Agency to Change: A Narrative Inquiry of White Men Faculty in Engineering Engaged in Broadening Participation Work

Transformational change for Broadening Participation in Engineering (BPE) of racial, ethnic, and gender groups has not occurred, despite continuing efforts for over four decades. BPE can be represented through particular activities to increase underrepresented students' participation at the undergraduate and graduate levels (herein referred to as BPE Work). One approach to investigating the complexity of change through BPE is through the analysis of a sub-group of faculty who engage in BPE Work within the system of engineering education. In the case of BPE, investigation of faculty engagement is limited. Further, limited exploration of the majority group's experiences (i.e., white men) exists concerning their agency and this type of work. This study investigates the experiences of engineering faculty who identify as white men and have been engaged in BPE Work using faculty agency and narrative. These narratives reveal insights into the current system that may drive, sustain, or prohibit BPE change. Using the narrative experiences of eight engineering faculty involved in BPE Work who identify as white men, this research explores the following questions: (1) What activities do white men faculty describe in their personal narratives of engaging in BPE Work; (2) How do white men faculty describe their trajectory into and through engaging in BPE Work; (3) What factors influence the actions and perspectives of white men faculty engaged in BPE Work; and (4) How do white men faculty describe the outcomes to their professional and personal lives when using their agency for BPE Work?
Application of data analysis to research questions to elicit findings found in chapter 4 consisted of an accountability cycle, BPE Work activities, factors that impact (constraining or enabling) BPE Work, and outcomes to the participants' lives from engagement in BPE Work. The participants of this study shared experiences in which they expressed perspectives on BPE, reflecting on their backgrounds. Archer (2003) describes the ability to take a stance regarding society as invoking an "active agent," but that this stance is not a one-and-done situation (p. 343). This study resulted in findings for Deans and Provosts on the vital need for a normalized climate for BPE Work, the hidden essential functions of Engineering Student Support Centers, value-focused needs for tenure/promotion/merit processes for BPE Work, the trajectory of faculty development in BPE Work, the experiences that permeate into faculty life in undergraduate student development, and the need for future work in interrogating power dynamics in engineering education The need for all faculty to be involved in change alludes to a necessary understanding. The number of faculty of color and women faculty is not robust enough or supported to carry the system's burden. A need is present to take a realistic look at how white men experience BPE Work. This look is vital for policy and the identification of system constraints that need to be evaluated and used to drive BPE forward.