Work in progress - reexamining the problem of engineering persistence for African-American female students

This paper describes a mix-method study designed to examine the experiences and factors that influence African-American female studentspsila decision to leave engineering degree programs for other academic majors. Using the Students Leaving Engineering Instrument developed by the Assessing Women in Engineering (AWE) project, data is being collected from female students who entered Prairie View A&M University, a historically black university, as freshman engineering, computer science or technology majors during the 2003, 2004, and 2005 academic years, but have subsequently switched to other degree programs. The factors being examined include initial commitment and preparation for studying engineering, confidence in completing an engineering degree program, course workload and institutional climate, relationships with faculty and peers, and financial concerns.