SIPI professor Jonathan West helps students in the lab. Although the STEM fields have been dominated historically by men, SIPI makes it a point to welcome and encourage female students.

According to the National Science Foundation Science and Engineering Indicators for 2016, American Indians and Alaska Natives (AIANs) comprised 0.3% of the total number of students graduating with a science or engineering degree (National Science Board, 2016). But perhaps even more alarming was that only 13% of all AIAN science and engineering graduates were women (National Science Foundation, 2018). At a time when engaging diverse populations in higher education is a priority, and retaining female enrollees in the STEM fields is a tremendous challenge, the faculty in the pre-engineering program at Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute (SIPI) are doing something right. Last year, SIPI’s retention rate for male and female engineering students combined was 44%, and the retention rate for female engineering students alone was 67%. 

While many college undergraduates often feel like numbers, the women studying engineering at SIPI share that they feel like individuals belonging to a community. From the moment they enroll, they report encouragement from faculty, excitement about engaging in unique opportunities, and belonging to the caring educational community that SIPI has developed. Female students attribute their positive experiences and success to the department atmosphere, culturally relevant curriculum, and unfailing student support.

The atmosphere of an educational environment is a strong determinant of student learning and success. While unsupportive environments can be responsible for student attrition, the engineering department at SIPI has created an inclusive culture that supports students, and particularly women. “I feel really welcome here, and really encouraged,” says one female student. “It’s easy to just kind of jump right in and there’s a lot of support, especially for developing an understanding of your own learning style.” Another student adds, “[At SIPI,] the professors help you succeed, the interns here help you succeed, and your classmates help you to succeed.”

SIPI women reflecting on their experiences in the department note that not only are the professors supportive and inclusive but so are their male peers. Working and studying in male-dominated fields presents challenges for the women entering engineering programs, but SIPI’s community environment counters this. One dual degree undergraduate student working towards her pre-engineering associate’s degree and AutoCAD certificate noticed this equality in the engineering department, asserting, “Here at SIPI, women are seen as strong and independent. We’re just part of the group. We’re part of the team.” For the female undergrads, feeling included and valued is a key factor in SIPI’s high female student retention rate.

The pre-engineering courses at SIPI are exploratory and team-based. As such, they are aligned to the natural way Native women approach problem solving. The emphasis on teams helps develop the community culture at SIPI. “[It’s not] just a one man team, [it’s] basically everyone on your team,” one student observes. “You’re a family—you work together, you help each other to succeed.” Another student agrees, stating, “Pretty much how [the SIPI professors] see it is if one person fails, the entire team fails. That’s why the [SIPI professors] are trying to help everyone succeed not only as an individual but as a team.” This emphasis on the group or the whole reminds another student of her Native community: “[The programs at SIPI are] community based; we come from families that are really tight knit so here it’s the same thing and everybody looks out for one another.”

SIPI takes an exploratory, team-based approach in its engineering courses, which aligns with the community ethos that many tribal people bring to the classroom.

Another reason for SIPI’s success is that its exploratory curriculum engages and retains students. It fosters a learning style that works well for women. “What I like from the engineering is that you have a project and a deadline and a goal, but it’s not just reading out of a book,” says one female student. “You get to brainstorm. You get to bring your own personal imagination and ideas into something, and create it, and I think that’s what’s really amazing.” Another student adds, “I know that project-based learning is what works for me and my brain.”

Students observe that there are various support systems at SIPI that make their learning more successful. “All the tutoring centers they have here, they offer so much help, like study groups and everything. That’s really beneficial for us as students,” says a SIPI undergrad. The same undergrad also found the dorms to be very helpful for her learning, noting, “The dormitories that we have here [are] really good. I actually do live here in town, [but] being able to get away from home and stay here and focus on all my work, away from distractions [is supportive].” From dorms to study assistance to child care options, SIPI provides the critical supports needed to retain female engineering students.

While assistance programs improve STEM undergraduates’ studies, the instructors and group leaders also provide a level of support that the students notice and appreciate. One double STEM major explains, “A lot of times there would be the instructors [that] really are able to work with your schedule, especially me being a single mom.” All of the female students find the caring nature of the faculty an essential element to continue to motivate them to do their best: “[The faculty] are really helpful and [they ask] you how you’re doing in your classes even if it’s not in their own class.” The supportive nature of the faculty is evident in the effort to build personal connections with students. Group team leaders are also available to help incoming freshman students. One student shares, “You can talk to [group leaders] about anything. You can get the information you need.” 

Faculty continually reach out to students with opportunities to enrich their learning to the fullest extent possible. Most students are quick to point out that they served in an internship because professors pushed for them. Another student explains how encouragement from her professors helped change her view on school from a “get-it-done” mentality to a “get-the-most-out-of-it” approach: “When I first enrolled, for me all I really wanted was to take my classes, get them all done, and finish the program,” she recalls. “But once I got here, [the professors], changed that perspective for me. Now I’m not in such a rush to hurry up and finish this program. I am actually wanting to take my time to actually see what programs they have here. I guess you would say [the professors] have inspired me to really be focused and to be more determined than I was before.”

SIPI professors and staff give students individual attention to help them reach their fullest potential. One student observes that at other institutions “the professors there see you as a number. They don’t see you as an individual, whereas here they do see you as an individual.”

SIPI has many attributes that lead to the success of their female Native students. While any one of these attributes would help an undergraduate succeed, SIPI has capitalized on these various qualities by rolling them all together in a system where one successful feature augments the next, starting with the culture of community and equity that engages women in STEM. The exploratory, project-based curriculum aligns with student learning styles bolstered by SIPI support structures and caring faculty. One student sums up the SIPI difference this way: “I’ve gone to several other colleges and not one of them came knocking at the door with opportunity. They say, ‘Here’s your education, here’s what you paid for, and now get out.’ And [at SIPI], they say, ‘Hey, I’m pulling you as much as I can…’ and that’s really amazing.”

Janet Gordon, Ed.D., is a scientist who has worked with tribal nations for over 30 years doing collaborative community-informed research and program evaluation.

References

National Science Board. (2016). Science and Engineering Indicators 2016, NSB-2016-1. Arlington, VA: National Science Foundation.

National Science Foundation. (2018). Retrieved from https://www.nsf.gov/statistics/2017/nsf17310/static/data/tab4-3.pdf