Women s Universities and Colleges An International Handbook

Transcription

1 Women s Universities and Colleges An International Handbook

2 GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES ON HIGHER EDUCATION Volume 1 Higher education worldwide is in a period of transition, a ected by globalization, the advent of mass access, changing relationships between the university and the state, and the new technologies, among others. Global Perspectives on Higher Education provides cogent analysis and comparative perspectives on these and other central issues a ecting postsecondary education worldwide. Series Editor: Philip G. Altbach Center for International Higher Education, Boston College Editorial Board: Manuel Gil Anto n, Autonomous Metropolitan University of Mexico, Mexico, DF, Mexico Molly Lee, UNESCO Bangkok,Thailand Damtew Teferra, Journal of Higher Education in Africa, Boston College, USA This series is co-published with the Center for International Higher Education at Boston College.

3 GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES ON HIGHER EDUCATION Women s Universities and Colleges An International Handbook Francesca B. Purcell Robin Matross Helms Laura Rumbley Centre for International Higher Education, Lynch School of Education, Boston College SENSE PUBLISHERS ROTTERDAM

4 A C.I.P. record for this book is available from the Library of Congress. ISBN X Published by: Sense Publishers, P.O. Box 21858, 3001 AW Rotterdam, The Netherlands Printed on acid-free paper All Rights Reserved # 2005 Sense Publishers No part of this work may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, microfilming, recording or otherwise, without written permission from the Publisher, with the exception of any material supplied specifically for the purpose of being entered and executed on a computer system, for exclusive use by the purchaser of the work.

5 WOMEN S COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES VII Contents Acknowledgments vii Preface ix Introduction 1 Summary of Data by Region 5 Institutional Data by Region Africa 11 Asia 15 Europe 165 Middle East 171 North America 177 Bibliography 275 Alphabetical List of Institutions 287 About the Authors 293

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7 WOMEN S COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES IX Acknowledgments We are indebted to the hundreds of individuals who took the time to respond to our requests for information. Without this large-scale international effort, we would not have been able to create this publication. At Boston College, Dr. Philip Altbach, Director of the Center for International Higher Education, provided us with consistent focus, encouragement, and wisdom. Fellow graduate students, Hong Zhu and Phillippa Thiuri, provided valuable editing assistance on this project. And Dr. Damtew Teferra assisted us with our inquiry into the existence of women s higher education institutions on the African continent while Dr. Elisa Park facilitated our connection to women s universities in South Korea. Finally, we acknowledge the assistance of the Ford Foundation and Boston College in making this work possible.

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9 WOMEN S COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES XI Preface Philip G. Altbach T his book is a pioneering venture. So far as we can tell, this is the first effort to provide an international inventory of women s universities and colleges. This is surprising, since there is widespread recognition, especially in the developing countries, of the importance of women s education. There are many similarities among women s higher education institutions, and most share common goals. One would think that a community of interest among women s universities and colleges would exist. Perhaps this book will contribute to the emergence of such a worldwide network. Women s higher education institutions make an enormous contribution while at the same time they face significant challenges. In the United States and to a lesser extent in Japan, home to a large number of women s institutions, there has been a steady decline in the number, and perhaps in the importance, of women s colleges and universities in the past several decades as institutions have either added men to their student bodies, or could not survive in today s competitive academic marketplace. In most of the other countries that have a strong women s higher education sector, women s institutions remain viable. Women s institutions are also grappling with their role in the 21st century. Should they provide a safe haven for women not necessarily planning to enter the labor force, or should they be self-consciously empowering? Should the curriculum emphasize traditional women s subjects such as nursing or pedagogy, or should it focus on fields that will empower women in the workplace such as business management? The new interdisciplinary field of gender studies is central to understanding the role of women in history and society. How should women s institutions react to this new field?

10 X PURCELL, HELMS AND RUMBLEY In certain parts of the world, such as Islamic countries and nations where women are still underrepresented in higher education, women s institutions play an especially important role. In these areas, is it better to foster women s higher education or to focus on expanding access for women in the academic system? Of course, these two goals are not mutually exclusive. This book is intended not only to provide a useful inventory of women s colleges and universities worldwide, but also through the inventory to raise questions and suggest new ways of improving the education of women worldwide. It is an invitation to network and to create a community of institutions with a common purpose and orientation. It is hoped especially that women s institutions in the north, and especially in the United States, can use this resource to link up with counterpart colleges and universities in developing countries. Providing higher education opportunities for women, understanding the role of women in society, and contributing to the expansion of women s studies as a new field are all important goals, and women s institutions are central both to understanding and to ameliorating inequalities. It is our hope that this volume may make a small contribution to these goals.

