Recipient Name:
Newsletter Contents
Synopses of
New Reports in Inside Engineering Education on the Engineering Trends Web
site http://engtrends.com
1. “Variations in Engineering Discipline Enrollments – Good and Bad
News”
2.
"Undergraduate Engineering Gender and Ethnicity Enrollment Trends – Some Good
News, But Mostly
Bad News”
3. “Master’s and Doctoral
Engineering Enrollment Trends for Women and Various Ethnic Groups”
4. “Total
Numbers of Bachelor’s, Master’s and Doctoral Degrees per Million Population
Since AY1945-46 -
Including Data for Degrees Awarded to US Citizens Since
AY1970-71”
New Pages on the Engineering Trends Web Site
1.
Quarterly Newsletter Archive
2.
Degrees Since 1945
New Studies Underway at Engineering Trends
1. "Entry of Women and Ethnic Minority Groups Into Academic
Faculty Positions"
2. "A Progress Report on the Growth of Engineering Degrees Awarded to
Undergraduate and Graduate
Students"
Services to Search Committees and Applicants
Guest Editorials - New Contributors and Their Contributions
New Benefit for Engineering Trends Members
Synopses of New Reports in Inside Engineering Education on the Engineering
Trends Web Site
Variations in Engineering Discipline Enrollments - Good and Bad News
Total engineering full-time undergraduate enrollments are
expected to reach a maximum in Fall 2004. Degrees should reach a maximum (and a
new record) in AY2006-07. This study focused on full-time enrollment trends
since AY1975-76 in seventeen engineering disciplines. Only eight disciplines
(aerospace, bio-/biomedical, civil, electrical, mechanical, nuclear, petroleum
and systems engineering) currently have increasing enrollments. Increases in
relative enrollments (fraction of engineering as a whole) are currently
occurring in only six of these disciplines (aerospace, bio-/biomedical,
mechanical, nuclear, petroleum and systems engineering).
Undergraduate Engineering Gender and Ethnicity Enrollment Trends - Some
Good News, But Mostly Bad News
The relative first-year and full-time enrollments (fraction of
engineering as a whole) of women have declined since Fall 1995 and Fall 1998,
respectively. This decline has now resulted in annual decreases in the number of
first-year enrollments since Fall 2000 and full-time enrollments since Fall
2002.
Declines in relative first-year and full-time enrollments of
African American students began in Fall 1993 and Fall 1996, respectively, and
have resulted in declines in both first-year and full-time enrollments beginning
in Fall 2002. More recently, Asian American enrollments have begun to follow
this pattern. On the other hand, Hispanic American enrollments continue to
increase and relative enrollments (both first-year and full-time) set new
records in Fall 2003.
Master's and Doctoral Engineering Enrolment Trends for Women and Various
Ethnic Groups
Full-time master's degree enrollments for women appear to have
become constant and relative enrollments (fractions of engineering as a whole)
are now undergoing slight annual declines. Doctoral enrollments, including
relative enrollments, continue to increase according to the trends established
previously.
Asian American full-time master's degree enrollments and
relative enrollments, continue to follow past rapid growth trends. African and
Hispanic American enrollments also continue past growth trends as well, but
their relative enrollments continue to decline.
Doctoral full-time enrollments for Asian, African and Hispanic
Americans continue to increase, with Asian American enrollment growth being
substantial. However, in terms of relative enrollments, only data for Asian
American doctoral students continue to increase.
Total Numbers of Bachelor's, Master's and Doctoral Degrees per Million
Population Since AY1945-46 - Including Data for Degrees awarded to US Citizens
Since AY1970-71
Undergraduate degrees in engineering have increased by about
350% since the late 1940s. However, relative to population growth over the last
six decades, bachelor's degrees have only doubled.
Master's and doctoral degrees have increased by seven and
twelve times, respectively, since AY1950-51. Relative to population growth,
these increases have been substantial as well. However, considering only
graduate degrees awarded to US citizens relative to population growth, master's
degrees show minimal long-term growth and doctoral degrees have remained
essentially constant.
New Pages on the Engineering Trends Web Site
Quarterly Newsletter Archive
Engineering Trend's Quarterly Newsletters, sent via e-mail,
provide reviews of our recent research reports, descriptions of ongoing
research, listings of recent guest editorials and general information about Web
site updates and additions. These Newsletters will now be archived on the Web
site to accommodate visitors who do not receive them regularly. Of course, we
welcome additions to our mailing list.
