MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Committee on Undergraduate Women Enrollment
Survey Form--Fall 1994
The EECS Department is investigating the various factors that lead MIT man and women to major in Course 6. We would greatly appreciate your taking the time to answer the questions in this survey. Please fill out this form now and return it at the end of lecture.
Circle the correct response:
Year 1 2 3 4 G Course:______________ Male / Female
For each statement, please fill in 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 as follows:
1 = completely false
2 = somewhat false
3 = do not know
4 = somewhat true
5 = very true
1. Course 6 is very competitive compared with M 1 2 3 4 5 AV
other majors. 3% 3% 21% 33% 40% 4.0
W 1 2 3 4 5 AV
3% 4% 25% 29% 39% 4.0
2. Course 6 has accessible faculty compared with M 1 2 3 4 5 AV
other majors 4% 14% 48% 26% 8% 3.2
W 1 2 3 4 5 AV
0 9% 53% 22% 16% 3.4
3. Course 6 has faculty who encourage women M 1 2 3 4 5 AV
students, compared with other majors. 4% 8% 83% 3% 3% 2.9
W 1 2 3 4 5 AV
7% 28% 46% 13% 7% 2.9
4. Course 6 requires more work than other majors M 1 2 3 4 5 AV
4% 4% 11% 33% 48% 4.2
W 1 2 3 4 5 AV
3% 5% 8% 41% 43% 4.2
5. Course 6 careers are very creative, compared M 1 2 3 4 5 AV
with other majors 6% 17% 27% 38% 12% 3.3
W 1 2 3 4 5 AV
4% 17% 32% 36% 12% 3.3
6. It is difficult to succeed in Course 6 M 1 2 3 4 5 AV
without having had previous EE or CS experience. 11% 26% 17% 34% 13% 3.1
W 1 2 3 4 5 AV
11% 25% 13% 36% 16% 3.2
7. My freshmen advisor encouraged me to major M 1 2 3 4 5 AV
in Course 6. 54% 16% 19% 8% 2% 1.9
********** W 1 2 3 4 5 AV
42% 16% 15% 21% 5% 2.3
8. I had less prior computer experience M 1 2 3 4 5 AV
compared to other MIT students. 23% 33% 9% 20% 15% 2.7
********** W 1 2 3 4 5 AV
4% 23% 8% 29% 36% 3.7
9. I had less prior EE experience compared to M 1 2 3 4 5 AV
other students at MIT. 9% 21% 17% 35% 18% 3.3
***************** W 1 2 3 4 5 AV
3% 13% 5% 39% 40% 4.0
10. My high school teachers/guidance counselors M 1 2 3 4 5 AV
encouraged me to pursue engineering. 28% 23% 5% 28% 15% 2.8
W 1 2 3 4 5 AV
22% 22% 10% 26% 21% 3.0
11. High School guidance counselors and M 1 2 3 4 5 AV
teachers encourage men to enter EE or CS more 18% 10% 48% 19% 5% 2.8
than they encourage women. W 1 2 3 4 5 AV
15% 9% 41% 20% 15% 3.1
12. Parents encourage men to enter EE or CS M 1 2 3 4 5 AV
more than they encourage women. 15% 7% 45% 27% 7% 3.0
W 1 2 3 4 5 AV
12% 11% 33% 32% 12% 3.2
Here are some ideas for increasing the percentage of women majoring in course 6. Which would be most productive? Please answer on a 1 to 5 scale (5 is the most productive).
Rating (1-5)
1. Offer a pre-6.001 subject for people with M 1 2 3 4 5 AV
no prior computer experience. 15% 17% 20% 22% 27% 3.3
W 1 2 3 4 5 AV
19% 9% 19% 24% 29% 3.4
2. Provide a matching service to make it M 1 2 3 4 5 AV
easier to find UROPS. 6% 11% 20% 24% 39% 3.8
W 1 2 3 4 5 AV
6% 3% 24% 25% 43% 4.0
3. Prove more small group learning M 1 2 3 4 5 AV
opportunities in courses. 6% 12% 32% 24% 26% 3.5
W 1 2 3 4 5 AV
5% 9% 26% 24% 36% 3.8
4. Decrease the student/faculty ratio in M 1 2 3 4 5 AV
course 6. 10% 11% 26% 24% 36% 3.5
W 1 2 3 4 5 AV
3% 19% 35% 19% 24% 3.4
5. Offer a Course 6 Open House for freshmen M 1 2 3 4 5 AV
18% 20% 25% 20% 17% 3.0
W 1 2 3 4 5 AV
14% 19% 22% 30% 16% 3.1
6. Sponsor social events for women major to M 1 2 3 4 5 AV
meet women faculty. 14% 12% 29% 30% 15% 3.2
***************** W 1 2 3 4 5 AV
12% 7% 21% 28% 31% 3.6
7. Offer refresher seminars to go over basic M 1 2 3 4 5 AV
material needed for a class during the first 7% 14% 28% 29% 23% 3.5
few weeks. W 1 2 3 4 5 AV
9% 9% 20% 23% 18% 3.6
8. Increase the number of female faculty. M 1 2 3 4 5 AV
******************** 18% 9% 31% 23% 18% 3.1
W 1 2 3 4 5 AV
9% 11% 18% 14% 48% 3.8
9. Provide opportunities for contact with M 1 2 3 4 5 AV
women working in EE or CS in industry. 12% 6% 31% 31% 20% 3.4
********************* W 1 2 3 4 5 AV
10% 13% 12% 21% 43% 3.7
Comments from Women:
Open house for everyone; not just women.
There is the feeling that Course 6 women are reluctant to speak up in class with men; they fear that their comments, if stupid, are indicative of all women.
Some women still feel that they were admitted to M.I.T. only because they are women.
Women are scared to enter Course 6.
U.S. has to start working with girls in science in elementary and High Schools.
Treating women differently makes it a lot worse.
My biggest problem was attempting to work with male students who were more interested in dating!
Women in Course 6 have to constantly prove oneself that they are intelligent and serious students.
I would like to see more women faculty and TAs in VI.
Professors seem to think we were all brought up playing with resistors, building computers and fixing stereos.
I have not had as much experience as the guys but I do not want special treatment.
Don't require EE sub Sects for CS students and vice versa.
Women should not get special treatment.
Special treatment for women indicates that women can't "hack it" !!
Comments from Men:
Important for both women and men to meet faculty.
The problem is a societal bias against women in EECS; the dept. should increase contact for ALL course 6 majors with women faculty, TAs and women in industry.
Provide opportunities to meet women faculty and women in industry for ALL Course 6.
Focus on attacking the male culture of Course 6 students; it is generally accepted that women cannot withstand the pressure of Course 6.
Offer a pre-6.001 and 6.002 subject for students.
Women have to he encouraged early - high school or earlier. Personal hygiene a problem in Vl.
Don't force majors on people for the purpose of balancing statistics. Why worry about getting more women in 6?
Why should my tuition dollars be spent to increase the number of women?
6.001 is overbearing, overwhelming and for women too. The idea that computer science is just nerdy computer programming keeps lots of people from ever considering it.
If more women enter EECS now it will make it easier for women to enter later.
Offering special opportunities for women is unfair.
Things in Course 6 should he more humane; with the heavy workload students can do very little else.
Don't allow male TAs to hit on women in their classes.
All suggested ideas are great for EECS students.