by Pamela Weinsaft Editor of theglasshammer.com part of Evolved People Media LLC

Last week, the released an eye-opening report. Entitled “Obstacles and Solutions for Underrepresented Minorities (URM) in Technology”, the report examines why women—and men— from underrepresented minority (URM) backgrounds, namely African-American/Black; Hispanic/Latino, Native American, or Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, are generally in few in number in computer science and engineering fields.

Dr. Caroline Simard, Ph.D., Director of Research and Executive Programs at the Anita Borg Institute spoke with The Glass Hammerabout her findings.

The report states that [URM] represent 27% of the US population, hold 46 18% of Bachelor’s degrees in computer science, and 12% of engineering degrees,” but are only 6.8% of technical employees. Also, “since 1995, the representation of African-American and Hispanic/Latina women among computer science degree recipients has remained flat—Hispanic women earn less than 2% of computer science bachelor’s degrees. Despite the growth of the Hispanic population in the US, only 0.03% of all female Hispanic freshmen planned to major in computer science in 2006, the lowest of all Science and Engineering disciplines.”

Native American women are lagging as well: they represent less than 1% of computer science degrees. And, according to the report, “African-American women represent 4.8% of the graduate enrollment in computer science, yet they represent 7% of the US population.”

(more…)

Originally posted on www.theglasshammer.com, sister site to Evolvedemployer.com

To discuss how not to have your employees feel that they have to pump breast milk in the basement, contact Nicki Gilmour on 646 688 2318 for a full employee engagement and total inclusion program design.

When Lisa Powers joined Phillips Lytle LLP, a Rochester-based law firm, in 1999, she didn’t think to ask about the firm’s maternity leave policy. She was thinking about her career, not starting a family. However, in 2002 she got pregnant and discovered the firm had “one of most generous maternity policies.” Phillips Lytle offered a six- month leave that Powers says, “was almost fully paid.”

The long leave meant that even though Powers experienced some complications late in her pregnancy, she was able to stop working a month before her baby was due and still take off five months after the child’s birth.

(more…)