Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students in engineering: Climate and perceptions

Few studies of the climate in engineering for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) students have been conducted. According to these studies, LGBT students are often forced to cope with hostile climates in engineering. To address the question of how LGBT students experience the climate in engineering, we interviewed a total of 16 students at two institutions in the Midwest. We analyzed the interview transcripts using open coding based on a combination of Meyer's Minority Stress Theory and Tinto's Theory of Student Departure. Preliminary results indicate that LGBT students experience more situations of exclusion within engineering than in other areas of their campuses. Based on their experiences, students advocate increased visibility for LGBT students in engineering and a mentoring program to provide support from engineering faculty and graduate students who also identify as LGBT.