Why All-Women's Schools?

<p>arianneag…you’re quite welcome! I’m so pleased to know that Smith is your first choice. When you enter as a first-year you will realize, first hand, that Smith is a very special place. You will work hard, and enjoy every moment of it. I know it, as you just seem to be that kind of student. If we can be of any further assistance to you, please do not hesitate to ask. Particularly when the time draws nearer.</p>

<p>BJM8…you can sound like Paula Abdul all you want as long as you don’t wear the little bra-like thing. ;)</p>

<p>My boss (who caused major uproar when he recently opened the first Carvel store in the Central Valley, haha) is from New York and he just told me that it’s a really different vibe. Even so, he’s the most laid back person ever. I’ve been to Washington DC for a week and I loved it…it’s not the laid-back, let’s wear flip flops and PJs everywhere attitude of CA. On the other hand, one of my coworkers went to boarding school and college on the east coast and she’s the epitome of old money…it just amazes me how different those two are.</p>

<p>I am a student currently attending a community college in Chicago and got accepted in Smith for the fall. I went for their open campus and fell in love with the school. I think what has attracted me to an all women’s college is the fact that at women’s colleges, you as a woman have the world open to you. There are so many opportunities to take advantage of without the distraction of boys. I think that at these colleges (esp. Smith because this is where I feel really comfortable in) develop the whole person allowing greatly fulfillment.</p>

<p>Unforgiven…welcome to CC and welcome to Smith. Congratulations on your acceptance!</p>

<p>Here’s a little more research for those who like facts:</p>

<p>From the American association of University Women, Washington, DC, “Shortchanging Girls, Shortchanging America: A Call to Action.” AAUW Initiative for Educational Equity, American Association of University Women, Washington, DC, 1992.

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<p>Pettitt, Lisa, “Middle School Students’ Perception of Math and Science Abilities and Related Careers,” paper presented at the 61st Biennial Meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development, Indianapolis, IN, March 30-April 2, 1995.

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<p>Stipek, Deborah, Granlinski, Heidi, “Gender Differences in Children’s Achievement-Related Beliefs and Emotional Responses to Success and Failure in Mathematics,” Journal of Educational Psychology , v. 83 n. 3 pp. 361-71, September 1991.

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<p>Swetman, Daniel, “Rural Elementary Students’ Attitudes toward Mathematics,” Rural Educator , v. 16 n. 3 pp. 20-22, 31 Spring 1995.

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<p>Here’s more research on the subject of my original post which was about how schools sometimes unknowingly treat girls unfairly. Just the facts, M’ame!</p>

<p>Research about teacher’s attitudes:</p>

<p>Clewell, Beatrice and Anderson, Bernice, “Women of Color in Mathematics, Science and Engineering: A Review of the Literature,” Center for Women Policy Studies, Washington, DC., 1991.

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<p>Gutbezahl, Jennifer, “How Negative Expectancies and Attitudes Undermine Females’ Math Confidence and Performance: A Review of the Literature,” Information Analysis -General, 1995.

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<p>Leach, Lisa, “Sexism in the Classroom: A Self-Quiz for Teachers,” Science Scope , v. 17, n. 6, pp. 54-59, March 1994.

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<p>Schwartz, Wendy and Hanson, Katherine, “Equal Mathematics Education for Female Students,” Educational Developmental Center, Inc., Newton, MA. Center for Equity and Cultural Diversity. 1992.

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<p>BJM8:</p>

<p>You obvioulsy didn’t read the response earlier in reference to that study that was debunked by a well known woman scholar educated at Wellesley (with obviously no apparent bias), Judith Kleinfeld <a href=“http://www.uaf.edu/northern/mitstudy/[/url]”>http://www.uaf.edu/northern/mitstudy/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Among the key conclusions:

  • The MIT Study on the Status of Women Faculty falls below the most elementary standards for scientific evidence, fails to prove gender discrimination on the MIT campus and amounts to little more than a political manifesto.</p>

<p>-Reliable scientific studies show striking differences in the interests and career preferences of mathematically gifted young men and women. Difference in career choice, not gender discrimination, is the most reasonable explanation for the greater number of male faculty in the School of Science at MIT. </p>

<p>As I stated earlier this quite evident even in women’s colleges where the science faculty is no more diverse than at coed colleges. There are simply not that many women in certain fields. Even in biology which attracts many women, Smith only has 3 tenured female faculty out of total of 11 tenured faculty or 26.2% as compared to 13 out of 37 at MIT or 26.7%. Some science departments at Smith have no tenured femal faculty.</p>

<p>This clearly confirms the study by Kleinfeld who also debunked the entire “women are mistreated at coed colleges” myth.</p>

<p>Parents are not forgotten, as their perceptions of women in science and math must change as well, for schools to be successful in changing attitudes:</p>

<p>Blevins-Knabe, Belinda, and Musun-Miller, Linda, “Parental Beliefs about the Development of Preschool children’s Number Skills,” paper presented at the Biennial Meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development, Seattle, WA, April 18-20, 1991.

