Committee on Equal Opportunities in Science and Engineering
1996 Biennial Report to Congress

Table of Contents

  1. Executive Summary
  2. Preamble
  3. Evaluation of Progress
  4. Examples of Successful Programmatic Outcomes
  5. Recommendations
  6. Summary
  7. CEOSE Charter
  8. CEOSE Membership List
  9. Endnotes

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1. Executive Summary

Our nation is preparing to enter the twenty-first century — a time when our society will be increasingly dependent on science and technology to meet the economic and social challenges of a global society. Yet significant portions of the American people are not full participants in science and technology, whether as professionals or by acceptable standards of scientific literacy. It is a shortcoming that does not bode well for our societal well-being or for sustaining U.S. leadership in global competition in coming years.

The U.S. Congress created and charged the Committee on Equal Opportunities in Science and Engineering (CEOSE) with providing advice concerning options that would enable all Americans to participate fully in our scientific and technological democracy. That task remains as relevant and important today as it was when Congress enacted the law over 15 years ago. Appropriately, CEOSE has expanded its considerations to include persons with disabilities and encourages the incorporation of such language in its mandate from Congress.

This report on progress toward achieving improved development of human resources in science and technology provides examples of successful programmatic outcomes and recommendations to further improve progress. Progress has been made in most of the areas targeted, including the participation and achievement in science and mathematics by ethnic minority and female students and those with disabilities from grade school through college. Attainment of science, engineering, and technology degrees and professions has also increased in many of the identified sectors.

The levels of participation, however, still fall far below the proportionate representation of the total U.S. population. In order to continue and perhaps accelerate progress toward more vigorous participation, CEOSE recommends the following goals:

Progress toward achieving these goals should be monitored using metrics and timetables that are appropriate. NSF leadership must determine the best path to achieving a fully engaged science and engineering enterprise. However, that endeavor should include continued review of demographic trends in participation, with ongoing analysis for accuracy and completeness. It would also be useful for NSF to consider collaborating with other federal agencies that participate in science and engineering to share science and engineering population data and strategies on achieving full participation.

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2. Preamble

As our nation prepares to enter the twenty-first century, significant portions of the American people remain excluded from full participation in a world that is increasingly dependent on science and technology to meet the economic and social challenges of a global society. Women, who are 51 percent of the population, represent only 22.4 percent of the scientists and engineers in the labor force. African-American people constitute 12 percent of the population but are only 3.5 percent of the scientific and engineering labor force. The corresponding figures for Hispanic people are 10 percent and 2.8 percent, and, for American Indians, 0.7 percent and 0.2 percent. Persons with disabilities constitute approximately 20 percent of the population but only 5.4 percent of the scientific and engineering labor force1. Members of these underrepresented groups must have the option to participate to the fullest of their individual potential in the world of science, mathematics, engineering, and technology (SMET). Participation includes scientific and technological professions, and leadership in the pursuit of technological advances and scientific research. Providing those opportunities is in our national interest for fundamental economic, social, and scientific reasons.

We recognize, however, that increasing attention has been directed toward federally-supported programs focused on increasing the participation of underrepresented groups. The Committee on Equal Opportunities in Science and Engineering (CEOSE) helps the National Science Foundation (NSF) implement The Science and Engineering Equal Opportunities Act that gives the NSF standing authority "to encourage full participation of women, minorities, and other groups currently underrepresented in scientific, engineering, and professional fields." Congress created and charged CEOSE with providing advice concerning options that would enable all Americans to participate fully in our scientific and technological democracy. That task remains our central guideline — as it should — and CEOSE affirms that the goals and objectives of the 1981 act are as relevant and important today as they were when Congress enacted the law some 15 years ago. Appropriately, CEOSE has expanded its considerations to include persons with disabilities and encourages the incorporation of such language in its mandate from Congress.

