http://math.arizona.edu/~velez/AdvisingAggressive.pdf
The article addresses issues particular to undergraduate academics in STEM (or SEM, as Vélez calls it; sorry, this article is about 20 years old) but I think the points he makes apply pretty well across a lot of fields of study. I think the most important thing to glean from this is that these academic programs are almost literally designed to discourage and inhibit minorities from succeeding, and it's very insidious. He points out that women and Latinx students are disproportionately pushed toward careers in primary and secondary math education--as opposed to industry or research--and that the standard curriculum for engineering majors is prohibitively difficult, in a shameless effort to "weed out" students who are not able to handle it. It is extremely sexist, racist, and elitist, and yet very little has changed since this piece was written.
This matters a lot to me because I've had a lot of luck in terms of professors and advisors as a math and computer science major and a woman, but I know other people who have not been so fortunate. Although our math department in particular is quite small and not very well-known, there is definitely a sense of pretension among many (though not all) of the professors and TAs here, and that leads to unfair treatment of students from different backgrounds. We need more science- and engineering-minded people to solve the rapidly growing set of problems our world is facing, and to discourage people from the courses of study that would prepare them for these exact challenges because it would take a little bit of an investment of time and resources is completely unconscionable, in my opinion.
So, here are some questions (but feel free to just respond openly if you have something you really want to say!)
- In your own departments/from your own experience, have you seen the kind of issues that Vélez describes, and why do you suppose that is?
- What are some resources or actions you've seen or can imagine that you think might help solve some of these problem? Eg. free tutoring, more regular check-ins with advisors
- Was there any information in the article that you found shocking or wouldn't have expected to be true?
- In order to solve these problems, do you think we would need to realize a dramatic shift in academic culture? What needs to change?
in my view, there is a necessity for the availability of teachers and tutors in order to reach all students, generally we can see that women and students of color are often just as eager to learn about STEM fields but don't receive same level of attention unfortunately. there does need to be a general change on academic culture, but i think w/ smaller actions we can take conclusive steps.
ReplyDeleteThe other day I came across a picture that was criticizing the way standardized testing is universal for all Americans and it is something that I believe shouldn't be like this due to the fact that there is a wide variety of people whom learn different and are less advanced. I also believe that those whom are less advanced from the beginning do get less attention than those in wealthier communities and i think that communities can start to work towards closing that difference but there will always be a gap between whom gets more and whom doesn't. It is not something that will change but not drastically unless the whole system is changed.
ReplyDeleteReflecting on what he article has stated I believe that this is a substantial problem, but one that can be dealt with at multiple levels. For one, high schools need to take more initiative in ensuring that their students are pleased with the education they are receiving and that they are able to keep up with the pace of understanding required for that class. A large problem in schools is the standardization of teaching and this causes many to fall behind. In regards to colleges I would suggest a reformation of the preliminary classes for math and science majors. If teachers would be willing to examine these classes for material or teaching methods that discriminate than the outcome expressed in this article could change.
ReplyDeleteI strongly agree with issues that Velez describes and I also think that Jesus makes a very good point with his mention of standardized testing in the U.S.It's like that Cards Against Humanity Card that we've all seen, "racially biased SAT questions." In America we have a system that tests everyone on the same level, but ignores the fact that people do not come from the same background. Forgetting that many people were born with more or less opportunity than their classmates. Thus, we end up with a system that is inherently unfair and continues to perpetuate inequality through generations. With that said I think that STEM is certainly a field biased towards men, due to society's perceptions of gender roles, and what women can and cannot do and while I believe that we've made strides to change this, there is still much more we need to do.
ReplyDeleteI also agree strongly with issues discussed by Velez, and I also agree strongly with the points that my colleagues have made. Alex discussed how the field of STEM is very much focused towards men. There is no legitimate reason as to why this is, and why it is continuing in our culture. Women are just as capable, if not more capable than men in all areas of studies, STEM included. To comment on what Jesus mentioned in terms of standardized testing and attention devoted to students who show early signs of success with testing and their studies. Every student has a different methodology when it comes to performing their studies, and it is ultimately unfair to judge a student based on performance within a specific set of guidelines in relation to standardized testing. Reform is absolutely a necessity in our education system.
ReplyDeleteI have had experience with STEM and my high school. They would host events in my high school to target girls specifically to enter science and math degrees. They would have advising for girls who would want to go in and get help and see if these majors were for them. They would target girls becuase they believed girls were underepresented in these majors. This program was a motivator because it would also provide a reward of $150 for any student who got a 3 or higher on a math or science AP test. In my expirience STEM was beneficial for students in my school.
ReplyDeleteI respect the growing personal connection you have with the issue in the article.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, better advising and informing of students in all majors would be very beneficial. It would ease students into the flow of college faster, and get major rotations out of the way earlier in their academic careers. I personally somehow got left out in the cold on a couple of things, like the language class requirement and the fact that Economics isn't a Business course. On no fault of my own of course.
STEM related majors specifically, I agree with your point that they have a really prominent role in the world. I don't know about trying to encourage as many people into the programs as possible, but certainly informing students better and more efficiently would bring the best candidates to the forefront.
I respect the growing personal connection you have with the issue in the article.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, better advising and informing of students in all majors would be very beneficial. It would ease students into the flow of college faster, and get major rotations out of the way earlier in their academic careers. I personally somehow got left out in the cold on a couple of things, like the language class requirement and the fact that Economics isn't a Business course. On no fault of my own of course.
STEM related majors specifically, I agree with your point that they have a really prominent role in the world. I don't know about trying to encourage as many people into the programs as possible, but certainly informing students better and more efficiently would bring the best candidates to the forefront.