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<p>Campbell, Patricia, “Math, Science, and Your Daughter: What Can Parents Do?” Encouraging Girls in Math and Science Series, Women’s Educational Equity Act Program (ED), Washington, DC. 1992.

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<p>And, finally…teaching style is vital to making sure that girls are getting an equal education in the math and sciences. This is the area that concerns me most as an educator, and is critical to change if we as educators are to be successful in enabling young women to achieve at high levels. (Geez…you might think I have a daughter or something!)</p>

<p>Daniels, Roberta, and Lamb, Julie, “Changing Gifted Girls’ Attitudes towards Mathematics,” paper presented at the Rural Education Symposium of the American Council of Rural Special Education and the National Rural Small Schools Consortium, Tucson, AZ, March 18-22, 1990.

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<p>Diamond, Judy, “Sex differences in Science Museums; A Review,” Curator , v. 37, n. 1, pp. 17-24, March 1994.

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<p>Fraser, Barry, “Research Implications for Science and Mathematics Teachers. Volume 1. Key Centre Monograph Number 5,” Curtin Univ. of Tech., Perth (Australia). National Key Centre for Science and Mathematics. Australian Dept. of Education, Canberra. 1993.

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<p>Li, Anita, Adamson, Georgina, “Gifted Secondary Students’ Preferred Learning Style: Cooperative, Competitive, or Individualistic?” Journal of Education of the Gifted , v. 16, n. 1, pp. 46-54, Fall 1992.

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<p>McSheffrey, K., “Mathematics Experiences of Women and Girls: A Narrative Inquiry,” Master’s Thesis, Queen’s University, 1992.

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<p>Orenstein, Fran, “Utilization of Teacher Workshops to Enhance Early Exposure to Gender Equity and Mathematics Education for Young Girls in Preschool Settings,” Ed. D. Practicum, Nova University, 1993.

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<p>Sanders, Jo, “Lifting the Barriers. 600 Strategies that Really Work To Increase Girls’ Participation in Science, Mathematics and Computers,” Non-classroom guides, 1994.

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<p>Telese, James, “Effects of Alternative Assessment from the Student’s View,” paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Atlanta, GA, April 12-16, 1993.

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<p>Williams, Audrey, “Class, Race and Gender in American Education,” paper presented at the 33rd Annual Meeting of the College Reading Association, Philadelphia, PA, November 3-5, 1989.

Agree with the research, or disagree with the research? Whatever you choose, you must admit that there just might be a problem in education beginning from Kindergarten to Graduate school, when it comes to educating women. All-women’s schools are NOT the only answer to these issues. They ARE, however, a viable option for the women who choose to attend them in closing these educational gaps. Coed school and colleges can and will do a better job of educating young women. Current curricular changes and teaching strategies have changed considerably over the past five years or so, particularly in middle schools throughout the nation. Team teaching, common planning time, cooperative learning are strategies that are being employed, not solely for the purpose of educating women better, but to help both sexes understand material such as math and science more completely. There is much to do in the area of teaching women better, and there is still a large gap in the production of women who concentrate in math and science as opposed to boys who do.</p>

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</a>
So you admittedly discount the study done by your alma mater for the findings which meet your argument on this thread? Speaks highly of your commitment and support of the college you chose to attend, heh??? ;)</p>

<p>BTW, cellardweller…do you need more research to debunk your theory that schools and colleges treat women as equals?</p>

<p>As I said earlier, it’s no surprise that we have opposing studies, but . . . Cellardweller has quoted one study and BJM has quoted many. Without doing my own research, I’d have to say the BJM has made his point more persuasively.</p>

<p>As a woman of the parental generation, I know I was discriminated against in the classroom, although I did not realize it until after I graduated from high school. I was also discriminated in the job arena - what man was ever asked to “break into” a business by starting as a secretary? From what I’ve seen, things are much better for girls and women today, although a bias remains.</p>