This report relates several components of activities in equal opportunity. It provides an evaluation of NSF progress toward achieving the six goals for human resource development first delineated in the 1992 CEOSE Report to Congress. Further, it provides examples of successful programmatic outcomes and recommendations (with associated performance indicators) to increase success. The report also addresses NSF's accountability responsibilities, in support of achieving the goals in the 1992 Report.

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3. Evaluation of Progress

In its 1992 biennial report to Congress, CEOSE recommended that programs be developed by the Foundation to achieve the following six goals by the year 2000. Currently, the Committee is evaluating our nation's progress toward those goals to assess the diversity of the SMET workforce and to suggest steps that may measure progress more specifically. Recommendations provided in a subsequent section of this report may help the nation to reach these goals.

Trends in the average test scores of students, aggregated by race/ethnicity as well as by sex, have shown limited improvement over the past 21 years in mathematics and over the past 24 years in science. The available data indicate that significant improvements have been made by Hispanic students (age 13) in narrowing the gap with whites for science and mathematics scores. The percentage reduction in the score differentials was 29 percent and 30 percent for science and mathematics, respectively. For African-Americans, the percentage reductions in the gap with white students were 10 percent in science and 37 percent in mathematics. Hispanic students increased 7 percent in mathematics and 9 percent in science, as shown in Figure 1. African-Americans' scores improved 4 percent in science (an increase that was not statistically significant) and 11 percent in mathematics. No discernible differences in science were observed for the scores distributed by gender2.

Figure 1. Trends in average scale scores in science and mathematics at age 13, by race/ethnicity and sex.

Figure 1. Trends in average scale scores in science and mathematics at age 13, by race/ethnicity and sex.

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics.

Participation in mathematics and science classes by female and ethnic-minority high school students has generally increased, reducing the gap with white and male students. For example, the proportion of high school students taking chemistry and geometry by race/ethnicity and sex has increased markedly since 1982, as shown in Figure 2. A higher percentage of women took chemistry and geometry in 1994 than men3.

The collection of data on students with disabilities is severely limited, in part by its dependence on self-identification by subjects. Until appropriate data are collected on persons with disabilities, progress in this area will be difficult to monitor.

Figure 2. Percentages of high school graduates who took chemistry and geometry, by race/ethnicity and sex: 1982 and 1994.

Figure 2. Percentages of high school graduates who took chemistry and geometry, by race/ethnicity and sex: 1982 and 1994.

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics.

Figure 3 presents the percentage of students from underrepresented groups and persons with disabilities receiving science and engineering baccalaureates and doctorates who have attended a two-year college. These data form a baseline from which to measure progress. It is noteworthy that students who have attended a two-year college are a significant part of the total group of students who receive baccalaureates and doctorates in scientific and technical fields.

Figure 3. Percentages of science and engineering baccalaureates and doctorates who attended a 2-year college, by race/ethnicity and disability status.

Figure 3. Percentages of science and engineering baccalaureates and doctorates who attended a 2-year college, by 
race/ethnicity and disability status.

Source: National Science Foundation, Division of Science Resource Studies.

The proportion of underrepresented minorities receiving science and engineering doctoral degrees (compared to their proportion of the total U.S. population) remains low: 3.0 percent for African-Americans and Hispanics, and only 0.3 percent for American Indians. Women earned 31 percent of the total doctoral degrees in science and engineering issued in 1995. From 1992 to 1995, there was an increase of 17 percent in women receiving science and engineering doctorates. From 1992 to 1995, underrepresented minorities saw an increase of approximately 21 percent. Persons with disabilities earning science and engineering doctorates increased 26 percent in this period. While doubling or tripling the 1992 levels will be a major challenge, steady increases must continue to occur4.

