Social and Professional Responsibilities of Engineering Education to the Black Community.

It has been known for years now that education for Blacks has been substandard. Environmental problems, historical poverty, prejudice and discrimination, coupled with transiency and defeatism among students, teachers, and parents have all conspired to give the black student a dysfunctional predisposition toward learning and authority in general. This causes many black students to consciously resist the academic training necessary for a professional career. The purpose of this monograph is to suggest that without the recognition of a specific set of social and professional responsibilities to the black community, traditional engineering education shall continue to be viewed with suspicion and distrust by minority group members. Additionally, the paper shall attempt to increase awareness and understanding about the realities of the black American experience, and show how a significant increase in the number of blacks in engineering and related professions is desirable and attainable. The discussion will also highlight the practicalities and importance of minority student recruitment, orientation, and retention at predominantly white institutions of higher education. (Author/PG)