Abstract of "National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering (NACME) Report"
The National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering, Inc., is a not-for-profit corporation "committed to bringing the talents of African Americans, Hispanics and American Indians to the nation's engineering work force. NACME includes a research department that helps shape the initiatives needed. Its 1990 report focused on six critical research areas:
- Precollege Program Assessment--NACME developed the first database management system, DATMAN, designed to help programs collect, manage, and analyze student tracking information.
- Retention--Together with the Center for the Advancement of Science, Engineering and Technology, NACME made an extensive survey of underrepresented students currently enrolled in engineering. It assessed the impact of their college experiences on academic performance, giving new insights into the problem of retention.
- Attrition--NACME conducted a survey of former engineering majors to determine the underlying reasons for attrition.
- University Program Assessment--NACME established a partnership with the ETS to assess selected minority engineering programs.
- Enrollment--The number of underrepresented freshmen entering engineering school had increased 28.4 percent since 1986-87, while the enrollment of other freshmen had declined 7 percent
- Achievement
NACME also examined the backgrounds of 30 distinguished engineers from the minority communities.
NACME offers three distinct scholarship programs to help minority students pay for their studies in engineering:
- Corporate Scholars Program
- Incentive Grants Program
- NACME Techforce Scholarships
NACME works with local, regional and national organizations, as well as with industry, in developing and implementing model programs such as TechForce 2001.
Its communications department spreads the message to children in elementary school, students in junior high and high school, undergraduate engineering majors, parents, educators, industry leaders, government, and the public at large. NACME publications include 15 books, periodicals and brochures. It has created a Marvel comic book featuring The Amazing Spider-Man and a band of potential engineers in order to reach 200,000 youngsters, and it has directories to disseminate information on engineering programs and financial aid nationwide.
For more information, write to:
National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering, Inc.,3 West 35th StreetNew York, NY 10001-2281
--abstract by Online Ethics Center staff