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Making it stick…

Making it stick…. what I have learned (often the hard way) about sustaining women in engineering activities Elizabeth Croft, Mechanical Engineering, UBC ecroft@mech.ubc.ca www.mech.ubc.ca/~ecroft. Outline. Lessons Learned Case Studies Trimentoring http://www.cpsd.apsc.ubc.ca/mentoring/

colby-riley
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Making it stick…

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  1. Making it stick… what I have learned (often the hard way) about sustaining women in engineering activities Elizabeth Croft, Mechanical Engineering, UBC ecroft@mech.ubc.ca www.mech.ubc.ca/~ecroft

  2. Outline • Lessons Learned • Case Studies • Trimentoring • http://www.cpsd.apsc.ubc.ca/mentoring/ • NEW@ubc -> WIE@ubc • http://wie.apsc.ubc.ca/ • Building Communities Symposium 2007 • http://www.mech.ubc.ca/~wesymposium/

  3. Research your project • Know the “space” • Other projects • Other players/potential partners • Funding sources • Know your audience • Investors-read their strategic plan (MVG) • Clients • Survey • Before you start • For every activity (PDQ) • Assign this activity to a person who is NOT running the event

  4. Strategic Alignment • Your Institution • Strategic Plan • Best practices • Other groups • Resource sharing • Event co-ordination • Industry • Needs • Fit

  5. Documentation • Strategic Plan • Vision • Mission • Values • Goals and Objectives • Strategic Initiatives • Great marketing tool – put on website, show to audience • It’s a roadmap! • Implementation tracking (operations manual, post event debriefing sessions) • Survey tracking • Writing papers about your activities legitimizes it to the academic establishment • TAKE PICTURES – assign the task to someone who is NOT running the event

  6. Champions • Advisors • From both client groups • Provides directions (strategic plan) and builds credibility • Implementers • Seconded staff if possible • Workstudy is a great UBC opportunity • Students with passion • Marketers – students who spread the word!

  7. Marketing - I • To audience • Good title, and logo is very important! • Mailing lists • – your own – opt in • - institution – to advertise your list • Website • Inside women’s washrooms (back of door so not removed by custodial staff) • Classes • Via other groups

  8. Marketing - II • To Institution • BHD meetings • Alignment with their interests • Improve institution’s image • Institution Marketing Personnel • To Supporting organizations • Deadlines • Targeted to their goals • Personal contacts • Personalized letters with follow up calls • Short and to the point! Make it easy to fund you.

  9. Succession Planning • Starts with the beginning of the project • Included in the strategic plan – allows a transition period • Incorporates your institutions goals • High visibility of project (marketing) • Natural hand-off as possible • LET GO…. Pass on ownership!

  10. Case 1 - Trimentoring • Started in Nov 2003 with 2 Graduate Students as a woman only pilot • Good timing in terms of funding from Career Services • Applied for funding support from Dean’s office (PAF) • Expanded program (men and women) ~120 participants • “Mainstreamed” in 2006 to Dean’s office

  11. What we did right • Clearly defined need • Started small • Aligned with institution need • Lobbied almost from outset for staff support and transfer to applied science • Website, mailing list, operation manual • Surveys (administered by career services) • Marketed well • Industry (APEGBC) • Administration and Marketing personnel (invited Dean to events, got his picture with students) • Students – made it a valuable program

  12. Case 2: NEW@ubc • Started in 2005 with Seed funding from Jade • Initial goals were to find out “what women (in UBC engineering) want” • Focus groups, Survey, Report, Strategy meetings, lunches • 2006 continuation added activities based on survey results – brownbags, keynotes. • Transferred to dean’s office in 2007 through a grant application to EEF

  13. What we did right • Surveys and documentation • Alignment to Institutional goals • Recruitment • Image for WIE • Marketing to Institution • BHD meeting • EEF application • Alignment with other groups – DAWEG and SCWIST

  14. Case 3: Building Communities Symposium • Started in 2006-18 months of planning • Implemented in September 2007 • Over 100 participant women engineers • Industry funded, 2 day event • Future event in the works…

  15. What we did right • Great Champion – Anja –Workstudy student • Marketing • Alignment with DAWEG • Surveys • Had a really fantastic event! • Working on succession

  16. Things we did wrong • NEW@ubc name didn’t work! • Burned out too many people – support support support!!! • Should have collaborated more – ownership sharing and communication • Made it too easy for institution… they needed to take ownership sooner • Did not get enough recognition from institution for efforts (will we ever???) • Lots of other stuff too, but I try not to worry about it too much…

  17. Biggest Challenges • Time • People • Money In that order

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