Women's-only universities and colleges are a vital post-secondary option for women. In 1993, Dr. Geraldine Clifford of Berkeley University in California wrote, "Gender. . . is one of the most potent forces in shaping human institutions, including education." Proponents of women's-only learning environments, academic research, and student surveys tout the benefits of single-sex learning environments.

The 2004 National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) compared the experiences of women attending women's colleges with those of women attending co-educational schools, and the results show that women's college respondents reported making more progress in every measure tested.

In general, women at single-sex colleges are more engaged than women at co-educational institutions. Dr. Ernest T. Pascarella and Patrick T. Terenzini, professors of higher education at The University of Iowa and Penn State respectively, co-authored volumes one and two of How College Affects Students (1991 and 2005). They reported that the research is undeniable: students who are actively involved in both academic and extracurricular activities gain more from the college experience than those who are not so involved.

There are unique opportunities for engagement at women's-only colleges that do not exist in co-educational institutions. According to the NSSE study, women assume all the leadership roles on campus, take charge in classroom exercises and discussions, and learn more effectively individually as well as in groups when in an environment that fuels women's understanding of self and others.

The Women's College Coalition (WCC) is an association of women's colleges and universities in Canada and the United States whose primary mission is the education and advancement of women. The organization represents 52 women's colleges in the United States and Brescia University College in London, Ontario, Canada. Affiliated with The University of Western Ontario, Brescia University College is Canada's women's university.

The following excerpt from the NSSE study, posted on the WCC web site, states that "...high levels of student-faculty interaction create opportunities for mentorship, such as providing advice and encouragement, recommendations for awards, internships or jobs, and involving students in research."

To learn more about women's-only colleges in North America, visit the WCC web site at www.womenscolleges.org. The site provides a wealth of information about student life, research about women's education, profiles of alumnae, and web links to women's colleges and universities designed to help women realize their full potential.

For links to women's colleges around the world, visit the Women's Education Worldwide web site at http://www.mtholyoke.edu/proj/wew/

Contributed by by Julie Maltby, Communications & Alumnae Relations Officer at Brescia University College at the University of Western Ontario. www.brescia.uwo.ca

Your GoStudy Team
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