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Women widen diploma lead at SOU 2001 female grads outnumber men 3 to 2 By TONY BOOM ASHLAND - "Two girls for every boy." The numbers aren't quite like the line in the old Jan & Dean song. But there will be three female graduates for every two male graduates at Southern Oregon University's commencement June 16. This year, 59.7 percent of SOU's projected 1,120 graduates will be women. That's 669 to 451. SOU mirrors national trends that have seen both the number of female graduates and enrollees increase. In 2000, women were 56.3 percent of all those receiving bachelor's degrees nationally. The number of female graduates at SOU increased by 61 percent from 1998 to 2001, while male graduates have increased by 22 percent during the same period. The university had 20 percent more women graduates than men graduates in 1995 and 19 percent more women than men in 1991. SOU officials can't say for certain what caused the increase but think efforts to retain students may play a factor. SOU tracked students who entered in 1994. Women in that group show a 6 percent higher graduation rate than men, said Admissions Director Mara Affre. "It's not so much that we are losing men but rather females are increasing," said Affre. "We are not seeing a decline in men." SOU's overall enrollment is 5,551 students this year, compared to 4,519 in 1991. Women are 58 percent of the total now vs. 53 percent in 1991. Developments in society toward gender equity may have a lot to do with rising enrollment and completion rates for women, says Affre. Studies show that teachers now pay more attention to girls than they used to when teaching math and science, says Affre. Federal Title 9 legislation, which called for equity between men's and women's sports, may also have influenced women's attendance in college. Affre thinks the school might look at recruiting efforts targeted toward men if their numbers started to drop. "I don't think it's so significant that we'd start to target men," said Katy Bazylewicz, director of marketing and public relations. "If we saw a huge decline in numbers we might target it." Any potential marketing effort might use media that young men view, specific mailing lists and focus groups, said Bazylewicz. SOU would attempt to determine the reasons for any men's enrollment declines. It might look to see if there are more job opportunities for men coming out of high school that keep them from going to college. According to the U.S. Department of Education, women were 50.8 percent of bachelor's degree recipients in 1986, 53.9 percent in 1991 and 55.1 percent in 1996. In 1971, women were 43 percent of the degree earners. Nationally, 5,974,719 women sought degrees in the fall of 1998 compared to 4,673,133 men. Women were 53 percent of all students in Oregon University System schools during 2000. Western Oregon University in Monmouth had the highest percentage of women at 59 percent. Oregon Institute of Technology had the lowest, 43 percent. Reach Ashland bureau reporter Tony Boom at 482-4651, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.