|
|
Appalachian works to get males involved |
|
|
|
Thursday, 01 February 2007 |
Editor’s Note: This is the second of a three-part series on the higher education gender divide.
by LILLIAN HOGAN
News Editor
While males disproportionately control politics, the business world and high-salary incomes, nationwide they are struggling to compete with females in the college setting.
From freshmen to graduate students, Appalachian State University gender trends are no exception.
In fall 2006, 54 percent of freshman seminar students were females, Dr. Dan B. Friedman, freshman seminar director, said.
Furthermore, females who took freshman seminar averaged a 3.13 first
semester grade point average while males earned an average GPA of 2.79,
he said.
 Active Image | Alisha Park | The Appalachian
Appalachian women are more likely than men to graduate in four years. Master’s candidate for community counseling Michael H. Diettrich-Chastain (c), is one of three men in Dr. Diane M. Waryold’s multicultural counseling class of 17 students.
|
Dr. Diane M. Waryold, a human development and psychological counseling
assistant professor, teaches predominately female graduate students
studying to be college administrators.
A reason for more female involvement in her classes, Waryold said, is
that they’re preparatory for “helping professions,” which women are
drawn to because of the way they are nurtured and reared.
Dr. Laurie L. Williamson, a human development and psychological
counseling professor, teaches graduate students who enroll at a
female-to-male ratio of about 20 to 1 in the professional counseling
program.
“Men are like gold,” Williamson said.
The American Council on Education reported last year that women
dominate in college attendance, are more likely than men to take
college preparatory courses in high school, are more likely to enroll
in college immediately after high school graduation and are more likely
to earn a bachelor’s degree.
According to the report, women now earn an average of 57 percent of all bachelor’s degrees.
Lack of male interest in leadership is also a major gender-divide concern.
“Of the 92 applicants we received for fall 2006 [Peer Leader]
positions, 70 were from females,” Friedman said. “The males that do
apply, and that we hire, are fantastic students and leaders. Our
challenge is getting males to apply for these leadership positions.”
Cindy L. Wallace, vice chancellor for student development, said one way
to increase male participation is to draw interest in residence halls.
However, data compiled from 2006 RA applications show only 36 percent
of applicants were male, Jeff Doyle, director of housing and residence
life, said.
Katrina M. Benton, Appalachian Honor Association president and
sophomore English major, said there is a significant gender involvement
difference in their club.
“The executive board’s ratio of female to male is essentially 5 to 1,” she said.
“Females generally want to get involved,” Benton said. “This desire may
be a product of the past, meaning women feel obligated to increase
co-curricular participation in school because of the workforce bias
against gender. Or females may want to get involved for personal
benefits, socially and academically, because we are the more
emotionally-programmed gender.”
One major male leadership push in the Center for Student Leadership and
Involvement is toward fraternity participation, Wallace said.
Michael R. Reed, Interfraternity Council president and senior exercise
science major, has participated in campus leadership opportunities from
AppolCorps to Trailhead.
“I wouldn’t have gotten involved if I hadn’t joined a fraternity,” he
said. “Statistics show men who join a fraternity are more likely to
stay in school.”
Reed said he believes this is because fraternities offer a support
system and a chance to increase emotional intelligence, which helps
build relationships and leadership skills.
Though national and local higher education findings show men not
keeping up with women in and out of the classroom, a report from
Education Sector, a nonprofit think tank, cautions misleading
conclusions about male’s abilities.
The organization found that males continue to perform well, however females improve their performance faster.
Trackback(0)
 |
|
|
News 
TrackBack URI for this entry
Show/Hide comments