11 WOMEN S COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES 1 Introduction T his handbook is the first international inventory ever undertaken that catalogues women s universities and colleges. These institutions play a vital role in the higher education of women worldwide. In many countries such as the United States and the Philippines, women s colleges were historically the sole or primary points of access for women who wanted to and were able to pursue a tertiary education. While coeducation eventually became the norm, women s colleges continued to be viable alternatives. In many Middle Eastern countries as well as in regions of India, women s colleges were and continue to be the only option for female degree-seekers because the separate education of women and men is mandated by law or custom. If not for the existence of women-only higher education institutions, significant numbers of women in many countries would not have the opportunity to participate in their respective higher education systems. In addition to this access function, some women s colleges have evolved to provide women with many educational opportunities equal to and sometimes better than those available at coeducational institutions. Women s colleges can offer special opportunities to women students including the availability of successful role models and mentors; a full array of leadership experiences; encouragement to participate in traditionally male-dominated fields such as math, science, and engineering; and pedagogical and curricular innovations that meet the learning needs of women. Tidball, Smith, Tidball, and Wolf-Wendel (1999) argue that women s colleges provide models for all higher education institutions on how to take women s learning seriously: Women s colleges by virtue of their long history in dealing with the education of women, and most important, their creative adaptation to larger changes in the society and higher education across many eras of national life are the natural institutional models of what works for women. (p. 140) Full-fledged women s colleges can be found in the Western world in the U.S., Canada, and the United Kingdom; in Asian countries including Bangladesh, Pakistan, Japan, Korea, the Philippines and In-

12 2 PURCELL, HELMS AND RUMBLEY dia; in the Middle East countries of the United Arab Emirates and Iran; and in the African country of the Sudan. Certain regions and countries such as Latin America, Australia, and most of Europe, do not have a history of women-only universities and colleges. However, womenonly institutions do exist in these areas in other forms, including women s teacher-training schools in South America and women s campuses that provide housing for women students at a number of Australian universities. In countries where women s universities and colleges do exist, the histories and purposes of these institutions are broad and varied, dependent upon local and national contexts. The earliest women s colleges worldwide date back to the early 1800s, while some of the most recent ones have been founded in the past two years. Moreover, in recent years, efforts have been made to establish new women s colleges in Afghanistan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Kenya, and Zimbabwe, underscoring the contemporary promise of these singular institutions in the provision of tertiary education to women. For example, an international effort is currently underway to establish the Asian University for Women, to be located in Bangladesh, which envisions itself to be a world-class institution of higher education dedicated to preparing talented Asian women for leadership in the political, economic, social and cultural spheres. It is slated to open in In Bahrain, the Royal University for Women is a new, private university expecting to enroll its first class of undergraduates in September Beyond the establishment of new institutions, existing women s colleges and universities are currently collaborating to strengthen their position. In June of 2004, Smith and Mt. Holyoke Colleges, two of the most prominent women s colleges in the United States, hosted a conference attended by presidents and academic deans of many women s higher education institutions worldwide. This unprecedented event is likely to be the first in a series of similar meetings. Despite the existence of women s higher education institutions and their important contributions to women s learning, relatively little research has focused on them. Of the research that does exist, the vast majority focuses on the U.S. and has a rather short history of about 30 years. Much of this body of research explores the institutional effects women-only institutions have on undergraduates compared to coeducational schools. Researchers most often analyze issues such as educational and career attainment after college and student experiences during college to determine the outcomes of attending a women s college. The second major category focuses on the organizational changes these

