The Texas A&M University College of Engineering received a Bronze level award for the inaugural American Society for Engineering Education Diversity Recognition Program (ADRP), the highest level of achievement they can currently achieve.
The college also received exemplar status, which was only bestowed on a select number of institutions. Exemplar status was given to programs that had initiatives or outcomes that were deemed by the reviewers as significant. This allows them to resubmit for a higher classification in an upcoming submission.
The Bronze level recognition means that a college is among the nation’s leaders in inclusive excellence. This level demonstrates that the unit is committed to the following outcomes: 1) establishing baseline support for groups underrepresented in engineering; 2) quantifiably analyzing and assessing unit composition, policies, culture and climate related to all groups underrepresented in engineering; 3) implementing programs and initiatives that strengthen the K-12 or community college pipeline thereby reducing significant barriers related to long-term growth; and (4) developing an action plan focused on continuous improvement. After spending time at the Bronze level, institutions can apply for Silver and later the Gold levels.
The academic, business and social value of diversity and inclusive excellence has been well documented. Regardless of motivation, industry reports the need for a more diverse mix of engineering professionals, and these professionals need to be able to work effectively in a diverse, multicultural and global environment. With the support of over 200 engineering schools and colleges, the ADRP initiative is a national recognition encouraging institutional transformation in engineering and engineering technology schools and colleges around the issues of diversity, equity and inclusion. It is the first national effort to publicly recognize these institutions for their success in building a diverse workforce.