Background
Ohlone College is in Silicon Valley and its students, many of whom are recent immigrants, come from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds.

The Numbers
In fall 1999, Ohlone College offered six sections of Semester 1 of the Cisco Networking Academy Program and in spring 1999 offered Semester 3. Fifty-eight women were enrolled -- 32% of the total students -- and 50 women were retained -- 86%. Male retention rates are similarly high. One woman, a program graduate re-entering the workforce with no prior technical experience, started in a job at $70,000 with full benefits and stock options.

Recruitment
Even without proactively recruiting students, the Networking Academy program classes at Ohlone College fill up shortly after registration, and there are more interested students than places in the classes. The Networking Academy program instructor Richard Grotegut attributes the one-third female enrollment in the Networking Academy program to its location in Silicon Valley. Many of the women in the Networking Academy program classes have been encouraged to enroll by spouses or relatives who are in the Information Technology industry. Currently, there are no prerequisites for the Networking Academy program at Ohlone College, but the college is moving to require students to first take some introductory computer courses.

Success in the Classroom

"Overall the women in our Networking Academy program classes come with strong academic skills but less tinkering experience. Many of the female students took advantage of Ohlone's open Cisco Lab so they could gain the extra practice that they needed." -Richard Grotegut, Professor Computer Studies

The Networking Academy program instructor, Richard Grotegut, observes that many of the female students have strong academic skills but don't have as much experience as the male students with "tinkering," or hands-on technical activities. He attributes the success of the female students to several things:

• Many of the female students take advantage of the open Cisco lab to gain additional time practicing hands-on skills;
• The open labs are staffed by female volunteers who are senior students;
• Female and male students are paired together in teams - giving the female students an opportunity to partner with male classmates who typically come with more PC hardware background;
• Some of the female students have supplemented the Networking Academy program with introductory computer technology and network technology courses. Ohlone plans to make these courses prerequisites for the Networking Academy program to improve the success rate of all of its students;
• Ohlone runs an accelerated Networking Academy program that is nine months in length. The short timeframe helps students complete the program while juggling other responsibilities; most are working while attending college.

Contact
Richard Grotegut
Professor Computer Studies
Ohlone College
Fremont, California
RGrotegut@ohlone.cc.ca.us 
510-742-2386

School Web site
http://www.ohlone.cc.ca.us/