Our Vision
Texas and the U.S. need more engineers to be competitive, and therefore we need to tap into all of our intellectual capital — namely, broadening participation in engineering. For the engineering profession to fully reach its potential, our academic and industry communities must listen to, engage, include and encourage people from all segments of society. We must work together — utilizing the broad array of perspectives, backgrounds and life experiences that come with a truly diverse community — if we wish to develop the creative solutions needed to address the challenges of the future.
Objective of the BPE Plan
The Cockrell School of Engineering is committed to broadening participation in engineering in the general sense, among people from all demographic groups, economic backgrounds and lived experiences. To this end, we have created this goal-oriented Broadening Participation in Engineering (BPE) Plan. It is expected that the BPE plan will evolve continuously, with regular reflection on its contents.
Thread 1: Data and Dissemination
Create resources and practices for continuously collecting and acting on data related to broadening participation in engineering.
Goal 1.1 Collect, analyze, and report on quantitative and qualitative data, including race, ethnicity, gender, first-generation status, disability and socioeconomic status of students, faculty and staff, as well as the experiences of all community members.
Goal 1.2 Create and disseminate an annual report on the progress of the Cockrell School relative to this Plan, including public recognition of notable successes.
Thread 2: Supporting the Cockrell School Ecosystem
Foster an environment that provides a strong sense of value and belonging among all students, faculty and staff.
Goal 2.1 Continue and extend programming to celebrate the many and varied cultures in the Cockrell School of Engineering
Goal 2.2 Understand, document and address concerns and challenges related to recruiting and retaining staff, faculty and other researchers across different communities in the Cockrell School.
Thread 3: Broadening Participation in K-20+ Engineering Pathways
Recruit, retain, support and graduate the very best engineering students across all years of study.
Goal 3.1 Identify and implement ways to broaden the pool of undergraduate student applicants to the Cockrell School by expanding and supporting existing K-12 recruiting efforts.
Goal 3.2 Create and support programs that broaden opportunities for undergraduate students to pursue graduate study in our programs.
Goal 3.3 Identify and remove barriers for undergraduate and graduate students, from curriculum to policies to student programming.
Thread 4: Enabling Lifelong Courageous Engineers
Support the individual, long-term success of each member of the Cockrell School Community.
Goal 4.1 Support intentional and personalized mentoring at all levels of the Cockrell School.
Goal 4.2 Support individual professional goals of students, staff and faculty in the Cockrell School.
For questions or more information about the BPE Plan, contact Christine Julien, Assistant Dean for Broadening Participation in Engineering for the Cockrell School of Engineering, at