(UP Beacon)
By Natalie Wheeler, Staff Writer -- wheelern12@up.edu
Boy, girl, boy, girl, doesn't quite work at the University of Portland.
With a percentage of females at 60.5, a few more girls would have to find a place.
Like many colleges throughout the country, UP's ratio tilts heavily toward females. Even though UP is making efforts to attract more males, UP students notice the disparity between males and females in their daily lives.
Freshman Rose Harber lives in Shipstad Hall – which, along with Kenna Hall, has just two male wings. A male wing has been cut from each of those dorms this year. Harber notices the skewed ratio within her own social group.
"You have to actively seek guys to hang out with," Harber said. "There are just less of them."
Harber says that there is only one male in her immediate group of friends at UP, but that it's about a 2-3 ratio considering all her friends.
Harber's ratio of 2-to-3 matches UP's school wide ratio.
However, the Office of Admissions is taking steps to change that. In fact, according to Karen Nelson, director of institutional research, the percentage of females who apply to the university is around 63 percent, which is higher than the percentage of females who currently attend.
The percentage of females attending UP has also decreased from its highest, 63.5, in 2008, due in large part to efforts by admissions.
"We make it a priority," Jason McDonald, director of admissions, said. "We are a co-ed school, so we want that experience for both female and male students."
Males who apply to UP are put on a phone tree. According to McDonald, some prospective female students receive phone calls, but the Office of Admissions makes sure to call every prospective male student.
UP also gives its criteria to the PSAT and SAT, which, in turn, gives out students' names that match UP's standards. The University then advertises to those students, particularly the males, through avenues such as e-mails or flyers.
However, according to McDonald, this doesn't mean that the University accepts a lower standard for males, but makes more of an effort to reach out to male applicants.
"We are trying to get them in the pipeline, not accept a lower standard," McDonald said.
This is not just a UP trend. According to the U.S. Department of Education, female college enrollment hovers at around 57 percent nationally. McDonald said that at liberal arts institutions like UP, that percentage is usually higher.
According to Deanna Julka, professor of psychology, efforts that are similar to affirmative action should not be used to bridge the gender gap.
Julka says colleges should treat this imbalance differently than they would for historically disadvantaged groups, because males have dominated education for a long time. While it is important to create a co-ed experience for UP students, Julka thinks UP should not change the admissions standards for males.
"Those (groups included in affirmative action) are oppressed groups," Julka said, "But this is not the situation."
Still, Julka understands why UP would want to advertise to males, as long as it does not lower lower admissions standards based on gender.
"There is a benefit to attracting more males because part of college is the social aspect," Julka said. "We want different voices being heard."
Julka finds her own classes are usually about 80 percent female. However, this year she has about 60 percent female in her Cross Cultural Psychology course. She appreciates the more balanced mix because she says it allows for better discussion.
Sophomore Kelly Pullin is in the nursing school, which is almost 91 percent female. She admits it is hard to find male voices. Outside of the classroom, her opinion doesn't change.
"You run into the same group of guys," Pullin said. "I meet new girls more than I meet new guys."
Sophomore Jana Peters, a communication studies major, says that, as a female, it can be easy to be friends with just girls.
"It's easier to hang out with girls here because in the dorms, it's basically all girls," Peters said. "Most of my guy friends are off campus."
Harber doesn't see the current ratio as a major problem, but does believe it influences the overall culture at UP.
"I just think there's more petty drama because we have more girls," Harber said.
Males, however, often have a different take on the issue.
Sophomore Tom Nguyen says the only time he actively noticed the gender gap was at the homecoming dance, yet he does find that it is easier to find females here.
"I know more girls here than I did in high school, and part of that is the ratio," Nguyen said.
Nelson, who keeps track of the data concerning gender, is doubtful that the university will ever have a 1-1 ratio.
"Some people are concerned about it," said Nelson, "but I don't know if it will change much, given our curriculum."
According to McDonald, there is no one reason behind the discrepancy between males and females. He believes having no football team plays only a minor role in the gender gap. Instead, McDonald sees it as mainly a mixture of national trends and our liberal arts education.
"Girls are more attracted to smaller, liberal arts institutions," McDonald said. "One of our most popular schools also happens to be nursing."
There is a more noticeable discrepancy in gender when the schools are looked at separately. Besides nursing, education is 79 percent female and arts and sciences comprise 66 percent female.
The business school has the most balanced ratio, with 44 percent female, and engineering is uniquely skewed toward males with only 23 percent female.
Although there is already a large percentage of males in the engineering program, McDonald says admissions also hosts engineering visitation days. McDonald says this is partly in hopes of getting more males to come to the university, even if it means that they are funneled through the engineering program.
Given the circumstances, McDonald thinks UP's gender gap is not surprising, but he still considers it important that admissions makes an effort to draw more males.
With a three percent increase in males since 2008, it looks like admission's efforts might be working.
(Alisa White -- The Beacon)