Achieving increased numbers of science and engineering doctorate degree recipients who are minority, female, or persons with disabilities is dependent on producing similar (or greater) numbers of baccalaureate degrees in these groups. From 1990 to 1994, the number of baccalaureate degree recipients in science and engineering increased 44 percent for African-Americans, 47 percent for Hispanics, and 58 percent for American Indians. The improvement by underrepresented minority groups was greater than that by white recipients (10 percent) and Asian recipients (36 percent). The increases in baccalaureates awarded to underrepresented minority groups ranged from a 6 percent increase in computer science to an increase of 67 percent in psychology. The gaps once found in the choice of a science and engineering major between underrepresented minorities and whites have virtually disappeared5.

Figure 4 shows that people of African-American and Hispanic descent are 3.5 percent and 2.8 percent respectively, while persons with disabilities are 5.4 percent of the science and engineering workforce6. These figures compare with the following percentages of each group in the total U.S. population: African-Americans, 12 percent; Hispanics, 10 percent; American Indians, 0.7 percent; women, 51 percent, and persons with disabilities, 20 percent of the total population. In the U.S. workforce, the percentage of each group is African Americans, 11 percent; Hispanics, 8 percent; women, 46 percent; and persons with disabilities, 13 percent. American Indians are included within the "Asian and other" category by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; this category constitutes 4 percent of the labor force. Data by race/ethnicity total more than 100 percent because Hispanic workers are included in multiple categories, including white and African-American7.

Figure 4. Women, minorities, and persons with disabilities as a percentage of the population and of scientists and engineers in the labor force: 1993.

Figure 4. Women, minorities, and persons with disabilities as a percentage of the population and of scientists and engineers in 
the labor force: 1993.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau and National Science Foundation, Division of Science Resource Studies.

African-Americans comprised only 4 percent of full-time science and engineering faculty in higher education in 1992, while Hispanics comprised only 1 percent, and American Indians only 0.3 percent8. For women, from 1987 to 1992, there has not been a significant change in the ratio of men to women serving as full-time faculty in science and engineering. Approximately five males are present in instructional faculty positions for each woman, although the number of women employed in faculty positions has increased by 2,280 from 1987 to 1992. Available information for persons with disabilities holding doctorates indicates 5 percent participation in academia (four-year colleges and universities), although the specific job function is not identified.

At the secondary-school level, the representation of minorities among science and mathematics teachers was slightly better. In 1991, African-Americans comprised 7 percent and Hispanics comprised 3 percent of science and mathematics teachers. For women in secondary schools, the proportion was 51 percent9.

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4. Examples of Successful Programmatic Outcomes

NSF has initiated a number of programs whose outcomes address the concerns expressed in the previous two CEOSE reports to Congress. Examples are:

URBAN SYSTEMIC INITIATIVES

NSF's Urban Systemic Initiatives (USI) Program targets the 28 U. S. cities with the largest numbers of school-age children living in poverty. Taken together, these cities represent over 4.3 million children and 200,000 teachers. To date, three cohorts of awards have been made, the first group totaled nine cities; the second totaled seven cities; and the third totaled four cities. A large proportion of the students in these cities are underrepresented in science, mathematics, engineering and technology careers. The following successes have been reported after the first year of the initial USI cohort:

ALLIANCES FOR MINORITY PARTICIPATION (AMP)

Alliances for Minority Participation (AMP) is a multi-disciplinary, comprehensive undergraduate program with the
following goals:

AMP focuses on individuals from groups who are underserved by our current educational system, those who are economically disadvantaged, and those who have low participation in the SMET enterprise and are in educational settings that do not encourage full use of their academic potential to succeed. The AMP program supports undergraduate systemic reform in all AMP projects by forming partners that include two- and four-year higher education institutions and the rest of the SMET community.

Twenty-six projects are currently funded. One impact of AMP is indicated by the increase in the number of bachelor's degrees awarded to SMET students from this group. The institutions of the six alliances funded in 1991 report a 49 percent increase in the number of SMET baccalaureate degrees awarded to individuals from groups currently underrepresented in the SMET workforce.

RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES FOR UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS

Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) is a Foundation-wide program that supports active research experience for students at undergraduate research participation sites. Among the major goals of the program are to attract members of underrepresented groups and to involve students in research who might not otherwise have the opportunity, particularly those from institutions where research programs are limited. For example:

The REU program seems to provide a highly effective and relatively inexpensive way to attract students from underrepresented populations into science and engineering careers and to foster science, mathematics, engineering and technology literacy among many undergraduate students.

With support from the Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences, the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory (NHMFL) has completed its fourth consecutive year of a Minority/Women Research Summer Internship for undergraduate students majoring in science and engineering. The program has provided exciting opportunities for undergraduates to conduct research with leading scientists and engineers at a national laboratory and has been successful on many fronts. In 1996, through cooperation with the NSF Alliances for Minority Participation, the recruiting of students increased by 270% over the previous year. The applications came from 27 states, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico. Also in 1996, eighteen undergraduates participated in the program at all three consortium sites at Florida State University, the University of Florida and Los Alamos National Laboratory. One of the 1996 participants was the second author on a paper that was presented at an international conference and will be published in "Application of High Magnetic Fields in Semiconductor Physics" by World Press in 1997. That participant, a senior majoring in engineering at the Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, conducted research at the NHMFL that helped her to earn a National Science Foundation Graduate Fellowship.

With support from the Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE), Smith College and the Computer Research Association Committee on the Status of Women in Computing Research have organized a project to match 20-30 female undergraduate students with female professors in the Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE) research areas each year, to participate in a summer of research at the mentor’s institution. Electronic links sustain these relationships as the students’ careers develop.

MINORITY POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIPS

The Minority Postdoctoral Research Fellowship Program is an activity of the Directorate for Biological Sciences and the Directorate for Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences. The goal of the program is to prepare minority scientists for positions of scientific leadership in academia and industry. Because so few scientists from underrepresented minority groups are in academic faculty and industry positions, the program was initiated to provide the leverage of NSF fellowships to assist members of these groups in obtaining these extremely competitive positions and, ultimately, in applying for NSF grants. The program also offers travel awards to meet prospective sponsoring scientists, and starter research grants at the end of the postdoctoral period to assist in the initiation of an independent research program.

Started in 1990, the Minority Postdoctoral Program has awarded 90 fellowships (78 in biology and 12 in the social and behavioral sciences). Although it is rather early to assess the success of this program, there are encouraging indicators that the program is working:

PROGRAMS FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES (PPD)

Ten Programs for Persons with Disabilities-supported projects have provided students with disabilities hands-on experience in science experimentation, both in summer programs and in conjunction with academic-year schedules. The value of such experience is indicated by data from the University of Washington's "DO-IT" project in which high school students have participated in enrichment programs for the past four years. Of the twenty-one students who graduated from high school as of 1995, nineteen are in college, and all have declared majors in some area of science or engineering.

Negative attitudes held by teachers, counselors, and parents continue to be a major barrier to participation of students with disabilities in SMET education. Eight projects aimed at overcoming the attitudinal barrier have been funded, and several thousand individuals have participated in these training programs. Project evaluations indicate that the information has been useful in changing attitudes and in fostering improved learning environments.

Another successful venture is the establishment of partnerships between PPD-supported projects and local entities — business, education, and community organizations. It is a high priority for PPD because partnerships will be important in fostering development of local infrastructures that can lead to systemic reform in these regions. One example of broad-based community support is illustrated by the "DREAMS" project, located at the University of North Dakota. The program fosters broad-based community support for American Indian children with disabilities. This is a partnership of Tribal colleges, Tribal Councils, local schools and businesses, and parent groups from several locations in North Dakota.

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5. Recommendations

CEOSE is supportive of NSF's dedicated pursuit of its core mission and purpose "to promote the progress of science..." and its commitment in "ensuring the Nation's supply of scientists, engineers, and science educators." The Committee is also committed to the goals of its 1992 Report that facilitate full participation in the scientific and technological workforce, so that our nation can sustain long-term economic growth and provide improved quality of life for all of its citizens.

