The 2nd Conference on College Men brought about 100 professors, student affairs professionals and counselors to the University of Pennsylvania this week. Frank Harris’ list of citations offers some insights into why they came: Research showing lower rates of enrollment, persistence and graduation among college men in comparison to college women; the underrepresentation of men in campus leadership positions, in study abroad, career services and civic engagement programs; and their overrepresentation among campus judicial offenders.What's the cause? What's the solution? What's being done about it?
The article itself is, uh, interesting enough. But to get the full flavor, you have to read the comments. As I type this there are only 10 of them.
I've heard rumors that some colleges in California (and maybe elsewhere?) are now adding affirmative action for men in order to achieve a more even balance of male and female students.
ReplyDeleteThe tenor of the article seems to be that the primary problem is that men are men and need to be something else. They seem to think that femininity is intrinsically better than masculinity.
ReplyDeleteI love Mitzy's comment that women are simply superior to men. Try reversing that comment and see what happens. I left a comment there about 2 hours ago but it hasn't shown up.
It's really sad that we are seeing male students vilified by the same people who would be horrified by even the most remote racist or biased reference. Our schools are now centered on group activities that are the antithesis of what drives male students-competition. We have dumbed down technical programs to make them user friendly and along the way made them so vapid that many young men avoid them. When you add the higher incidence of being in special education with or without cause, more likely to be arrested and the higher successful rate of suicide-I think we can safely say there's a problem here. Part of this has to do with a society where male heads of household often do not reside with the family if they are in their sons lives at all. Without male role models, boys are at a loss how to be male. So instead they either act out or hide out. I feel lucky that my sons made it out. But if you look at the top ten lists of most schools, girls outnumber boys three to one.
ReplyDeleteJust curious as to the enrollment statistics for community colleges and trade schools. I have a hunch there are more male students there, just because I know that's the direction most of my oldest son's friends took. Less bullshit, less expensive, and goals reached sooner.
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