Repost: Texas State Technical College recognized for successful retention program for women in Architectural Design & Engineering Graphics Program

Urrea, Yanez recognized for developing recruiting plan

Posted: Friday, January 24, 2014 8:06 pm
By Eladio Jaimez TSTC Staff

Edda Urrea, director of Support Services at Texas State Technical College, and Hector Yanez, director of the Engineering Division, have been recognized by the National Institute for Women in Trades, Technology and Science. They were singled out for developing a retention plan aimed at recruiting and keeping female students in TSTC’s Architectural Design and Engineering Graphics (ADEG) Program, a traditionally male-dominated career track.

The Women in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, or STEM, Retention Plan was designed as part of the 2013 National Science Foundation-funded WomenTech Educators Training, hosted by the GeoTech Center. It was chosen as one of the top three plans for the training.

As part of the retention plan, students are paired in classroom projects and female tutors are sought to staff computer labs.

“The focus was on increasing and retaining the number of females in the (ADEG) program,” said Urrea, also the Title IX Coordinator.

“One of the components we’re plugging in is incorporating a humanitarian concept.”

Yanez said doing more community projects was part of the plan to recruit and keep female students.

“We started doing more projects involving small municipalities and non-profit organizations,” Yanez said.

The retention plan will also be featured in other private online-learning communities connected with WomenTech Educators Trainings, where other educators can imitate or develop similar plans.

In the past two years, the ADEG program has seen a considerable increase in female students. In 2011, the program was made up of 11 percent female students. In 2013, that number was at 32 percent.

Both credited Equity Advocate Counselor Anna Cortez for having input in the retention plan and the increase in students in non-traditional programs.

Urrea and Yanez’s retention plan can also be used for other college programs.

“We’ve seen a big push and increased numbers in those non-traditional programs in the past couple of years,” Yanez said.

Urrea and Yanez’s successful retention plan will be featured on the training’s private online-learning community.

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