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Jan. 6--The University of Denver's Women's College wants women to know they can be geeks, too. School leaders are trying to change the perception that the information-technology field is dominated by men.
"I think it's a real loss to the field not to have the perspectives and contribution of women," said Michele Bloom, dean of the Women's College.
Since 2000, the number of women enrolled in the information-technologies major has declined from 91 to 32. Nationally, women account for just more than 20 percent of the industry's workforce.
The Women's College is changing the name of its sequence from "applied computing" to "information technology studies." It also plans to work with students face-to-face to change the image of IT employees.
"There's a negative perception on the part of a lot of women --," said Warren Kuehner, director of information technology studies. "They have the perception that it's a field reserved for geeks." Kuehner said that's why the number of women enrolling in computer classes is steadily dropping. In other colleges, he said, "They talk about 10 to 15 percent of their (IT) student population being women." Educators say they need to convince more women that it's OK to enter the field.
Student Sarah Tonso is already convinced. The 30-year-old single mom works as an office assistant but says she is attracted by the idea of flexible hours and the ability to work from home.
"I'm proud of being a geek," she said. "In a lot of ways, geeks really rule the world."
Kuehner said the school wants "to change the perception that studying IT is just about learning how to program." "IT will be integrated into everything. It's not like it's a separate function anymore," he said.
Bloom also sees it as a means for enhancing women's careers.
"We believe that an education in information technology is one of the really significant ways, significant opportunities, that women have for advancement," she said.
The school hopes to double its IT enrollees by next year, especially since the number of industry jobs will blossom as more baby boomers retire.
"I don't mind if someone wants to call me a geek," Tonso says. "-- It's OK to be smart."
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