Background

IDEA NS (Improving Diversity in Engineering Across Nova Scotia) aims to improve diversity in Engineering and Computer Science. The current underrepresentation of women and other equity deserving groups in undergraduate Engineering and Computer Science is stark. At Dalhousie University, data shows that only 24% of undergraduate students in Engineering are women, and just 18% of students in Computer Science are women.

Source: 2023/2024 Enrolment Statistics – Enrolment by level and gender identification/expression

This is lower when compared to our peer universities across Canada. University of Toronto has reached over 40% women in Engineering and McGill University has 1/3 women in Engineering. Similarly, UBC and McGill have almost double the percent women in Computer Science than Dalhousie University.