An all male college? Are you kidding me?

1. An all male college? Are you kidding me? Reasons why a men’s college may be the right choice for you.

2. Introduction • Today in the United States there are over 50 women only colleges, but only six that are men only. • Of these six, one takes a decidedly non-traditional approach and two share a campus and classes with women. This leaves us with three traditional men’s liberal arts colleges in the U.S.

3. At one time the majority of colleges and universities were men only. But over the last century equal rights for women became increasingly important. And almost all of the men’s colleges became coeducational, leaving just three to continue the all male tradition. (Thompson)

4. So maybe you’re thinking men’s colleges must not be very good because there are so few. Or maybe you just don’t see what benefits an all male education can offer. • This presentation is meant to illustrate the advantages that attending a men’s college can give. Hopefully this will make you think that a men’s college may be the place for you after all.

5. Overview

6. Academic Advantages • Students feel more comfortable being open and honest in classroom discussions. (www.hsc.edu/admissions/faq.html) • They feel they can be more outspoken and candid. (Questionnaire and Thomson) • Without the distraction of women it is easier to focus on classes and schoolwork. (Questionnaire and Goode)

7. There is no pressure to put on a show of masculinity in the classroom to impress women. (Questionnaire) • Today women outnumber men in many university classrooms. A men’s college gives men the opportunity to take classes that are specifically designed to meet their needs. (Goode)

8. “Men’s College Classroom Environments” • This is the name of a study completed by the psychology department at Mary Baldwin College in Virginia. • Researchers mainly looked at the amount of and type of participation in classroom discussions at men’s colleges compared to men’s participation at coeducational colleges.

9. Study Findings • At the beginning of the semester in introductory classes men at coeducational colleges participate slightly more. By the midpoint of the semester students at men’s colleges have closed the gap and participate significantly more than those at a coeducational school. • At a coed school men’s participation actually decreases throughout the semester.

10. In advanced classes the study found that students at men’s colleges participate significantly more than their counterparts at coeducational institutions. • The following graph illustrates the findings of this study for English classes. The study also shows similar results for Psychology and Mathematics classes.

11. Percentages of student participation in English classes

12. This study found that professors at men’s colleges pose more questions to students. • Men’s college professors also focus on involving students who are not participating voluntarily. At coeducational colleges the study found that professors tend to focus on the students who are already speaking in class. • (Trice, Naudu, Lowe, & Jaffee)

13. Social Advantages • The social advantage that is mentioned again and again is the closeness with fellow classmates that comes with attending a men’s college. Students feel that it is a true brotherhood and it is the most important social aspect of a men’s college. (Questionnaire, Goode, http://www.hsc.edu/admissions/faq.html)

14. Students don’t feel conflicted about choosing between their male friends and their girlfriends during the week. (Questionnaire) • There is plenty of opportunity for socializing with women on the weekends, so students feel that they have the best of both worlds. (Questionnaire)

15. Some students even feel that they learn how to treat women better because if the men do not respect them and show them a good time, they won’t come back. One student at a men’s college says, “if we did not respect women, they would not come back to the college. It is easier to get someone to ‘come over’ if they are a ten minute walk away. It is not as easy if it is a two hour, sixty minute, or even twenty minute drive.” (Questionnaire)

16. Other Advantages • Students don’t feel like they have to dress up or shower for every class. School is for learning, not impressing people. (Questionnaire) • Students are a part of a tradition that they feel proud of. (Questionnaire and Goode) • Alumni connections are particularly strong because of the shared experience and tradition. (Questionnaire)

17. At a men’s college students are not just given academic tools. They are also trained to become men. (Goode) • Morehouse college explains, “No institution has achieved greater success than Morehouse College…at preparing young men, particularly African American males, to be exemplary models of leadership, manhood and citizenship. (http://www.morehouse.edu/admissions/index.html)

18. Wabash College lives by the Gentlemen’s Rule: “A Wabash man will conduct himself at all times, both on and off campus, as a gentlemen and a responsible citizen.” (www.wabash.edu/admissions) • Students that receive a single-sex classroom are shown to have higher self-efficacy. “Self-efficacy involves knowing one’s goals clearly, knowing the steps necessary to achieve each goal, and confidence in one’s ability to meet each goal.” (Trice, Naudu, Lowe, & Jaffee)

19. Conclusions • Our goal today was to convince you that a men’s college may be someplace you’d like to spend the next four years. We hope we’ve given you some reasons to think more seriously about the advantages that come with attending an institution such as ours. We would like to leave you today with some thoughts from students of men’s colleges.

20. “I think the best selling point is not that it’s a men’s college, but a great college. For a college to continue in a tradition, such as being all male, it has to be strong.” • “I believe that men here have a greater respect for mankind. We know that in a small community, we have to compromise in order to accomplish anything.”

21. “The best selling point for an all male education is the tight family it creates. A student goes through a unique experience that relatively few men experience…One can really tell the all male aspect is the tie that binds all of the students, faculty, and alumni together.” • (Questionnaire)

22. Work Cited • Admissions- Morehouse College. 2004. Morehouse College. http://www.morehouse.edu/admissions/index.html • Egan, Steve. “Re: Favor.” Email response to questionnaire. 27 Sept. 2005. • Goode, Stephen. “Educating Gentlemen; Hampden-Sydney, an all-male liberal arts college, stays firmly rooted in tradition.” Insight Oct. 13, 2003: 18. Lexis-Nexis Academic. Indiana University Libraries, Bloomington, IN. Sept. 30, 2005. http://www.lexisnexis.com

23. Hampden-Sydney College, Admissions, FAQ. 2005. Hampden-Sydney College. http://www.hsc.edu/admissions/faq.html • Thompson, Neal. “Boyz II Men; At Hampden-Sydney College, single-sex education has never fallen out of fashion.” Washington Post Magazine June 22, 2003: W20. Lexis-Nexis Academic. Indiana University Libraries, Bloomington, IN. Sept. 30, 2005. http://www.lexisnexis.com

24. Trice, Ashton D., Naudu, Anu, Lowe, Melanie, and Jaffee, Henry. “Men’s College Classroom Environments.” Education Volume 116, Summer 1996: 572-578. Academic Search Premier. Indiana University Libraries, Bloomington, IN. Sept. 30, 2005. http://search.epnet.com • VanSoest, William. “Re: All male education.” Email response to questionnaire. 29 Sept. 2005. • Wabash College: Future Students. 2005. Wabash College. http://www.wabash.edu/admissions

25. Wartman, Michael. “Re: Responses.” Email response to questionnaire. 30 Sept. 2005.

26. The End Created by Anne Wartman for L551, Course Quest Project 1