City Colleges Expands Engineering Program in Bid to Diversify the Industry
A New Initiative to Change the Face of Engineering Education
More than 70% of engineers are white, and more than 80% are male, according to the Pew Research Center. A new initiative at Chicago’s community colleges could help diversify the profession.
Expanding the Reach of Engineering Education
Leaders at City Colleges of Chicago announced Thursday they are expanding the reach of their engineering education program, from one location at Wilbur Wright College, to at least two more colleges across the city, with the hope of adding two more in 2026.
The expansion starts next fall with Harold Washington College downtown and Harry S. Truman College on the North Side. By fall of 2026, officials said, those students who live on the Far South Side should be able to complete engineering credits at Olive-Harvey College or Richard J. Daley College instead of traveling two hours to Wright College on Chicago’s Northwest Side to do so.
“We will be the instrument for us to change that framework of diversity in engineering,” said Doris Espiritu, who helped start the associate engineering program at Wright College and serves as the program’s dean. “We’re doing just that right now. Our students are very, very successful, so we’re contributing to the economic upward mobility of each student. But really, as we change each of the students, we also change their community. And as we change their community, we change the city.”
Engineering Students Present Their Projects
Engineering students present their projects during a competition at Wilbur Wright College in 2022.
Changing the Face of Engineering Education
City Colleges offers students the chance to complete two years of an engineering degree at a much lower cost — or in some cases at no cost — than what they would pay at a four-year university. It’s also a good option for Chicago students who need to live at home to help care for family, or work while they attend school.
All three reasons led Jonathan Cifuentes Barrios to City Colleges.
“Students, people, everyone: They may have big dreams, but sometimes we don’t have the support, we don’t have the resources — especially students like me,” said Barrios, who immigrated to Chicago from Guatemala in 2015. “But when I went to Wright College, that was different. I felt like I could do everything.”
The Growth of the Associate Degree Engineering Program
The growth of the associate degree engineering program at City Colleges could help make his wish a reality by diversifying the pipeline of engineering students entering the state’s universities. Students who graduate with their associate degree in engineering have to transfer to a four-year university to get their bachelor’s degree.
The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign has entered into an agreement that will allow some students who enroll in the engineering program at City Colleges to simultaneously enroll at the university, too, so they can take any classes they need that are not offered at their community college and receive additional advising from the university’s staff.
Espiritu said the partnership will ensure the credits that students take at City Colleges are accepted when they transfer to the Univeristy of Illinois’ Grainger School of Engineering.
Building Confidence and Sense of Belonging
There’s another element that is key to the success of the City Colleges engineering students, Espiritu said: Building their confidence and sense of belonging through mentoring from peers and alumni.
When Espiritu got the associate degree in engineering program off the ground at Wright College in 2015, she said, there were just nine students enrolled. Now, there are more than 650. With the expansion to more colleges across Chicago, Espiritu has a new enrollment goal: 2,030 by 2030.
Conclusion
The expansion of the engineering program at City Colleges is a step towards diversifying the industry and providing more opportunities for students from underrepresented groups. By offering a more affordable and accessible option for engineering education, City Colleges is helping to break down barriers and create a more inclusive and diverse engineering community.
FAQs
Q: What is the goal of the engineering program expansion at City Colleges?
A: The goal is to diversify the pipeline of engineering students entering the state’s universities and provide more opportunities for students from underrepresented groups.
Q: How will the program expansion benefit students?
A: The program expansion will provide students with more opportunities to complete their engineering education at a lower cost and with more flexibility in their schedules.
Q: What is the partnership between City Colleges and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign?
A: The partnership will allow students who enroll in the engineering program at City Colleges to simultaneously enroll at the university, take classes that are not offered at their community college, and receive additional advising from the university’s staff.