The goals of the 1992 Report are meaningless without specific plans for obtaining quantitative gains. As in the 1994 Report, this report provides a number of recommendations for achieving those goals along with appropriate performance indicators:

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6. Summary

America wants and needs more scientific and engineering talent — participation in SMET fields should be based only on ability and willingness to serve. Setting goals and developing plans to achieve full-participation targets, as implied in the NSF strategic plan, is a task that must be embraced by the total leadership team, with responsibility delegated appropriately throughout NSF. Although the responsibility for NSF's performance and outcomes resides with its chief administrator, the desired outcomes cannot be achieved without the collective commitment of the entire management team. The leadership role that NSF has demonstrated in improving participation and dissemination in several NSF programs can and must be distributed throughout the Foundation.

Progress toward meeting the established goals should continue to be monitored. Appropriate metrics must be determined as part of the goal-setting, with a timetable for review and correction as needed. While recognizing that NSF leadership must determine the best path to achieve a fully accessible science and engineering enterprise, CEOSE offers several summary recommendations:

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COMMITTEE ON EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES IN SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
(42 U.S.C. §1885c)

SEC. 36. (a) There is established within the Foundation a Committee on Equal Opportunities in Science and Engineering (hereinafter referred to as the "Committee"). The Committee shall provide advice to the Foundation concerning (1) the implementation of the provisions of this Act and (2) other policies and activities of the Foundation to encourage full participation of women, minorities, and other groups currently underrepresented in scientific, engineering, and professional fields.

(b) Each member of the Committee shall be appointed by the Director with the concurrence of the National Science Board. The Chairperson of the National Science Board Committee on Minorities and Women shall be an ex officio member of the Committee. Members of the Committee shall be appointed to serve for a three-year term, and may be reappointed to serve one additional term of three years.

(c) There shall be a subcommittee of the Committee which shall be known as the Subcommittee on Women in Science and Engineering. The Subcommittee on Women in Science and Engineering shall have responsibility for all Committee matters relating to (1) the participation in and opportunities for the education, training, and research of women in science and engineering and (2) the impact of science and engineering on women. The Subcommittee shall be composed of all the women members of the Committee and such other members of the Committee as the Committee may designate.

(d) There shall be a subcommittee of the Committee which shall be known as the Subcommittee on Minorities in Science and Engineering. The Subcommittee on Minorities in Science and Engineering shall have responsibility for all Committee matters relating to (1) the participation in and opportunities for education, training, and research for minorities in science and engineering and (2) the impact of science and engineering on minorities. The Subcommittee shall be composed of all minority members of the Committee and such other members of the Committee as the Committee may designate.

(e) The Committee may organize such additional standing or ad hoc subcommittees as the Committee finds appropriate.

(f) Every two years, the Committee shall prepare and transmit to the Director a report on its activities during the previous two years and proposed activities for the next two years. The Director shall transmit to Congress the report, unaltered, together with such comments as the Director deems appropriate.

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National Science Foundation

Committee on Equal Opportunities in Science and Engineering (CEOSE)