13 WOMEN S COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES 3 institutions have undertaken since the 1960s, when U.S. women s colleges started to decline in number. While there is a growing body of literature on women s colleges in the U.S., very little research exists beyond American borders. PURPOSE AND BACKGROUND OF THE HANDBOOK This handbook is the first effort in compiling international information on women s universities and colleges. We are concerned in this book with postsecondary institutions. Beginning in March of 2003, we sent electronic and paper surveys to approximately 316 women s colleges and universities worldwide. Respondents were not provided with any sort of compensation for the completion of the survey but were sent a cover letter urging them to respond (Appendix B). The surveys consisted of three major sections. In the first section, respondents were asked to answer general questions about their respective institutions such as institutional missions, tuition costs, and types of degrees offered. The second section focused on student demographics and interests, while the third section sought information on faculty and staff members. We terminated the survey in March of 2004 and received a total of 126 completed surveys, which translated into a 39.9% response rate. This handbook does not attempt to be an exhaustive compilation of all of the women s universities and colleges that exist in the world. While we made every effort to locate women s universities and colleges in every region, we know that there were some which we were not able to find. Especially in developing countries, it is often difficult to obtain information which would be taken for granted elsewhere. For example, the total number of women s colleges in the Philippines was never determined despite inquiries to the presidents of several well-known women s colleges as well as to two of the major national higher education associations in the country. In India, it is estimated that there are over 1,000 women s colleges in the country. Due to the sheer number, we chose to target only a small percentage of Indian women s colleges and present their information. Finally, as with all surveys, not all of the institutions responded to our survey despite our persistent attempts. Despite the inevitable incomplete nature of this handbook, it conveys the broad variety of women s universities and colleges and allows an initial avenue of understanding these institutions in cross-national perspective. We hope that this handbook will be a useful re-

14 4 PURCELL, HELMS AND RUMBLEY source for higher education professionals and others who are interested in the topic of women s universities and colleges. ORGANIZATION OF THE HANDBOOK This handbook is divided into three sections. This introductory section provides an overview of the project and a compilation of regionalbased summaries derived from the data we received from the surveys. In these summaries, we present the major findings from each of the countries. The second section is the inventory where each institution s information is presented by region in alphabetical order. The final section, the bibliography, contains the listings of books, book chapters, and journal articles focusing on women s colleges published since There is also a section of dissertations that have addressed issues related to women s college and universities. Short newspaper articles, conference papers, and similar writings have not been included. This selective inventory provides insight into the nature and status of women s educational institutions. Institutional histories are prevalent in the bibliography, as are studies that examine the more contemporary health and viability of specific women s colleges and the relevance of the single-sex educational enterprise for women students. The bulk of the bibliographic material has been generated within the last ten to twenty years. And, while every effort was made to represent the broadest geographic and cultural panorama of women s colleges, the bibliography does reflect the overwhelming prevalence of U.S.-focused research in this area. Interestingly, the number of dissertations (75) slightly exceeds the number of books and journal articles (70) indicating a strong early academic interest in this topic area by emerging scholars.

15 WOMEN S COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES 5 Summary of Data by Region AFRICA Surveys were sent to two institutions in Africa, one in Kenya and one in the Sudan. The Sudanese institution responded, and results are listed below. In addition, a third institution, the Women s University in Africa, was found in Zimbabwe, however contact information was not available so no survey was sent. ASIA Surveys were sent to 188 institutions in six Asian countries: Bangladesh (1), India (97), Japan (67), Korea (11), Pakistan (4) and the Philippines (8). A total of 76 institutions responded, for a regional response rate of 40%. Surveys were sent to 97 institutions in India; 44 schools responded, for a response rate of 45%. A large majority (60%) of respondent institutions are urban, 21% are located in small towns, 9.5% are suburban, and 9.5% are rural. Thirty percent of the institutions are religiously affiliated. Sixty-four percent classify themselves as private, and 36% as public. Most Indian institutions rely on funding from a combination of sources, the most commonly cited of which are the government, the University Grants Commission, and student tuition and fees. Of the 44 schools that responded to the survey, 11 do not charge tuition; of those that do, the average was $121. Nineteen of the institutions do not offer boarding for students, but among those that do, the average cost is $274. In terms of students, average undergraduate enrollment is 1,189 students. Thirty-one of the 44 institutions also have graduate programs, and the average graduate student enrollment for those schools is 403. In general it seems that women s colleges in India are thriving; in the last five years, enrollment has increased at 60% of these institutions, remained the same at 11%, and decreased at only two institutions (how-