Degrees Awarded Since 1945
This new page was initiated in the Summer 2004 and presents
data in graphical format on undergraduate and graduate engineering degrees
awarded by US universities since 1945. Data for ethnicity, gender and foreign
nationals are also included. Engineering Trends will update these graphs as new
data become available in order to provide a current, long-term resource.
Graphs of degree data for eleven engineering disciplines are presented as well
(aerospace, bio- and biomedical, chemical, civil, computer (including computer
science), electrical, environmental, materials, mechanical, nuclear and
petroleum engineering). These graphs include gender and foreign national data.
A new Engineering Trends report (October 2004) considers the changes in
undergraduate and graduate degrees awarded in the US relative to US population
growth since 1945. Additional information on this report appears in another
section of this Newsletter.
New Studies Underway at Engineering Trends
Entry of Women and Ethnic Minority Groups Into Academic Faculty Positions
Considerable attention has been given to increasing the
numbers of women and members of minority groups in faculty positions in
engineering colleges. Engineering Trends is addressing this matter by comparing
doctorates awarded to the number of faculty appointments. The main focus is on
the comparison of the number of assistant professors in a given year to the
number of doctorates awarded in the prior period of five to seven years. The
overall goal is to determine whether the "rate-limiting step" is in the awarding
of doctorates or in attraction doctorates to academic positions.
A Progress Report on the Growth of Engineering Degrees Awarded to
Undergraduate and Graduate Students
Bachelor's degrees have been increasing annually since
AY1998-99. With declining undergraduate enrollments, will the maximum in degrees
predicted previously for AY2006-07 arrive on schedule and will the maximum
exceed the previous record set in AY1985-86?
Master's and doctoral enrollments have been setting new
records annually for several years. Master's degrees set a new record in
AY2002-03, but enrollments in Fall 2003 increased very little. Doctoral degrees
have shown little growth since AY1998-99 in spite of substantial enrollment
growth. Are master's degrees about to decline and are doctoral degrees about to
undergo a period of rapid growth?
Services to Search Committees and Applicants
Search committees for academic administration openings need
information on the performance of applicants relative to achievements in prior
administrative positions. Applicants need statistical information relative to
prior trends of potential future employers. Such information does not provide a
complete picture of either the open position or the overall accomplishments of a
candidate. However, the availability of such information allows employment
discussions to be focused on specifications set by the search committee and the
desires and interests of individual candidates.
Engineering Trends can provide statistical data on candidate performance (based
on employment history as listed in a candidate's resume) and organization
trends. Please contact us for details. All contacts are held strictly
confidential by Engineering Trends.
Guest Editorials - New Contributors and Their Contributions
The Editorials page on the Engineering Trends Web site
continues to be a favorite of visitors. New guest editorials by leaders in
engineering education are scheduled to appear monthly. Engineering Trends
selects only the editorial writers; the topics are defined by the writers.
Comments from site visitors as well as unsolicited guest editorials will be
considered for inclusion on the site.
The following guest editorials have appeared recently:
June 2004 - "The Changing Face of Engineering", Dr. Paul S.
Peercy, Dean, College of Engineering, University of Wisconsin, Madison
August 2004 - "Expanding the Pool of Engineering Students",
Dr. Mohamed El-Aasser, Dean, P. C. Rossin College of Engineering and Applied
Science, Lehigh University
September 2004 - "The Societal Responsibility of Engineering
Educators", Dr. William A. Wulf, President, National Academy of Engineering
New Benefit for Engineering Trends Members
The new page on our Web site, Degrees Since 1945, was
described earlier in this newsletter. The graphs of total numbers of bachelor's,
master's and doctoral degrees awarded in the US will be accessible to all site
visitors. Members of Engineering Trends will have access to all of the graphical
data for engineering as a whole and eleven engineering disciplines.
(Questions have come to us as to whether "annual membership" refers to a
specific year, e.g., 2004. Engineering Trends is using "annual" to refer to a
membership that lasts for one year from the date of origination, not from the
start of a new year.)
Can We Be of Assistance?
We would like to assist you in your planning activities and
benchmarking studies. In addition, we welcome your suggestions of reports that
you would like to see added to the Inside Engineering Education section of our
Web site and reviewed in forthcoming newsletters. You may contact us via our Web
site http://engtrends.com, by e-mail at
news@engtrends.com and/or by phone
(906) 482-1523. We look forward to working
with you.
Sincerely,
Richard W. Heckel
Founder &
Technical Director
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