Many observers argue that diversity in Economics and STEM fields is critical, not simply because of egalitarian goals, but because who is in a field may shape what is studied by it. If increasing the rate of majoring in mathematically-intensive fields among women is a worthy goal, then understanding whether women's colleges causally affect that…

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…

Given the complex and gendered messages college women receive about their future professional and personal lives, a woman's college experiences play an important role in helping her make difficult life choices. In this article, we present a narrative analysis of the envisioned futures of students at two Catholic women's colleges in the Midwestern…

The recent announcement that Randolph-Macon Woman's College will admit male students has triggered yet another round in the continuing debate over women's colleges. At Randolph-Macon itself, the news was met with the usual mix of public displays: As students and alumnae protested with signs reading "Coed is a four-letter word," administrators and…

Discusses the impact that Spelman and Bennett Colleges have had on educational opportunities for Black women and highlights the contributions to the Black community of several alumnae from these institutions. Also provides an extensive bibliography of materials that focuses on Black women and higher education. (Author/GC)

Curriculum development to incorporate new scholarship about women is necessary and would be aided by two ingredients: visiting professorships to bring artists and scholar-teachers versed in the new scholarship to campus for the benefit of both faculty and students, and stipends or release time for faculty wishing to transform existing courses.…

Presents an edited transcript of a discussion with seven Simmons College faculty members about education for women and the role a women's college can play in a period of social change. Discussion topics include Simmons as a women's college, meaningful work, non-traditional careers, counseling responsibilities, and potential students. (CAM)

Prepared by Midway College's (MC's) Women's Education Study Commission, this report discusses critical issues for women's education in the last two decades of the 20th century and the role of MC, Kentucky's only women's college, in the area of women's education. After introductory material outlines the membership and tasks of the Commission, part…

Arguments for coeducation in Indian higher education are offered, including the unnatural and uneconomic nature of segregation, the success of coeducation in other countries, and the need to eliminate sex stereotyping. (LBH)

A Ford Foundation data collection project offers tangible proof of the continued viability of women's colleges. Women's colleges have a positive effect on intellectual self-esteem and women are more likely to attain positions of leadership, to become involved in student government, to develop high aspirations, and to persist to graduation. (MLW)

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…

This annual compilation explores the history of small colleges in five articles that focus on the "uses" of this history in facing current debates concerning institutional directions. A brief introduction by Harold S. Wechsler addresses the role of institutional history for the small college. The first article is "Celebrating Roots:…

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 creation and development of 10 women's colleges are discussed: Mount Holyoke, Vassar, Wellesley, Smith, Radcliffe, Bryn Mawr, and Barnard (the Seven Sisters colleges), and Sarah Lawrence, Bennington, and Scripps. Consideration is given to: how each of these colleges offered to women an education equal to that offered by the best men's…