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Introduction
Growth in the number of engineering faculty who are African,
Hispanic, Native and Asian Americans in engineering colleges in US
universities has been of high priority for several decades. The benefits
of such growth have been discussed by others and there is no need to
restate them here. The present study considered the factors that control
the increase in the number faculty members from these groups.
Emphasis will be placed on comparison of doctorates awarded over the
last two decades to the numbers of faculty. Since essentially all
candidates for faculty positions hold doctoral degrees, special
attention will be given to the transition from doctoral student to
assistant professor.
Total Engineering Doctorates and Faculty
Baseline data for doctoral degrees awarded (total and US citizens)
and faculty data (three academic ranks) are shown in the graph below.
The only faculty data available are for Fall 2001 through Fall 2003.
Total engineering doctorates were constant from AY1998-99 through
AY2002-03. The increase in AY2003-04 is the beginning of a new trend
that has resulted from the substantial growth in doctoral enrollments
beginning in Fall 1998. The decline in doctorates awarded to US citizens
beginning in AY1997-98 has reversed as well. Numbers of engineering
faculty (each of the three ranks) have increased from Fall 2001 through
Fall 2003.
African American Faculty
As shown in the graph below, doctoral degrees awarded to African
Americans grew until AY1996-97 and remained constant thereafter.
However, the number of assistant professor positions in recent years has
been large compared to the doctorates awarded.
Another insight to the number of African Americans in engineering
education faculty ranks is presented in the graph below showing relative
numbers of doctoral degrees and of faculty in the three academic ranks.
The fraction of assistant professors is significantly higher than the
fraction of degrees. Although the fraction of full professors is low, it
is reasonable to expect that this fraction will increase with time as
more African Americans advance through the academic ranks. It is
bothersome that the trend for assistant professors does not show the
growth exhibited by the more senior ranks.
Clearly, a key issue is the transition of African Americans awarded
doctoral degrees to assistant professorships in engineering colleges.
This matter encompasses both interest in an academic position and
success in obtaining a position.
Engineering Trends compared the total number of doctoral degrees
awarded over the six years prior to the assistant professor appointment.
Over the period of three years for which assistant professor data are
available, 25.1% of African American doctorates made the transition to
assistant professor, about twice the fraction for all doctoral degree
recipients (12.5%). Thus, since the fraction making the transition is
large, any increase in the number making the transition is determined
mainly by the number awarded doctoral degrees in engineering.
Hispanic American Faculty
The number of doctoral degrees in engineering awarded to Hispanic
Americans reached a maximum in AY1995-96 as shown in the graph below.
Since AY1999-00, the number has remained essentially constant. The
number of Hispanic Americans holding academic positions in engineering
colleges has increased rapidly (especially assistant professors) in
spite of the lack of growth in doctoral degrees.
The subsequent graph shows the relative fractions of doctorates awarded
and of faculty positions held by Hispanic Americans. The relative number
of assistant professors is almost three times the relative number of
doctoral degrees and has increased significantly over the three-year
period for which data are available.
The rapid growth of Hispanic American engineering faculty under
conditions where no growth in doctoral degrees occurred is noteworthy.
The number of doctorates awarded in the six years prior to the reported
assistant professor data was examined. The average of the ratios for the
three years of faculty data indicated that 34.1% of the Hispanic
Americans awarded doctoral degrees held assistant professor positions in
engineering colleges. This fraction is almost triple the comparable
fraction for all doctorates (12.5%). Clearly, the growth in the number
of assistant professors derives from the interest of graduate students
in academic careers. The rate-limiting step in the growth of the number
of Hispanic American engineering faculty members is the lack of growth
in the number of doctorates awarded.
Native American Faculty
Analysis of the transition of Native Americans from doctoral graduate
students to engineering faculty is complex due to the year-to-year
scatter in both the doctoral degree and faculty data.
The two graphs above indicate that the number of engineering doctoral
degrees (both degrees and relative numbers of degrees) awarded to Native
Americans has been essentially constant for about a decade. In addition,
the numbers of assistant professors is about the same as the numbers of
doctorates and no indication of growth is apparent.
Comparison of the numbers of doctoral degrees awarded in the six years
prior to the assistant professor survey data indicates that only 12.8%
(three-year average) of the doctorates made the transition to assistant
professor positions in engineering colleges. With annual data for
doctoral degrees awarded to Native Americans remaining low and constant
and a low fraction of those receiving doctorates making the transition
to assistant professor positions, there seems to be little chance for
increasing the number of engineering faculty in this group.
Asian American Faculty
Doctorates awarded to Asian American engineering students reached a
maximum in AY 1995-96, declined for several years and have been
essentially constant of the last five years. The numbers of faculty
members in assistant and full professor ranks have grown substantially
since Fall 2001. It is noteworthy that the number of full professors is
large, indicating that Asian Americans have been entering engineering
education over an extended period of time.
The relative numbers of doctorates and faculty are shown in the graph
below. It is remarkable that in spite of declining relative numbers of
doctoral degrees that have continued since the maximum in AY1995-96, the
fraction of Asian American assistant professors has increased
significantly since Fall 2001.
Analysis of data for doctorates awarded six years prior to each of
the three years for which assistant professor data are available
indicates that 40.2% (three-year average) of the doctoral degree
recipients pursued careers in engineering education. This fraction is
more than triple the comparable number for all doctoral degree
recipients (12.5%). Thus, the very high fraction of Asian Americans who
receive academic appointments offsets the low fraction that are awarded
doctorates. Thus, increases in the numbers of Asian American engineering
faculty members is mainly limited by the number receiving doctoral
degrees.
Summary
Doctoral degrees awarded to African, Hispanic, Native and Asian American
graduate students have remained essentially constant for almost a
decade. Marked increases in the number of Hispanic and Asian American
assistant professors since Fall 2001 have resulted from large fractions
of those receiving doctorates embarking upon careers in engineering
education. Presumably, increases in the numbers of doctoral degrees
awarded would result in more rapid growth.
Growth in the numbers of African American faculty appears to be limited
somewhat by the number making the transition to engineering education as
well as by the lack of doctoral degree growth. Native American faculty
growth appears to be severely constrained by both the lack of doctoral
degree growth and by a very small fraction of doctorate recipients
making the transition to engineering education careers.
Acknowledgment
The faculty data for this study originated from the annual surveys of
the American Society for Engineering Education. The degree data
originated from the annual surveys of the Engineering Workforce
Commission of the American Association of Engineering Societies.
Engineering Trends acknowledges the efforts of these organizations in
providing credible data and expresses its gratitude for their services
to the engineering profession. Persons seeking further information about
their surveys and the availability survey data should visit the ASEE (www.asee.org)
and AAES/EWC (www.aaes.org) Web sites.
Footnotes
Engineering Trends data are compiled mainly from information submitted
by universities to the annual surveys of EWC and ASEE. On the very rare
occasions where errors in data appear, Engineering Trends corrects the
error, if possible, or deletes the data if the error is large enough to
alter significantly the trend of the university or the US total.
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