Gender disparity seems to be a nationwide trend

EVANSTON, Ill. -- They are everywhere. They comprise the majority of those raising their hands in class. \nThey are women, and as female undergraduates, they now outnumber their male counterparts all over the country.\nThe growing gender disparity comes as no surprise, given that a 2006 study by the American Council on Education revealed that 55 percent of those pursuing bachelor's degrees are women. This nationwide gap is even more pronounced among lower-income minorities, such as blacks and Latinos, proving race and income are significant variables of education.\n"The education of women ... is a positive sign of moving forward and out of a conservative way of thinking," said Ronnie Rios, director of Hispanic/Latino Student Affairs. "Latinas are now more forthcoming with what (they) can contribute to (their) communities, schools and corporations."\nAccording to the Chicago Tribune, 40 percent of Latino undergraduates at Northwestern University are male, suggesting a meaningful shift within the traditionally male-dominated culture. Their own arrival in the classroom has prompted Latino women to seize greater leadership roles in the university realm and beyond.\n"It's the women in our community at the forefront, and it has been that way for the past three or four years," said Dorina Aguilar, graduate assistant for Hispanic/Latino Student Affairs.\nNow, few discourage females seeking degrees. Education, regardless of gender, is generally seen as a positive pursuit. This is especially true for low-income minority students raised in an environment with fewer opportunities. But not everyone is pleased with the absence of male undergraduates.\n"There are more black men in jail than there are in college," said Shawna Cooper-Gibson, director of African American Student Affairs.\nAt NU, black undergraduates are 29 percent male, leaving those like Cooper-Gibson wondering where the values of her community lie, she said. She considers the decline in men's higher education a negative movement, indicating the need for more male role models and youth mentoring programs.\n"Anytime there are declining numbers of African-American men in school, it's disappointing," Cooper-Gibson said. "We have black women leading households alone." \nThis dilemma points to another divide cutting through campuses across the country -- not gender, but culture.\nHow should educational institutions react to a change that marks one group's triumph and another's setback? Allowing men greater chances of university acceptance over women is one contentious solution.\nKeith Todd, director of undergraduate admissions, said the university does "not take gender into account in the admissions process." The NU student population is "closer to 50/50" and strives to be a gender equitable university, he said.\nThe burden of leveling the gender imbalance within minority communities rests with NU's cultural groups.\nCooper-Gibson said that to tackle the problem, African American Student Affairs is creating a new black men's unity group this year called Reigniting the Flame.\nBut Rios said she is less concerned with the gender disparity. \n"Last year, Alianza (a Latino student group) had an all-female executive board, which was great," she said. "But this year we have three males on board, which is a great thing too"