From: cwm54@cas.org ()
Subject: Re: Repost of Minorities in Science
Organization: Chemical Abstracts Service, Columbus, Ohio
Date: Thu, 7 Jan 1993 15:12:31 GMT

In article <1993Jan4.125949.62433@cc.usu.edu> slzm9@cc.usu.edu writes:
>    I would like to call attention to a recent issue of the journal Science.
>    On November 13th, 1992 Science published a special feature on "Minorities
>    in Science." This feature has 11 articles concentrating on many
>    different features of the issue. These articles cover: 1) Does the
>    problem still exist - yes the evidence is unequivocal. 2) What
>    went wrong with programs begun in the late 60's and early 70's.
>    3) Profiles of a few programs that work and have data to prove it.
>    4) The special problems in math. 5) Profiles of minority scientists.
>    6) Black colleges and their success in recruiting and molding black
>    scientists. 7) Problems faced by asian- and native- americans.
>
>
>    If you are truly interested in recruitment of minorities into
>    science, engineering and technology this is an essential source.
>
>
>
>    Let me report a few of the findings published here to stimulate
>    discussion on the topic:
>
>    Walter Massey, Afro American, Director, National Science Foundation:
>    "Coursework is viewed by many faculty as a way to separate the 'men'
>    from the 'boys.' Unfortunately, these curses also tend to separate
>    the men from the women -- and the white men from just about everyone
>    else." -pg. 1178-1179, Science, Nov. 13, 1992.
>
>    My question for readers is: How can we pare down the number of students
>    that enter a scientific field without  racial or sexual bias? We must
>    reduce the number because while 8,000 freshmen may enter college to
>    major in biochemistry only 800 jobs in biochemistry and related fields
>    will open the year they graduate. Also at a particular university 1200
>    undergraduates may enter in a particular degree program while the
>    university only has enough resources to accomodate 120 seniors. Even if
>    you, the reader, argue that more resources must be made available
>    it can be reasonably argued that society does not need 8,000 biochemists
>    a year. So answer the question even if you must put in the caveat that
>    we need more resources to be made available.
>
>-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>    Wilford Easter, exec. dir. of MESA (Mathematics, Engineering, Science
>    Achievement program): "Too often minority kids go to an institution and
>    people expect them to fail. They take on a kind of syndrome of the
>    terminally ill, where they stop really caring, because they know sooner
>    or later the ax will fall on them."
>
>                               and
>
>    Uri Treisman, a mathematician at the University of Texas, Austin, who
>    recently was awarded a MacArthur "genius grant" for his pioneering
>    work teaching college students mathematics in California and Texas,
>    reacting to the belief that strong students ("A" students) will
>    succeed in college regardless of race: "In fact, national data show
>    that's false. If you control for socioeconomic background and class rank
>    in high school, black kids still do less well than nonminoritites. These
>    are measures of institutional inhospitality."
>
>    This means that, on average, if you take a white kid and a black
>    kid whose parents make the same amount of money and who finished
>    with the same high school rank the white kid is MORE likely to
>    get an undergraduate degree in science than a black kid at the
>    same university, regardless of what grades these kids made in high
>    school.
>
>    Sorry to restate the text but I thought they did a pretty poor job
>    as saying there is still discrimination against black students
>    in science in undergraduate institutions in America.
>
>    The question then is how can we get more minority students in
>    the sciences? Also one of the articles made the point that the
>    single point of greatest loss is the first year of college. So,
>    how can we help those students stick it out?
>
>--------------------------------------------------------------------------
>    Finally, I am specifically interested in the role of mentors in
>    the success of students, especially minorities. If you are an Afro
>    American in a scientific profession would you please post something
>    about the importance of mentors in your career choice, if they had
>    any. Also did a mentor play any role in your college career?
>    For non-scientists reading this how common are these problems
>    in other degree programs at american universities?
>
>
>-------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Peace, but not without justice,
>
> Zip
>