Essentially the same point made here: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10572766 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10572766 Being associated with STEM is

Essentially the same point made here: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10572766 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10572766 Being associated with STEM is lucrative (money, respect, ability to effect change) and STEM explicitly leaves out the more numerous artists, lawyers, political theorists, english literaturers, gender studiers, etc. that are part of college-as-is. The benefits of STEM association are enough incentive for any groups within those left out to try and get themselves in and have a share. Hence, the Rhode Island School of Design (which ought to have no business in STEM: http://www.risd.edu/academics/ http://www.risd.edu/academics/) has been trying to steer things. Hey, at least if they win, there will be no gender representation problems in STEAM...