Understanding institutional factors to broaden participation in computing

This work aims to introduce a new line of research, lead by the Computing Research Association’s Center for Evaluating the Research Pipeline and Harvey Mudd College, to stakeholders at the RESPECT 2019 conference. It is well known that the field of computing lacks diversity, and more qualified researchers are needed to meet the demands of the computing labor force. Further, while researchers and practitioners have recommendations for improving department culture to broaden participation in the field, we do not know which practices have the most impact on these goals. Through the analysis of national data collected from students, faculty, and institutions; our research will contribute to the understanding of institutional-level factors that help shape students’ experiences, interests, and sense of belonging in the field of computing. In doing so, this project aims to identify evidence-based best practices that can be adopted by the broader academic community to increase diversity in computing and STEM.