16 6 PURCELL, HELMS AND RUMBLEY ever, ten institutions did not answer the question). Overall, the most popular fields of study among students are commerce, arts, science, and computer science/applications. In terms of the professoriate, the average number of full-time faculty is 53, 79% of whom, on average, are women. It is interesting to note that at 13 institutions, women make up 100% of the full-time faculty. Thirty-three of the 44 institutions also reported information on part-time faculty; among those schools, the average number of parttimers employed is 10, and the average proportion of women is 55%. The average student/faculty ratio across institutions is 24:1, and on average, 56% of upper level managers at respondents institutions are women. Japan ranked second after India in terms of the number of surveys mailed to and received from Asian institutions. Surveys were sent to 67 Japanese schools, of which 23 responded, for a country response rate of 34%. All of the institutions are either urban (35%) or suburban (65%). All but one of the institutions are private, and 57% are religiously affiliated. In contrast to India, in Japan, tuition is overwhelmingly the major source of funding for respondent institutions, though a number also receive funding from the government and/or the religious organizations with which they are affiliated. All 23 of the institutions that responded charge tuition, with an average of $8,629 per year. Nearly half (11 of 23) of the institutions do not offer boarding for students, but among those that do, the average cost is $5,878. In terms of students, average undergraduate enrollment is 2,111. Fifteen of the 23 institutions also have graduate programs, though in general they appear to be quite small the average graduate student enrollment for those schools that reported it is 69 students. Perhaps unsurprisingly, given recent demographic trends in Japan, enrollment has remained the same or decreased at a majority of institutions, with only about one-third reporting increased enrollments over the last five years. Overall, the most popular fields of study among students are English language and literature, Japanese language and literature, education, and psychology. In terms of faculty, the average number of full-time professors is 116, 42% of whom, on average, are women. Part-time faculty comprise a large part of the professoriate for respondent institutions, actually outnumbering the full-timers; at 21 of the 23 institutions that reported data on part-timers, the average number employed is 143, 39%

17 WOMEN S COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES 7 of whom are women. The average student/faculty ratio across institutions is 18:1, and on average, 22% of upper level managers at respondents institutions are women. Surveys were sent to eight institutions in the Philippines; five were completed and returned, for a response rate of 62.5%. All five institutions are urban, and four of the five are affiliated with the Catholic church (the fifth is not religiously affiliated). All charge tuition, with an average rate of $833 (one institution reported its tuition as $15/ credit, rather than reporting an annual rate). Three institutions offer boarding, for which the average fee is $1,005. Tuition is the primary source of funding for all five institutions. The average undergraduate enrollment among respondent institutions is 2,384, and average graduate enrollment among the four institutions which offer graduate programs is 156. Enrollment has decreased at four of the institutions, and increased at one. The most popular fields of study are hotel and restaurant management, business, and communications. As is the case in Japan, part-time faculty outnumber full-time faculty at Philippine institutions; the average number of full-time faculty is 96, and the number of part-timers is 124. Seventy percent of fulltime faculty are women, compared to 54% of part-time faculty. The average student/faculty ratio is 17:1. Among the Asian countries surveyed, the Philippines has the highest percentage of women managers (88%). Elsewhere in Asia, the one institution to which a survey was sent in Bangladesh responded, as did two of the four institutions to which surveys were sent in Pakistan. Despite the overall prominence of women s higher education in Korea, only one institution out of eleven responded to the survey. Data for these these institutions are presented below. EUROPE In Europe, surveys were sent to seven institutions: four in England, one in Belarus, one in Norway, and one in the Ukraine. Two institutions (one in Norway, and one in the Ukraine) responded, for a response rate of 29%. Data are presented below.

18 8 PURCELL, HELMS AND RUMBLEY MIDDLE EAST Surveys were sent to nine institutions in the Middle East, two in Israel and seven in the United Arab Emirates. Three institutions responded, all in the UAE, for a regional response rate of 33%. In addition, 12 institutions were located in Saudi Arabia, most of them government colleges of education, however no contact information was available, so no surveys were sent. All three of the institutions in the UAE are fully funded by the government, and do not charge tuition or boarding fees. Two of the three are located in urban areas (the third is in a small town), and all are affiliated with the Higher Colleges of Technology. All are public, and none are religiously affiliated. Average undergraduate enrollment is 1,802, and none of the institutions offer graduate programs. Two institutions reported increased enrollments in the past five years, and one did not respond. The most popular fields of study are business and technology. Two of the three institutions provided data on faculty, which is presented below. NORTH AMERICA Surveys were sent to 71 institutions in the United States, and one in Canada. Forty-four U.S. institutions responded, along with the Canadian institution, for a regional response rate of 63% (in addition, three U.S. institutions to which surveys were sent replied that they had become co-educational, and no longer qualified for inclusion in the study). Data for the Canadian institution are presented below. In general, the U.S. institutions are located in or around metropolitan areas. Just over half (51%) are urban, 29% are suburban, 12.5% are rural, and 7.5% are located in small towns. U.S. schools are overwhelmingly private (all but two), and are almost evenly divided in terms of religious affiliation; 21 institutions are religious and 20 are not. Tuition is the primary source of funding for U.S. institutions, with an average rate of $17,176 per year. Endowments and gifts/donations are also important sources of income. All but one institution provided information on fees for room and board (the average is $6,923 per year), suggesting that overall, women s colleges in the U.S. are residential. In terms of students, undergraduate enrollments vary widely, from 80 to 5,344 with an average of 1,246. Twenty-six of the 41 respondent institutions also reported information on graduate enrollments, with an average of 520 students (in some cases, it should be noted, graduate

