CS201 - Computers, Ethics and Social Responsibility - Winter 2001
Prepared by Marina Kassianidou, Julie Letchner, Adam Mathes, Kiren Sekar, and Kathryn Yu

Women often enter college enthusiastic about studying computer science. But female college students frequently become discouraged. Though studies show no correlation between prior experience and success in the field of computer science, women can be intimidated by their male peers who had earlier exposure to computer science. This perceived disadvantage, combined with peer pressure and societal conventions and stereotypes, cause many women to drop out of computer science programs early in their college careers.

Between 1984 and 1996, the percentage of bachelor's degrees awarded to women in all science and engineering fields steadily rose from 38.6% to 47.1%. But during that same period the percentage of degrees awarded to women in computer science dropped every year from an all time high of 37.2% in 1984 to 27.6% in 1996. The numbers drop even more at the graduate and Ph.D. level.

What pre-college social factors discourage women from pursuing a degree in computer science? From video games to computers in school and in the media, from a young age computer science is portrayed as a predominantly male field. We will study how these factors affect women's decisions in college.

Furthermore, through statistical analysis, interviews, and surveys, we will study the women who are successfully completing computer science programs. We will examine how they cope with their minority status in areas ranging from attire to motherhood, and how they are influenced by policies and programs aimed at promoting women in computer science, including groups such as the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) and Women in Computer Science (WICS). By examining female students' responses to these programs, we will provide a qualitative assessment of university outreach programs to complement statistical measures of their effectiveness. Finally, through study of women's greatest obstacles and aides in their path to success, we shall outline new policies that could further attract and retain women in computer science.