The Importance of Mentors

1. Gender & IT Education Gender and IT Education Conference, Indiana University, 2007 The Importance of Mentors Faculty and Student Experiences in Mentoring and Being Mentored Christine Ogan and Jean Robinson Gender and IT Education Conference, Indiana University, 2007

2. Data Sets Used • Web survey of undergraduate and graduate students • Telephone survey using faculty and administrator respondents Gender and IT Education Conference, Indiana University, 2007

3. Overall findings from Faculty Survey • Most faculty reported having mentors as students • The gender of the mentor most often was the same (75.8%) as was the race (73.8%). However, women less likely to identify a current mentor as someone of same gender. • Faculty in applied fields more likely to have mentors today/Also more likely to have had mentors as graduate students Gender and IT Education Conference, Indiana University, 2007

4. What Mentors do for Faculty • 50-70% Report Experiencing this Help (Kram’s dimensions) • Inform them about campus conditions • Inform them about work environment • Inform them about opportunities for new projects • Provide psychological support (women report getting significantly more help here) Gender and IT Education Conference, Indiana University, 2007

5. Networking Experiences • 87.1% say they have a network to turn to. • Relationship between gender of the faculty member and gender of the network (r=.29) • Networks are somewhat/very important in advancing careers (91.9%) • The longer a faculty member spends in a unit, the less likely he/she will have a network (r=.16). Gender and IT Education Conference, Indiana University, 2007

6. Other Important Findings • Faculty in applied fields feel their values are more similar to others in their field than do computer scientist faculty. • The longer women had been in the field, the closer they felt their values were to those of the field (r=.19). • Men reported more socializing than did women. • The longer women were in the field the more likely they rejected the existence of an “in group” in their unit. Gender and IT Education Conference, Indiana University, 2007

7. Role Modeling • 32% say they always think about being a role model for students • 52.4% sometimes think about being a role model for students Gender and IT Education Conference, Indiana University, 2007

8. Ways Faculty Mentor • 94% say they are engaged in mentoring • In open ended answers all refer to positive mentoring activities--no difficulties described • Most activities related to graduate student mentoring (research groups, dissertations, conferences) Gender and IT Education Conference, Indiana University, 2007

9. Students’ View of Role Modelsin Computer Science • Fewer than 30 percent of undergraduates identified a male or female faculty member as a person who served as a role model for them. • About 56% of master’s students id’d a faculty member • About 60% of PhD students id’d a faculty member Gender and IT Education Conference, Indiana University, 2007

10. Students’ View of Role Models in Applied IT • Fewer than 40% of undergraduates identified a faculty member as someone who served as a role model. • 52% of master’s students id’d a faculty member. • 72% of PhD students id’d a faculty member. Gender and IT Education Conference, Indiana University, 2007

11. Mentor Question Format • The next set of questions asks about mentors. For each of the following situations, select one button for the person most associated with the situation in your current program of studies. • Male faculty member, female faculty member, Other male, Other Female, Not applicable Gender and IT Education Conference, Indiana University, 2007

12. Gone out of their way to promote your career interests • 23% of CS undergrads identified a faculty member • 44% of Applied undergrads identified a faculty member Gender and IT Education Conference, Indiana University, 2007

13. Recommended you for Something that Helped you Learn New Skills • 36% of CS undergrads identified a faculty member • 54% of Applied undergrads identified a faculty Gender and IT Education Conference, Indiana University, 2007

14. Helped you obtain a fellowship or internship • 23% of computer science undergrads identified a faculty member • 34% of applied undergrads identified a faculty member. Gender and IT Education Conference, Indiana University, 2007

15. Encouraged you to Think About Graduate School • 37% of computer science undergrads could identify a faculty member • 35% of Applied undergrads could identify a faculty member Gender and IT Education Conference, Indiana University, 2007

16. Conveyed feeling of Respect for you as an Individual • 41% of CS students could identify a faculty member • 54% of Applied students could identify a faculty member Gender and IT Education Conference, Indiana University, 2007

17. Shared History of His/Her Career with you • 47% of CS undergrads could identify a faculty member • 61% of Applied undergrads could identify a faculty member. Gender and IT Education Conference, Indiana University, 2007

18. Displayed attitudes and values about the field similar to your own • 36% of C.S. undergrads could identify a faculty member. • 49% of Applied undergrads could identify a faculty member. Gender and IT Education Conference, Indiana University, 2007

19. Who most encouraged you to Study in an IT Field (CS) • Of undergrads, 5% identified a male teacher and 2.1% identified a female teacher. • Of Master’s students, 7.9% identified a male teacher and nobody identified a female teacher. • Of PhD students, 8.4% identified a male teacher and .6% identified a female teacher Gender and IT Education Conference, Indiana University, 2007

20. Who most encouraged Applied Students to Study in an IT Field • Undergrads: 7.0% identified a male teacher and 5.5% identified a female teacher. • Master’s: 3.4% identified a male teacher and 2.0% identified a female teacher. • PhD: 4.0% identified a male teacher and nobody identified a female teacher. Gender and IT Education Conference, Indiana University, 2007

21. Gender and IT Education Conference, Indiana University, 2007

22. Conclusions/Recommendations • Mentoring would be a stronger predictor of belonging and satisfaction if there were more mentoring going on. • Applied Units were more female friendly in their practice of mentoring • Mentoring not adequately rewarded in IT higher education. Gender and IT Education Conference, Indiana University, 2007

23. Unsolicited Student Comments • “Most computer science classes are so large that there is little (if any at all) teacher-student interaction, which is unfortunate. Everyone is treated fairly, but learning is very impersonal.” • “I found the faculty in computer science very unhelpful. I am switching my major to mathematics because of that.” Gender and IT Education Conference, Indiana University, 2007

24. And more comments. . . • “If it wasn’t for a certain faculty member, I would not be where I am today or even headed in the direction I am today.” • The department of informatics at this student’s school “tries to hard to make a name for itself” and in doing so is “biased towards the top students.” • “I realized that going to a big ten school and majoring in computer science makes personal interactions with professors just about impossible. It turns out personalityless programmers.” Gender and IT Education Conference, Indiana University, 2007

25. And finally. . . . • “My school doesn’t have mentorship programs as far as I know. Reading those questions made me realize that the only person who cares about me getting a decent education is me.” Gender and IT Education Conference, Indiana University, 2007