Womens Colleges in the USA

Table of Contents

Introduction
Origin
Antebellum Period
Colleges that exist
Existing Challenges
Conclusion
References

Introduction

Womens colleges have a long history in the US. A common definition of a womens is that they are a bachelor and graduate degree-granting institution, often-liberal arts colleges whose student population comprises exclusively of women. Though some women admit a few male students to their programs, they primarily serve the female student body.

Origin

Womens colleges in the United States started during the early 19th century. According to Irene et al., the founding of women colleges started in the mid and late 19th century in response to a need for advanced education for women. At the time women were not easily admitted to most institutions of higher learning (2006, p. 67). They further add that, while there were a few coeducational colleges such as Oberlin College founded in 1833, Lawrence University in 1847, Antioch College in 1852, and Bates colleges in 1853, most colleges and universities of high standing at that time were exclusively for men. Besides, there was a general feeling that education in antebellum America especially higher education was a preserve of the elite (Irene et al, 2006, p. 67).

Antebellum Period

Today antebellum America has almost faded to history. Very few people in the contemporary world can relate to it. Few people alive today have ever spoken to someone who could remember it. It was during this era that the industrial revolution in the US led to growth in average incomes as well as the growth of the middle class. During that, time education for women was not a primary focus among the American public. According to Church & Sedlik (1976, p. 89), there were three branches of schools i.e district schools, academies, and colleges. Colleges mainly focused on teaching young men about traveling and doing business abroad. More importantly, colleges sprung up to shore up literary skills among the male population at the time with little emphasis on women. Church & Sedlink (1976, p.98) further assert that during the antebellum period, only a few women made it into colleges. Despite vigorous schedules aimed at stopping them from achieving their educational goals, most women admitted to colleges managed to complete their courses. Mount Holyoke became the first women college; a coeducational institution founded in 1833 and doubling up as the first American college to accept women and African-Americans (Church & Sedlik, 1976, p. 107).

Colleges that exist

Fewer than 80 womens colleges exist today. Fast-changing social and economic trends thanks to the industrial revolution at the beginning of the 19th century presented considerable challenges to womens colleges. Since then, womens enrollment at coeducational institutions has increased at a high rate. A major shift by womens colleges that came up after the antebellum period probably was realignment to the womens movement using feminism as an opportunity to reclaim their historic task to develop womens minds (Irene et al., 2006, p.69). This time presented a rare opportunity for womens colleges to reposition themselves as colleges mainly focused on womens issues and not necessarily feminist-oriented institutions. Nowadays womens colleges have been through a lot of evolution so much because of emphasis on womens education up to institutions of higher learning.

Existing Challenges

The history of womens colleges is characteristic of many challenges. Student and parental protests in reaction to shifting trends in womens higher education became some of the most challenging times for these institutions. Additionally, these institutions found themselves alienated from the dynamic socio-economic trends that were shaping society. In fact, some stakeholders argued that it was not economically and socially sound for the colleges to stay single-sex, as young women are no longer interested in attending women colleges. However, womens colleges presidents countered the notion by asserting that the colleges were doing extremely well and were attracting large numbers of students.

Conclusion

There is no doubt the idea behind womens colleges was a noble one. However, the earlier stakeholders acknowledge that the idea is a bit time-barred and a new approach is necessary, the better.