19 WOMEN S COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES 9 programs are also open to men). Over the last five years, enrollments have increased at half of the institutions, decreased at 27%, and remained the same at 17% (three institutions did not answer this question). Overall, the most popular fields of study among students are business, psychology, education, English, biology, and nursing. In terms of the professoriate, the average number of full-time faculty is 92, 63%of whom, on average, are women. All but two of the institutions also reported information on part-time faculty; among those schools, the average number of part-timers employed is 76, and the average proportion of women is almost identical to that of the fulltime faculty (65%). The average student/faculty ratio across institutions is 11:1, and is remarkably consistent across institutions (the range is 8-16). On average, 73% of upper level managers at respondents institutions are women.

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21 WOMEN S COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES 11 Africa SUDAN Ahfad University for Women (AUW) Institutional Information Institutional mission: Ahfad University for Women was established in 1966 as a non-governmental institution dedicated to preparing Sudanese women for leadership and to enhance women s status toward empowerment, development and full realization of their human capacities. It is the only university in Sudan for women. AUW represents a Sudanese educational experiment which started as the first girls school in 1907 and developed into a college in 1966 and henceforth, into a full-fledged university in 1995 whose main objectives are:. Rectification of the imbalance in higher education between women and men through the establishment of a unique institution which is exclusively for women.. Generation of empowered graduates capable of becoming change agents at the community and national levels with particular emphasis on rural areas.. Preparation of empowered graduates capable of responding positively to the needs of the society for the achievement of sustainable development at the community and national level.. Enhancement of the students visualization scope by acquiring special skills and experience necessary for conceiving the importance of universal knowledge for the realization of community and national development.

22 12 PURCELL, HELMS AND RUMBLEY Year founded: 1966 Location: urban Status: private Formal affiliations with other higher education institutions: National Level: Khartoum University; Gezira University; Juba University; Azhari University; etc. Regional level: Suez Canal University; American University of Cairo Religious affiliation: none Primary source of funding: tuition; donations Annual cost of undergraduate tuition (in US dollars): $1,000-$5,000 (depending on faculty) Annual cost of boarding or housing: $3,000 Undergraduate fields of study: family sciences; food & nutrition; home economics; health management; medicine; organizational management and business administration; pharmacy; psychology and pre-school education; rural development Graduate fields of study: food & nutrition; gender & development; rural development Types of degrees: B.A.; B.Sc.; M.A.; M.Sc; Ph.D. Affiliations with other women s colleges: International Women s University-Germany Student Information Number of undergraduate students currently enrolled: 5,723 Number of graduate students currently enrolled: 65 Percentage of full-time undergraduates: % Change in enrollment numbers over the past five years: increased 12% Percentage of undergraduates between the ages of 17 and 24: 80-90% Percentage of undergraduates completing bachelor s within 4 to 6 years: % Percentage of students enrolled in liberal education courses: 100% Percentage of students enrolled in vocational courses: 0%

23 WOMEN S COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES 13 Most popular fields of study for undergraduates: organizational management & business administration; psychology; medicine Percentage of undergraduates gaining employment within one year of graduation: 60-70% Most popular jobs or careers after graduation: organizational management & business administration; counseling; medicine Percentage of undergraduates who seek further graduate study: 30-40% Most popular fields of graduate study: psychology; management; development studies Most popular clubs or activities for undergraduates: music; drama; journalism Faculty and Staff Information Number of full-time faculty: 228 Number of part-time faculty: 85 Percentage of full-time faculty who are women: 65% Percentage of part-time faculty who are women: 15% Student/faculty ratio: 35:1 Percentage of upper-level managers who are women: 90%