EAGER: Promoting LGBTQ Equality in Engineering through Virtual Communities of Practice

有令人信服的证据表明，学生和教师之间的多样性对所有学生的智力和社会发展至关重要。该项目符合国家科学基金会的目标，即通过促进LGBTQ（女同性恋，男同性恋，双性恋，变性人和酷儿）在工程中的平等来促进更加多样化的工程劳动力-这是一个在其他努力中服务不足的群体，以增加专业的多样性。虽然LGBTQ个人的校园氛围逐渐发生了积极的变化，但工程部门已经证明比其他学科更不受包容性做法的影响。通过将多样性研究与教师发展计划联系起来，该项目探讨了工程文化的各个方面，这些方面阻碍了LGBTQ平等，并利用这些知识设计培训，以促进工程部门的LGBTQ平等。通过面对面和在线培训，再加上在线实践社区，该项目将建立一个LGBTQ肯定教师网络，这些教师了解促进包容性环境的战略，并有权在其部门促进LGBTQ平等。

There is compelling evidence that diversity among students and faculty is crucially important to the intellectual and social development of all students. This project aligns with the National Science Foundation's goal to promote a more diverse engineering workforce by promoting LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer) equality in engineering -- a group that has been underserved by other efforts to increase diversity in the profession. While there has been a gradual positive change in campus climate for LGBTQ individuals, engineering departments have proven more impervious to inclusive practices than other disciplines. By linking diversity research with a faculty development initiative, this project explores the aspects of engineering culture that serve as impediments to LGBTQ equality and uses this knowledge to design training to promote LGBTQ equality in engineering departments. Through face-to-face and online training coupled with an online community of practice, this project will build a network of LGBTQ-affirming faculty who are aware of strategies to foster an inclusive environment and are empowered to advance LGBTQ equality in their departments.