Women are chronically underrepresented in tech, particularly women of color. According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), the situation is even more alarming for Black, Latina, and Native American (BLNA) women who make up just four percent of the computing workforce.
Despite the growing number of voices pushing for gender equality, and an increasing number of tech companies stating that diversity is a priority, there are no real visible results. But are there enough tech graduates representing women of color?
Western Governors University (WGU) is working with Reboot Representation Tech Coalition, a group of 22 leading tech companies, to increase the presence of women of color in its tech program. This, ultimately, will have a positive impact in the workplace. The partnership between WGU and Reboot Representation includes a nearly $1 million grant aimed at supporting and increasing the number of BLNA women earning bachelor’s degrees from the non-profit online university’s College of Information Technology by 2025.
“Supporting students to complete computing degrees means understanding and addressing their life circumstances,” said Reboot Representation CEO Dawna Franklin-Davis. According to an Accenture report in collaboration with Girls Who Code, across the United States, only 25 percent of tech graduates are women, with a dropout rate of 37 percent for tech classes compared to 30 percent for other programs. BLNA women represent roughly 16 percent of the total U.S. population, yet they make up only four percent of students obtaining bachelor’s degrees in computing. While 61 percent of WGU students are women, the university’s BLNA enrollment in its College of Information Technology closely resembles the national average.
Like much of the postsecondary education sector, the university is focused on changing that through targeted outreach and customized student support from enrollment to completion. “As a university with a mission to change the lives for the better by creating pathways to opportunity, WGU recognizes the urgent need for more women of color to have access to industry-relevant technology education to prepare. them for thriving-wage, in-demand careers in the technology sector,” said Ashutosh Tiwary, senior Vice President of WGU’s College of Information Technology.
WGU is committed to being one of the most student-centric universities in the world and aims for all students to have the resources to learn at their own pace and persist to graduation. In order to support more BLNA women getting baccalaureate IT degrees, the university will provide increased peer and coaching support, admissions process support, leadership development training, and financial aid grants if needed. Additionally, WGU Academy, the university’s college readiness program, will provide an on-ramp for students who need additional support, while also serving as a re-entry point for BLNA students from WGU’s College of Information Technology who previously stopped pursuing bachelor’s degrees.
WGU believes in education equity and always keeps an eye toward transforming their systems to improve access to all learners, according to Annalisa Holcombe, President of WGU Advancement, the university’s fundraising and development arm. “Gifts like the one from Reboot Representation ensures that, given the opportunity, every individual can accomplish their goals,” she said.
WGU pioneered online, competency-based education, a model that allows students to further their education on their own timeline, no matter where they love. This approach allows students to apply their prior learning and work-based skills to coursework, enabling them to progress through what they know and spend more time learning what they do not know. All students at WGU are paired with a program mentor who has expertise in their chosen degree program and supports students in learning and navigating their educational journeys from enrollment through graduation.
Happy students are the best way to tell if a university is doing the right thing. For Shaira Lacour, a mother, Marine Corps veteran, and cybersecurity and information assurance student, WGU works well for her because she can get exactly what she needs with no nonsense. “I don’t have to worry about sitting in a class where I feel I already know the material, and they give me all the tools I need to be successful. The model of on-demand learning, go as you learn, is definitely beneficial for someone like me, and I’m excited to have an institution like WGU on my side to help me achieve my goals,” she said.