Women's colleges and universities persist around the world, even as the vast majority of tertiary institutions are open to men and women. In nearly every nation, women can attend even the most elite formerly all-male universities, and in several nations women are the majority of all college students. Questions therefore arise about the continued…

This study was primarily a multiple-case study that incorporated descriptive statistical analysis to examine the contributions that three niche institutions play in the diverse democracy of the U.S. A "niche institution" is a college or university whose role in U.S. higher education is to meet the needs of a specific group and whose…

The ideology of higher education for women at Wellesley College in the late 19th and early 20th centuries is discussed in the context of feminism and the women's suffrage movement. "Symmetrical womanhood," a concept emphasizing balance of traditional roles and intellectual and community involvement, was a goal of Wellesley faculty of…

Views on the importance of the woman's contributions to shaping culture and the role of female leadership at Mount Holyoke College are considered. According to historian Mary Ritter Beard, the "woman's tradition" of imparting a progressive social consciousness to the culture has been an important influence. Beard addressed Mount Holyoke…

The mission of Catholic colleges and universities and their responses to change are discussed in four articles. Historical information on Catholic women's colleges and the current picture are reviewed by Abigail McCarthy in "A Luminous Minority." The revision of the curriculum at Fordham College is described by James N. Loughran in…

Queens College, a women's liberal arts institution, regained prosperity by maintaining its traditional, quality undergraduate offerings and adding coeducational graduate and continuing education programs and degree options for mature women. (MSE)

A report on a study of freshmen women's beliefs about psychological sex differences, attitudes toward sex roles, and ideals of femininity and masculinity is presented. A random sample of 232 freshmen entering a woman's college in September 1979 was studied longitudinally. Study instruments included a scale consisting of 16 propositions regarding…