As a graduate of a women's college, I whole heartedly agree that these institutions serve a vital interest, nurturing women in a unique and fruitful environment. While I cannot speak about the merits of all women's colleges, I can speak to the ways in which a Wellesley education empowers young women to be more assertive, more focused on academic achievement, and more willing to experiment in leadership roles than many women who attend co-educational institutions. Furthermore, Wellesley epitomizes a sense of sistership and solidarity that is bred, I would argue almost exclusively, in single-sex environments. Wellesley Alumnae participation, engagement, and investment in their college community are all renowned and envied by other educational institutions, and help current and former students learn and advance in various fields. Wellesley encourages a sense of cooperative leadership and communal responsibility that contrasts dramatically with the model of individual, competitive advancement that often prevails in other sectors of academia.
On a separate note, however, I think it is worth studying why the percentage of Jewish women at women's colleges is lower than at other comparable institutions? Most top tier colleges and universities have more than ten percent of their student body composed of by Jews. At Wellesley, and I've heard that at other women's colleges, the percentage hovers at around five to six percent. Provided that my information is accurate, what does this trend reveal about these colleges and about young Jewish women? How does this fact relate to issues of education, assertiveness, marriage, and family in the Jewish world? What does this indicate about how women's colleges fulfill the cultural/spiritual/social needs of Jewish students versus comparable co-educational institutions?
As a graduate of a women's college, I whole heartedly agree that these institutions serve a vital interest, nurturing women in a unique and fruitful environment. While I cannot speak about the merits of all women's colleges, I can speak to the ways in which a Wellesley education empowers young women to be more assertive, more focused on academic achievement, and more willing to experiment in leadership roles than many women who attend co-educational institutions. Furthermore, Wellesley epitomizes a sense of sistership and solidarity that is bred, I would argue almost exclusively, in single-sex environments. Wellesley Alumnae participation, engagement, and investment in their college community are all renowned and envied by other educational institutions, and help current and former students learn and advance in various fields. Wellesley encourages a sense of cooperative leadership and communal responsibility that contrasts dramatically with the model of individual, competitive advancement that often prevails in other sectors of academia.
On a separate note, however, I think it is worth studying why the percentage of Jewish women at women's colleges is lower than at other comparable institutions? Most top tier colleges and universities have more than ten percent of their student body composed of by Jews. At Wellesley, and I've heard that at other women's colleges, the percentage hovers at around five to six percent. Provided that my information is accurate, what does this trend reveal about these colleges and about young Jewish women? How does this fact relate to issues of education, assertiveness, marriage, and family in the Jewish world? What does this indicate about how women's colleges fulfill the cultural/spiritual/social needs of Jewish students versus comparable co-educational institutions?