Implications of black greek letter membership on the development of the Engineer of 2020

Abstract

Higher education and student affairs literature have detailed the impact of Black Greek Organizations (BGOs) on African American students' educational experiences. However, our work is the first examination of BGO membership in terms of impact on engineering students' educational experiences, and specifically skills deemed valuable by the National Academy of Engineering's (NAE) The Engineer of 2020: Visions of Engineering in the New Century. In our earlier study, results pointed to the many advantages of African American student participation in BGOs on their engineering educational experiences. Further, the data suggested that BGO membership has the potential to provide unique contributions to African American engineering students' persistence, academic achievement, and career paths. This paper builds on our previous work by examining how students' BGO experiences influence the development of specific skills described by the Engineer of 2020. Results of this qualitative study point to the potential advantages of African American engineering students participating in BGOs, particularly equipping them to succeed in the engineering workforce by instilling qualities of The Engineer of 2020. The significance of the work is also highlighted by the focus on BGOs, which have been a staple of the African-American culture and educational community for over 100 years.