I read your editorial with a lot of interest and would have to agree
with many of the statistics that you quoted. However, here at UWO, I have
been a major part of a solution that myself and a couple of others
proposed about 4 years ago to start a mentorship program for women in
science called W.I.S.D.O.M. We have the full support of practically all
of the science and health science faculty as well as the administrative
board right up to the president of UWO for this matter.
We did numerous amounts of research into this matter and found that
the number one problem that many students face is the fact that there are
not any role models for them to aspire to. While there may be big classes
in the first year, which is simply due to the sheer volume of incoming first-
year students, we can still reach the students by providing them with
someone who has been there and has made it through. While science to some
may be "survival of the fittest," here at UWO, the view is quite
different. As a teaching assistant who grew up speaking English, we are
paired with an international student whose English is not quite so good,
so that the students still have someone who they can ask questions to,
while the other TAs can improve upon their English skills.
It is all a matter of finding a solution that will grow as opposed to
pointing fingers and stating that it public policy. Universities need to
look within their infrastructure and listen to the students as methods to
find solutions to the problem. All you need to do is start with a little
change... and that will grow if the enthuasism is there.
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