The American Society for Engineering Education Diversity Recognition Program presented Kennesaw State’s engineering college with a bronze-level recognition, which is valid from January 2022 to December 2024.
Dean Ian Ferguson, the head of the Southern Polytechnic College of Engineering and Engineering Technology, expressed that SPCEET’s objectives are developing inclusive resources and opportunities that can increase the quality of learning, recruiting those who are underrepresented and promoting diversity efforts.
According to the ASEE website, the purpose of the ASEE Diversity Recognition Program is to recognize engineering colleges that “make significant, measurable progress in increasing the diversity, inclusion and degree attainment outcomes of their programs.”
To be recognized by the ADRP an institution must present a diversity, equity and inclusion plan, as well as a K-12 or community college outreach activity. Eight other institutions were recognized in addition to SPCEET.
According to Ferguson, SPCEET’s plan for 2022 includes forming a student diversity committee, making sure the interviewing of candidates for the committee contains no bias, creating a website about college diversity initiatives and promoting student resources.
“The overarching goal for this plan is to have a student body, faculty, staff and administration that aligns with or exceeds those of engineering colleges at large comprehensive universities,” Ferguson said.
Ferguson also said that SPCEET is involved with the Science Olympiad, an academic competition of several events for K-12 students and GeorgiaFIRST Robotics, a nonprofit organization for kids interested in science and technology.
SPCEET reaches out to technical colleges and other institutions that do not have an engineering program by providing transfer programs.
The ASEE Profiles of Engineering and Engineering Technology claim that in 2020 out of the total amount of students enrolled full-time at SPCEET 14.84% were Hispanic, 8.74% were Asian American, 22.22% were African American and 4.28% were multiracial.
The profiles additionally claim that out of the degrees awarded by SPCEET in 2020, 9.41% were awarded to Hispanics, 7.35% were awarded to Asian Americans, 19.85% were awarded to African Americans and 4.25% were awarded to multiracial students.
In 2019, 52.2% of KSU’s undergraduate and graduate degrees were given to women while 47.8% of KSU’s undergraduate and graduate degrees were given to men, according to Data USA.
According to the ASEE, in 2020 KSU was ranked No. 10 among the top institutions in the country awarding engineering technology degrees to underrepresented minorities. KSU was also the seventh institution in the country rewarding the highest number of bachelor’s degrees to African Americans.
