Dalhousie University has doubled the number of women entering its computer science program, fulfilling a commitment it announced in 2017 in celebration of the university’s 200th anniversary.

Female enrolment numbers are now 144 percent higher than they were when the goal was set internally in 2016.

Computer science workers are in high demand and the field remains dominated by male graduates, so women represent a significant source of untapped productivity.

“We’re not going to stop this activity until we get to parity,” said department Dean Andrew Rau-Chaplin.

For the fall term of 2018, the first year class includes 70 women, which is 18 percent of enrolled students.

The demographic shift was achieved through outreach programs, the introduction of new scholarships and a peer mentoring program implemented by Dalhousie’s student-run Women in Tech Society.

Faculty from the computer science departments visited high schools with the goal of connecting with students in grades 11 and 12. Rau-Chaplin said Grade 11 students have been of particular importance because many Grade 12 students have already chosen a career path.

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Beginning in 2017, Dalhousie also introduced “Women in Tech” days, in which young women visit the university and participate in an interactive program designed to offer them an overview of what a computer science career entails.

Last year, Dalhousie introduced its Women in Technology Scholarship, awarding 32 scholarships worth a combined $320,000, or $10,000 apiece.

Funding was provided by industry partners, including the TD Bank Group and Analyze Re—a local company that offers risk-assessment software to reinsurance companies.

“First and foremost, we're committed to workplace diversity and we recognize that women are generally under-represented in computer science,” said Analyze Re CEO Adrian Bentley in an email. “So we are keen to get behind initiatives that seek to resolve this because we strongly feel that a more diverse workplace is a more creative and productive one.”

Rau-Chaplin believes the growth of the computer science field, and the increasing number of opportunities for graduates, will ease the process of recruiting more women.

“Many of the efforts we made last year, we build on this year,” he said, citing the Women in Tech days as an example of an event that has proven easier to organize the second time around.

Women in Technology Society President Alicia Wong said developing a significant cohort of female students has also improved the experiences of women after they have entered the program:

“This faculty has done everything in its power to support the women coming in and help them feel like part of the community,” said Wong, a third-year student. “Because as much as anyone wants to say everyone’s included, until you actually see yourself represented in the community, it doesn’t feel like it.”

Disclosure: Dalhousie University is a client of Entrevestor.