Living and learning communities for women students are a new phenomenon in engineering schools all over the country. One of the many goals of these communities is to bolster the retention rates of women engineers as well as to help combat some of the stereotypes against women in the engineering fields. Hypatia Women in Engineering Learning Community (Virginia Tech), the Women in Engineering Program (University of Texas, Austin), and Women in Science and Engineering (University of Iowa) are just a few examples. As a rising junior in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Maryland, College Park, I have had the opportunity to be involved in one such community on my campus, Flexus.
Flexus, meaning “change” in Greek, is a two-year program at UMD for women engineering students that has proven to be a great way to get involved in the engineering school and get acclimated on a campus of over 26,000 undergraduate students, 4,500 of whom are in the engineering school.
Most of the young women in my freshman dorm were in Flexus, and this gave us an immediate bond for the next nine months. In our first semester, the program also clustered our math, science, and Introduction to Engineering classes. Since the UMD engineering school is only 20 percent women, having this community of peers right down the hall was extremely beneficial in the many aspects of college life.
There was also a weekly seminar for everyone in the program. During freshman year, we discussed topics including résumé building and how to network at a career fair or professional society meeting. The seminar also included a self-defense lesson with the UMD police chief and a class dedicated to rebuilding carburetors with the dean of the mechanical engineering department.
Sophomore year, the class became more devoted to personal and professional development, including classes on learning styles; the issues women face in the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) workplace; and how to write cover letters and negotiate salaries. Each semester also included a networking event with alumni and an end-of-semester project researching a specific engineering major or company.
Both years, we participated in service projects such as the Developing Revolutionary Engineers and Mentors conference, Girls Excelling in Math and Science, and pre-college programs like Keys to Empowering Youth and Girl Scout Engineering Saturday.
Without Flexus, I wouldn’t be as familiar with the engineering school, and because of the support it provides, I am definitely going to finish my degree in engineering. It has been beneficial academically, professionally, and socially, and I hope that these types of communities continue to gain popularity in colleges around the country. I hope to encourage more young women to study engineering and let them know that living and learning communities are supportive environments that can help along the way.
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This post was written by former AAUW STEM Programs Intern Haley Crock.
AAUW Dialog 
I made no implications regarding Title IX other than I thought it was meant to provide equal opportunities for both boys and girls and that special programs for one group are wrong. I assume that some individuals interpret Title IX to mean that special programs for boys are illegal but special programs for girls are enlightening and empowering and necessary. Is this not really just a form of hypocrisy and sexism ? Either you believe in true equality and work for it or you do not. It seems that those who now propose and implement such special programs for girls are really violating the spirit of the law.
Also, is it not interesting that only the AAUW (a women’s and girls advocacy group) finds that there is no boy crisis ? Yet many other researchers acknowledge that there is boy crisis. The AAUW declaring that there is no boy crisis Is like a cigarette company sponsoring research on smoking and finding there is no link between smoking and cancer ? Remember that acknowledging that boys are having a problem in education might actually cause some important government funds to be diverted to programs for boys thus ultimately causing a decrease in funding some of the many special programs that have been created for girls.
Indeed, I think most people who teach now could easily argue that girls and women and not just doing fine but are excelling in education. Anyone, who has taught a number of years can certainly see the transformation that has taken place in our schools. However,from drop out rates to course grades it is boys who are actually having problems in the schools. This is the issue that no doubt needs to be investigated and addressed.
As I said earlier, you either believe in equality and work towards those ends or you do not. Creating special programs for some and not others means you are not interested in true equality.
Congratulations Haley for choosing an enlightened school program which is already making a difference in the lives of women pursuing STEM education and occupations! Just as important, thanks for getting the word out so that others can look into similar programs.
Daniel, I appreciate your comment. It raises two important issues that AAUW works on every day. First, Title IX opponents have created the troubling myth that expanded educational opportunities for girls have come at the expense of boys. These are the insidious implications underlying many of the recent assaults on Title IX, that in turn are fueling erroneous notions that Title IX’s work is done. AAUW’s report, Where the Girls Are, and other research finds no evidence of a boys’ crisis. Second, the example Haley gives is a model program to promote affirmative action and diversity in higher education, which is central to our mission at AAUW. My mother used to tell me, “There’s an affirmative action program for men all around us, it’s the largest program of any kind – public and private. It’s called the status quo and it is fueled by gender bias.”
AAUW’s research and positions on these and other issues can be found at http://www.aauw.org. Please spread the word!
This article reinforces a central point of “Why So Few Women in STEM?” — that women students in these fields need an ongoing environment which values their capabilities and increases their opportunities for achievement. Engineering schools need to strengthen this mentoring and support, which would contribute to higher graduation and employment rates of women engineers. Science and technology should be genderless because they drive the advances that improve our lives. Good luck to Haley in her career!
Are these Learning Communities a violation of Title IX ? Are equivalent programs available for men ?