The CalWomenTech Project understands the importance of continuous feedback, and has built a Total Quality Management (TQM) approach directly into the program. We ask our community college team members for frequent input about our services to make sure we're on track.
Each CalWomenTech community college team member completes a quarterly evaluation to rate the quality of the extension services so that project staff can continually improve the services delivered throughout the life of the Project. The Project also seeks immediate feedback after each training or event that it hosts via surveys specially designed to elicit feedback to measure effectiveness and improve performance. Through these ongoing feedback collection methods, IWITTS is able to develop a service that truly meets the needs of the end-user, the California community college system and the educators who make up these institutions.
Increase the number of women enrolled and retained in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) education in 8 selected CalWomenTech community colleges with emerging technology centers (i.e. Advanced Technology Education Centers or California Community College Technology Centers).
Institutionalize gender equity strategies in each participating college beyond the life of the Project.
Illustrate to the California and national community college system that STEM gender equity strategies increase recruitment and retention of women in STEM courses, through both state and national dissemination of the Project.
Anticipated Outcomes:
Increased enrollment of women by an average of 10 to 15% in targeted STEM classes!
A retention rate for females that is comparable to males in targeted classes.
CalWomenTech recruitment and retention strategies incorporated directly into the college's regular practices.
Dissemination of successful CalWomenTech strategies statewide and nationally via the mainstream education system.
Increased focus of the California community college system on recruitment and retention of females into STEM.
What is the CalWomenTech Project's Ultimate Goal?
The CalWomenTech Project expects to demonstrate to the community college system that recruitment and retention of women in STEM is possible via the success of its CalWomenTech community college teams. The Project will provide the system with the tools needed for enhanced recruitment and retention efforts via the best practices content of the CalWomenTech section of its website, as well as through the new tools that will be developed for implementation by CalWomenTech teams and the online trainings, informational conference calls, and state conference presentations.
The CalWomenTech Project Grant runs from April 2006 to March 2011.
The CalWomenTech Project is Funded by The Program for Research on Gender in Science and Engineering from The National Science Foundation - Grant no. 0533564
