• Creating and strengthening links with minority institutions,
• Impacting the learning of underrepresented groups through sharing resources, and
• Establishing programs to facilitate minority participation in engineering.

The Coalition has taken a proactive approach to identify and inaugurate meaningful relationships with minority institutions. As part of this approach, the Coalition has created a partnership with Dr. Robert Dixon, Chairman of the Physics Department at Morehouse College. With Dr. Dixon�s help, the Coalition has identified a set of historically Black colleges that do not offer a Bachelor of Science in Engineering but have viable programs in the arts and sciences. Over the past few months, Dr. Dixon has visited each of our Partner Institutions and has met with Deans, Provosts, and minority program directors to discuss agreements to be made with these institutions. Some of the programs that have been discussed include dual degree programs and faculty exchange seminars held on minority campuses.

Part of sharing resources and ideas is creating an accessible information resource that would increase interest and foster better communication and community building among the institutions participating in this program. Such a resource would disseminate information about innovative initiatives being undertaken at various institutions, and it would illustrate projects in which engineering concepts are being applied that demonstrate the humanistic benefits of engineering careers.

Over the past year, the Coalition has supported a number of innovative programs to serve the needs of women and minority students. Three of these are the Women�s Leadership Series, Getting Plugged In, and the Educational Learning Assistants program. The Women�s Leadership Series, initiated at The Cooper Union, offered an intensive three-day workshop designed to provide women engineers with flexible and cross-disciplinary leadership resources and approaches. Another program tailored toward minority students, Getting Plugged In, was piloted by the Teachers College at Columbia University. This program helped students learn the importance of network building and ways to identify and pursue pre-professional engineering opportunities. Finally, the New Jersey Institute of Technology implemented the Educational Learning Assistants pilot program to increase the retention rate of minority students. Also, the program provides students with tutoring, peer counseling, and academic support workshops on career development and interpersonal skills.

All of these programs have been designed to be easily transferred to all Partner Institutions.

Future efforts regarding the Coalition�s relationship with minority institutions will revolve around several action items:

• Future efforts regarding the Coalition�s relationship with minority institutions will revolve around several action items:

• Continuing to increase linkages with minority institutions;

• Increasing efforts to retain minority students;
• Expanding web-based utilities to help provide students and faculty with information on projects, directories, and individual achievements; and
• Expanding programs for women and minorities.

The results of the Coalition�s efforts to increase minority enrollment are to be discussed during a two-day workshop in June. ¨