2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Colleges and universities often offer a variety of programs aimed at supporting engineering students’ academic success, retention, and sense of belonging. However, real-world constraints, such as budget, staff capacity, and student availability, often restrict what can realistically be implemented. These limitations make it critical for educators, resource centers, and student affairs practitioners to invest in programming that aligns with what engineering students value most. To ensure these efforts effectively support all students, it is especially important to consider the interests and engagement priorities of women engineering students. This study offers actionable insights based on survey data from over 1,000 engineering students at a large R1 university, including 380 women. The evaluation explored three dimensions of student engagement: the types of programming students want to participate in, the topics they are most interested in learning about, and the people they most want to connect with during events.

Women engineering students demonstrated a strong interest in building both their technical and career readiness skills. Among women respondents, the most preferred program types were Technical Training (M = 4.07), Professional Development (M = 3.96), and Research Programs (M = 3.84). Top topics of interest included Connecting with Industry (M = 4.07), Career Development (M = 3.87), and Technical Skill Building (M = 3.85). In terms of speaker preferences, women engineering students were most interested in engaging with and hearing from Industry Representatives (M = 4.15) and Engineering Faculty (M = 3.84).

Subgroup analyses revealed important differences that can inform more targeted and effective program design. Undergraduate women expressed significantly greater interest in Technical Training than graduate women (M = 4.13 vs. 3.84, p = 0.019, d = 0.30), suggesting the value of early skill-building opportunities. First-generation women rated Academic Programs significantly higher than continuing-generation peers (M = 3.58 vs. 2.95, p < 0.001, d = 0.49), and showed elevated interest in mentorship and structured academic support. Likewise, women from low-income backgrounds placed higher value on Academic Programs (M = 3.51 vs 2.96, p = 0.001, d = 0.419) and Study Skills (M = 3.20 vs. 2.74, p = 0.0012, d = 0.36) and Personal Wellness topics. While gender differences were generally small, women showed slightly greater interest than men in technical training, academic support, and values-oriented topics such as ethics and social responsibility.

These findings highlight the importance of student-informed design. By centering student priorities, especially from groups that may benefit most from targeted support, institutions can focus limited resources on the types of programming most likely to foster academic success, connection, and retention in engineering. While focused on women, these insights offer broader relevance for enhancing the engineering student experience, ensuring that programming reflects the priorities and goals of the students it serves.