retention and graduation rates within STEM education broadly, and engineering education specifically. Institutional support specifically designed for Black and Latino males in engineering may assist this population in addressing and overcoming this obstacle. BROTHERHOOD is a student led organization designed to support and encourage the men of color at the University of Pittsburgh, Swanson School of Engineering. This inquiry explored the experiences of current and former Black and Latino BROTHERHOOD leaders. An outcomes assessment was used to assess areas where BROTHERHOOD is succeeding and areas where the organization may improve in addressing the unique needs and challenges of Black and Latino males in the Swanson School of Engineering. The inquiry incorporated a qualitative method using open-ended, semi-structured interview questions.Participants were invited through simple random sampling. Sixteen participants were interviewed, including eight current BROTHERHOOD leaders and eight alumni who were former leaders. Three key findings emerged from this inquiry: 1) BROTHERHOOD provides social and emotional support; 2) BROTHERHOOD leadership fosters student empowerment; and 3) BROTHERHOOD has four areas of improvement. This outcomes assessment may be utilized to support a future program evaluation of BROTHERHOOD to further measure how the specific organizational components assist the participating men of color in their educational, professional, and social experiences as undergraduate engineering students in the Swanson School of Engineering.

[发布机构] the University of Pittsburgh