<p>I’ve heard girls say that science and math don’t come to them “naturally” and, since they have to work so hard in those disciplines, they don’t feel they should major in them. What they fail to realize is that science and math require effort from everyone. Very few people, male or female, don’t have to work hard to do well in science and math. Girls, however, are often encouraged to pick careers/majors that come easily to them. Boys rarely are. Girls are often prompted to choose careers that they love while boys are guided toward careers that will be lucrative. I have no studies to back this up, although, anecdotally, I’ve seen this time after time.</p>

<p>I don’t think going to an all-women’s college changes this perception. Once the idea has formed, it is tough to dispel. An all-women’s college DOES offer opportunities for women who remain interested in the sciences to be encouraged to excel. At these schools, women do all the research - the fun stuff.</p>

<p>MWFN…Thanks, but I am not in competition with Cellardweller; simply stating the facts that support my original thesis. ;)</p>

<p>All the research in the world should not and could not supercede life experiences such as your own. As a woman you have seen it and lived it. Simplistic, really. It has always been a man’s world, and the women who graduate from all-women’s schools find that out fast enough. However, they will be better equipped to compete with the “old boys network!”</p>

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Cellardweller…here’s a breakdown of women faculty at Smith in the areas of math and sciences. Just the facts:</p>

<p>Engineering: A male dominated field, BTW:
Total staff: 11 Females 7 Males 4
Linda E. Jones, Ph.D. Director (who happens to be female) ;)</p>

<p>Biology:
Total staff: 9 Females 6 Males 3</p>

<p>Chemistry:
Total staff: 16 Females 9 Males 7</p>

<p>Neuroscience:
Total staff: 12 Females 6 Males 6</p>

<p>Math/Statistics:
Total staff: 16 Females 9 Males 7</p>

<p>Physics:
Total staff: 10 Females 4 Males 6</p>

<p>I’ve shown you mine, now you show me yours? I wonder if MIT has the same numbers of female profs. to male profs. Hmmmm???</p>

<p>I’ve done the work for you…relax and enjoy! ;)</p>

<p>MIT:</p>

<p>Biology:
Total staff 70 Female 16 Male 54 (ouch)</p>

<p>Chemistry:
Total staff 43 Female 6 Male 37 (ouch)</p>

<p>Math:
Total staff: 87 Female 7 Male 80 (ouch)</p>

<p>Physics:
Total staff: 122 Female 7 Male 115 :eek:</p>

<p>Looks like they have some work to do with gender equity, heh? A great school, you bet! Awesome research, you bet! Has a long way to go dealing with gender issues in the hard sciences? Um-hmmm! Will be more female friendly and provide role models for girls in the hard sciences? I think not!</p>

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<p>This still goes on. How many men, today, have med school interviewers asking them what they’ll do when they have children, with the implication that their answer will impact their admission decision? </p>

<p>To paraphrase a classmate, a women’s college may very well be the only four years in a woman’s life when she can be certain that her gender does not impact anything she does or does not win or recieve. For many students, it can be a true testing period to determine one’s actual strengths and weaknesses without battling gender politics.</p>

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Well said! This has been my contention all along!</p>

<p>Asking about one’s marital status and/or plans because of children is supposed to be illegal. It was illegal in my time, too, but it didn’t stop two interviewers from asking about the engagement ring on my finger.</p>

<p>Interesting article about women in the academic workforce and how their careers are affected by having children. Perhaps this answers some of those nagging tenure questions: Part 1</p>

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[quote]
Do Babies Matter?</p>

<p>The Effect of Family Formation on the Lifelong Careers of Academic Men and Women</p>

<p>For women academics, deciding to have a baby is a career decision. Traditional narratives of the academic career must adapt to new demands and new constituencies.</p>

<p>By Mary Ann Mason and Marc Goulden </p>

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<p>Here’s another interesting article regarding tenure of female faculty members:
Part 1

[quote]
Family-Friendly Policies and the Research University</p>

<p>There are plenty of pitfalls on the road to a family-friendly university climate. The commitment to a positive change must start at the top.</p>

<p>By Kate Quinn, Sheila Edwards Lange, and Steven G. Olswang</p>

<p>NOTE FROM COLLEGEMOM (MODERATOR):</p>

<p>AGAIN, PLEASE SEE THE TERMS OF SERVICE RULE REGARDING COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL. I INVITE YOU TO POST A SUMMARY OR BRIEF EXCERPT OF THIS ARTICLE AND/OR EXPLAIN WHERE IT CAN BE FOUND OR GIVE A LINK. THANK YOU.</p>

<p>Here’s part 2! Enjoy!</p>