DO I STAY OR DO I GO? EXAMINING ATTRACTION, SELECTION, AND ATTRITION OF BLACK MEN IN COMPUTER ENGINEERING AT PREDOMINANTLY WHITE INSTITUTIONS

Abstract

Black men are underrepresented in engineering in general and computer engineering (CPE) in particular. Using two unique datasets, (1) the Multiple Institution Database for Investigating Engineering Longitudinal Development (MIDFIELD) and (2) 10 interviews with Black men who persisted in or switched away from CPE at two predominantly White institutions, we contextualize the outcomes of Black men in CPE at predominantly White institutions and highlight these students' narratives about their educational experiences. We use Schneider's attraction, selection, and attrition framework to better understand how institutions shape the educational experiences of Black men in CPE. Our quantitative results show that Black men switch majors away from CPE at similar rates to men of other ethnicities, but they have a slightly lower rate of persistence through eight semesters. Black men who leave CPE do so earlier than they leave other majors. In our qualitative interviews, we find that early, hands-on experiences in CPE during the first year served to select students into it. Persisters better understood what the CPE major entailed than switchers when selecting the major. Attrition was associated with poor experiences in foundational courses, lack of caring faculty, and students' reconsideration of their reasons for choosing the CPE major initially. Our findings have implications for electrical and computer engineering faculty and advisors regarding how they teach and interact with their students, particularly those who are historically minoritized. Should the departments make the changes we suggest, the students would be the ultimate beneficiary of an improved environment for learning.