Dr. George C. Hill, Chair
Director for Intl. Health Programs and Professor, Division of Biomedical Sciences
Meharry Medical College
Nashville, TN 37208
Term: 10/94-9/97
Dr. David Glover
Research Specialist
Dept. of Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Woods Hole, MA 02543
Term: 10/93-9/96
Dr. Lydia Villa-Komaroff
Vice President
Northwestern University
633 Clark Street
Evanston, IL 60208-1111
Term: 10/93-9/96
Ms. Marilyn Suiter, Vice-Chair
Director, Education and Human Resources
American Geological Institute
4420 King Street
Alexandria, VA 22302-1502
Term: 10/94-9/97
Dr. William M. Jackson
Professor of Chemistry
Department of Chemistry
Univ. of California - Davis
Davis, CA 95616
Term: 10/94-9/97
Dr. Glen Wheless
Center for Coastal Physical Oceanography
Old Dominion University
768 52nd Street
Norfolk, VA 23529
Term: 10/96 - 9/99
Dr. Patti T. Ota, Past Chair
Interim Provost
Office of the Provost
Lehigh University
27 Memorial Drive West
Bethlehem, PA 18015
Term: 10/91-9/97
Dr. Eric Jolly
Educational Development Center, Inc.
55 Chapel Street
Newton, MA 02158
Term: 10/96 - 9/99
Dr. Henry N. Williams
Assoc. Professor and Acting Asst. Vice President for Research
Department of OCBS/Dental School
University of Maryland
Baltimore, MD 21201-1586
Term: 10/93-9/96
Ms. Jeannette Brown
Faculty Associate, Center for Precollege Education
MS/SSI Coordinator
New Jersey Institute of Technology
University Heights
Newark, NJ 07102-1982
Term: 10/91-6/97
Dr. Jane Butler Kahle
Condit Professor of Science Education
Miami University
418 McGuffey Hall
Oxford, OH 45056
Term: 10/91-9/97
Dr. H. David Wohlers
Associate Professor of Chemistry
Division of Science
Truman State University
Kirksville, MO 63501
Term: 6/95-12/97
Dr. George Castro
Associate Dean
College of Science
San Jose State University
San Jose, CA
Term: 10/96 - 9/99
Dr. Carolyn W. Meyers
Professor, Mechanical Engineering
College of Engineering
North Carolina A&T State University
1601 E. Market Street
Greensboro, NC 27411
Term: 10/94-9/97
Ms. Susan Kemnitzer, Exec. Secretary
National Science Foundation
4201 Wilson Blvd., Suite 585
Arlington, VA 22230
(703) 306-1382
Dr. Julius Chambers
Chancellor
North Carolina Central University
1801 Fayetteville Street
Durham, NC 27707
Term: 10/96 - 9/99
Dr. Teresa A. Sullivan
Vice President and Graduate Dean
The University of Texas at Austin
Main Building 101
Austin, TX 78712
Term: 10/94-9/97
Dr. Betty Davidson
Exhibit Planner
Exhibits Department
Boston Museum of Science
Science Park
Boston, MA 02114-1099
Term: 10/93-9/96
Dr. William Yslas Velez
Professor of Mathematics
University of Arizona
Department of Mathematics
Tucson, AZ 85721
Term: 10/94-9/97

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9. Endnotes

1National Science Foundation, Division of Science Resource Studies, Women, Minorities, and Persons With Disabilities in Science and Engineering: 1996. Appendix table 5-1. [Return to referring text]

2U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Report in Brief: NAEP 1994 Trends in Academic Progress, 1996, NCES 96-583. [Return to referring text]

3U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, The Condition of Education, 1996 (The 1994 High School Transcript Study Tabulations: Comparative Data on Credits Earned and Demographics for 1994, 1990, 1987, and 1982 High School Graduates). [Return to referring text]

4National Science Foundation, Division of Science Resource Studies, NSF/SRS Selected Data on Science and Engineering Doctorate Awards: 1995, 1996, NSF 96-303 (Arlington, VA) and unpublished tabulations. [Return to referring text]

5National Science Foundation, Division of Science Resource Studies, NSF/SRS Data Brief, NSF 96-314, August 19, 1996. [Return to referring text]

6National Science Foundation, Division of Science Resource Studies, NSF/SRS Women and Minorities...1996, pp. 3, 223, 224, and 227. [Return to referring text]

7U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Monthly Labor Review, vol. 117, no. 7 (July), 1994. [Return to referring text]

8U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1993 National Study of Post-Secondary Faculty. [Return to referring text]

9National Science Foundation, Directorate for Education and Human Resources, NSF/EHR Indicators of Science and Mathematics Education,1996, Arlington, VA; p. 138. [Return to referring text]

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