ERIC Number: ED548672
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2012
Pages: 233
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: 978-1-2673-3471-8
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
The Widening Gender Gap and Its Influence on Contemporary Postsecondary Campuses: Perceptions of Senior Student Affairs Officers
Schellpfeffer, Shane E.
ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, University of South Dakota
Throughout the past 30 years, a gender gap in postsecondary education in the United States has steadily widened. The widening postsecondary gender gap, described as the difference between the number of males and females in both enrollment and degree attainment in postsecondary education, has recently garnered significant attention. The purpose of this study was to analyze the differences in the perceptions of Senior Student Affairs Officers concerning the influence that the widening postsecondary gender gap has had on divisions of student affairs and the services they offer to students. The researcher developed a survey instrument using pertinent literature. The survey instrument is primarily a self-report, multiple choice questionnaire that contains six sections with a total of 27 items. The data collection for this study was conducted through the use of an online data collection tool. The survey response rate was 37.0%. The survey was used to gather data and further explore the research questions regarding differences in the perceptions of the SSAOs concerning how much their individual campuses (1) are concerned about the widening gender gap, (2) have responded to make changes in order to address the increasing proportion of women and the decreasing proportion of men, and explored characteristics such as (3) the level of influence that selected factors have to influence the ability to make changes, (4) the characteristics of the respondents and their postsecondary institutions, and (5) the primary challenges or barriers to making changes on their campuses. The important findings and conclusions include the following: (1) there is a low level of concern on campuses regarding the widening gender gap, (2) fewer changes have been made to address the decreasing proportion of men compared to the changes made to address the increasing proportion of women (3) the creation of additional women's intercollegiate athletic teams was the most common change made to account for the increasing proportion of women on campuses, and (4) funding issues represent the top challenge or barrier for making changes to divisions of student affairs. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]
Descriptors: Gender Differences, Colleges, Student Personnel Workers, Student Personnel Services, Surveys, Measures (Individuals), Questionnaires, Online Surveys, Enrollment Trends, College Athletics, Financial Support, Barriers
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Publication Type: Dissertations/Theses - Doctoral Dissertations
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A