Taylor Hanigosky
tmh004@marietta.edu
Two-thirds of the class of 2019 is male, highlighting an existing gender disparity at Marietta College.
According to Director of Admission Scott McVicar, this year’s freshmen class is 67 percent male and 33 percent female, compared to MC’s overall undergraduate gender gap of 62 percent male to 38 percent female.
Two major male-dominated programs on campus, petroleum engineering and varsity athletics, have likely contributed to the gender gap due to the types of students they attract. The impact of the imbalance, however, is more difficult to measure.
“I believe the presence of a larger number of males has to have an impact,” Interim Vice President for Student Life Richard Danford said, noting that a disproportionate number of individuals from any group would also affect the overall student experience.
While men outnumber women in the classroom, female students have made their presence known, claiming more leadership positions in student-led organizations across campus. Out of 75 registered student organizations on campus during the fall 2015 semester, women lead 45 of those organizations, while men take leadership positions in only 30. (There are 88 total registered student organizations, but 13 do not currently have a student leader on record). Notably, an all-female executive committee currently leads the Student Government Association.
SGA president Kennedy Clyde says she has never experienced an absence of strong female role models on campus, and has thrived during her time at Marietta College.
“As an underclassman, I was stunned by the gender gap,” Clyde said. “I felt like I was surrounded by empowered women.”
However, Danford points out that last year’s SGA executive committee was all male.
“In terms of the perception that female students at MC have a stronger inclination than males to take on leadership roles or participate in student organizations, that’s a very complex question,” he said.
If the perception is a reality, Danford wonders if other institutions of higher education are experiencing similar trends.
As part of her role in SGA, Clyde has been listening to student opinions and working with administration and admissions offices to attract more women to campus.
“I think this is as stark of a contrast [in gender] as we will see,” Clyde said. “We’re hoping a shift starts as soon as next year.”
According to McVicar, the office of admission is introducing several tactics to address the gender imbalance including creating new publications, showcasing more photos of women on campus in marketing materials, targeting all-female high schools, and increasing communication and engagement of current female students in the admission process.
“We are aggressively changing how we are getting the MC story out there,” McVicar said.
