GCSU to add Y-chromosomes to campus

     Since the 1980s, there has been more women enrolling in universities across the United States. Some say it is because having a degree became more expected for women going into careers. Yet mid-state schools in Georgia have been trying to attract more males to campus for the past few years to keep the ratio equal.
     Here at GCSU our beginnings create reasonable explanation for our present ratios. Since GCSU started as an all women’s college in 1889 and did not begin integrating men until 1967, it has a reason for the lower ratio of males on campus. Director of Admissions, Mike Augustine, imparts the current student gender ratio is 40 percent male and 60 percent female.
     According to Suzanne Pittman, assistant vice president for Enrollment Management and director of Financial Aid, the college’s roots are still affecting the ratio.
     “Since we started as a women’s school, it’s only natural to still have more women on campus,” Pittman says.
     Essentially GCSU has only been a co-ed public university for four decades. A major factor to note is the nationwide movement of more women applying to colleges as well.
     “There is a recent college trend that shows the women rate is outpacing men in admissions,” Augustine said. 
     However, he also noted that though GCSU is looking to bring more males to campus awarding points to gender is unconstitutional.
      “We seek to see what everyone can contribute,” Augustine said.
     Therefore the applicant ratios are usually the same as those that are accepted ratios. For example, if out of all the applicants 59 percent are female then the percent accepted later on is about equal.
     Statistically, out of all the students enrolled in colleges across the nation, 57 percent are women. Some people think this is because women feel the need to get a college degree more than men.
     “For the young woman, the amount of money (she) can make with just a high school diploma is quite a bit lower than what a man can make,” Jacqueline King, director of the American Council on Education’s Center for Policy Analysis, said.
     An individual’s maturity and decisions for their future can hinder whether or not they decide to apply.
     “Women mature faster than men,and men do not always knnow what they want yet,” Pittman said.
     Some of the things Augustine and Pittman are looking to do to attract more male students to campus include advertising to men specifically by accentuating intramural sports and the wellness depot.
      “I don’t think we have done a real focus on attracting men yet,” Pittman said.
     They are still working out how they plan to target males in the future. Overall, GCSU is just now beginning the process of bringing the ratio closer to being equal.
     Students on campus have expressed many different views on this subject.
     “This was originally a woman’s college; therefore men are still trying to integrate into it,” sophomore Brian Davis said.  “The ratio difference is fine.”
     “It has been proven that there are more woman going to college because they have better grades,” freshman Ian Deery said.  
     There has also been talk about the specific programs on campuses that attract most males such as engineering, architecture and sports medicine.
     “I think it has more to do with what the schools specialize in than anything,” sophomore Cameron Ellis said.” For instance, GCSU has an excellent Education program and more women are likely to be education majors. Georgia Tech on the other hand is famous for its engineering program, which attracts more males.”
     However, with more females applying and becoming students even engineering schools are beginning to have changes in their ratios. Sports teams also are major motives for males, and, since GCSU does not have a football team, it does not attract major sports buffs.
     Yet, in the midst of all these things it is important to remember that GCSU still has a pretty balanced male-female ratio according to national standards of enrollment. Students claim to barely recognize the difference and they rarely care.
     “I feel satisfied with the ratio of females and males on campus,” freshman Katie Hannah said.
     Nevertheless, this subject has become a hot media topic nationwide.
     “It’s proven through history that change takes time,” freshman Caleb Rule said.  
     At GCSU it has become clear that things are definitely  evolving.

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Sep 14 2007. Filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry