Women's colleges are alive and well--and still relevant
by Mary Pat Seurkamp, President, College of Notre Dame of Maryland
Published in The Catholic Review, November 14, 2002;
Published in an edited letter format in The Baltimore Sun,
November 4, 2002
Recent articles on Hood College’s decision to become a fully coeducational
institution have noted the decline in the number of women’s colleges
in our country. Often missed in these stories is the vitality of a great
number of women’s colleges.
A rich diversity of institutions is one of the great strengths of higher
education in the United States. Clearly women’s colleges hold an
important place in the range of options available for college students.
Decisions about mission and identity are complex and unique to each institution.
Hood addressed these issues with great seriousness. Ironically, Hood’s
announcement came in the same week that the College of Notre Dame of Maryland
approved a new mission statement affirming the College’s primary
commitment to the education of women as leaders. This commitment is mirrored
by our sister colleges across the country, and is as strong today as it
was decades ago.
The Women’s College Coalition, an organization based in Washington,
D.C., reports that most women’s colleges have seen increases in
enrollment, with several reporting record high numbers this fall. The
College of Notre Dame, for example, had a 30% increase in first-year students
this semester.
While surveys do show that a small percentage of women in high school
report the intention to seek a women’s college, there are other
factors that attract students to schools like Notre Dame. We know that
students choose us because of academic reputation, Honor Code, Catholic
tradition, campus and location, athletics and a myriad of other reasons.
Once the decision is made to attend Notre Dame, the benefits are clear.
Our student retention is enviable—a remarkable 87% first-year retention
rate.
Those of us dedicated to women’s colleges readily list the benefits
of this educational approach. The Women’s College Coalition reports
these national statistics:
- Students have more opportunities for leadership and regularly observe
women role models in senior-level positions (90% of the presidents and
55% of the faculty in women’s colleges are women).
- Students participate more in and out of class, and—on national
surveys—report greater satisfaction with their college experience
academically, developmentally and personally.
- Students score higher on standardized achievement tests, and are more
likely to graduate.
While Hood’s president Ron Volpe notes that he has spent much of
the last year discussing with alumnae/i the possibility of admitting men
into the residential program, my visits with Notre Dame alumnae have had
a radically different tone. As I update graduates across the country about
the renewal of our campus facilities and plans for investments from the
capital campaign, they overwhelmingly have applauded our assurance that
Notre Dame will not change its historic mission. They are determined that
Notre Dame remain a women’s college, as are the trustees, faculty,
administration, staff, and students.
The implication that women’s colleges are no longer necessary because
women now have the same opportunities as men misses the value of these
institutions. Despite the fact that women have indeed made significant
strides in a range of fields, they remain under-represented in many, particularly
in the sciences. Students in women’s colleges choose non-traditional
majors such as biology, chemistry, physics, engineering, and economics
in greater percentages than those in coeducational schools. Notre Dame’s
new state-of-the-art science center contributes to women’s success
in the sciences by providing daily, hands-on preparation for these careers.
When the day comes that women do reach parity economically and professionally,
there will still be a place for women’s colleges. The mission to
educate women as leaders is ongoing from generation to generation. For
many, a women’s college is the right academic environment for success.
It is—and will remain—an important educational choice.
As graduates and supporters of women’s colleges absorb the news
of Hood’s change in status, they can be reassured. Women’s
colleges are alive and well—and relevant—in Maryland and across
the country.
|
Making
the Case
