The Benefits of Women’s Colleges

The Benefits of Women’s Colleges When Emma Willard founded Troy Female Seminary1in 1821, her purpose was to provide young women with formal domestic2training. Willard dared to voice her ”radical3“ belief that women should be educated on par with men; tra ining in housewifery4 and domestic science were of utmost importance to those who were responsible for rearing the nation’s youth.By 1870, the field of higher education for females had increased, boasting 11,000 students in single-sex colleges. That numb er peaked in the 1960s, when almost 300 women’s colleges existed.A decline5in women’s institutions in recent years now leaves 118,000 women in 77 female-only, post-secondary institutions who annually celebrate the month of March by organizing, demonstrating6, and speaking out for the ”radical” beliefs that have come quite a long way since the ideas of Emma Willard.Now more than 200 years old, the institution of women’s higher education faces issues of equality with dwindling7enrollments8 and endowments9. Some argue that the concept of single-sex colleges for women has evolved into obscurity10in an increasingly equal opportunity society. Others hold the conviction11that women’s colleges are vital and necessary for the basic reasons that Emma Willard founded Troy Female Seminary: that equal education for men and women requires a fostering12 of the condition of the latter sex.These proponents13of women’s institutions continue to search anxiously14 for the niche that was severely diluted15with the rise of coeducation. In 1966, the U.S. was home to 281 colleges and universities for women; in less than 30 years, that number had decreased by 75 percent.The debate over the worth of women’s colleges began largely with this sharp decline, and continues to the present. A refocus16 of the purpose of these institutions thus becomes increasingly meaningful in the face of survival issues. Women’s colleges aren’t about housewifery anymore. What women’s colleges are about is probably more like Emma Willard’s purpose than the curriculum17of the Female Seminaries of her time: educational opportunities for women that are equal to the situation that men have enjoyed for centuries.At a women’s college, women can excel18and thrive19in an environment where they need not compete against men. The lack of attention to and lack of assertiveness20 of women which is often an issue at coeducational colleges is instead replaced by a supportive, refreshing climate. This climate is fostered by female faculty and role models who contribute both to female students’ academic excellence and to their identity development.Women’s colleges make more space and provide more encouragement for women to tackle21the traditionally male-dominated fields of the hard sciences—biology, chemistry, physics, engineering—without fighting the male majority22. Also, a bit of research in student identity development has presented the idea that women learn differently from men. That is, because women tend to value relationships and validation23, traditional lecture styles are less effective because confirmation comes at the end, rather than the beginning of a lesson.Women generally respond better to interaction and sharing of information rather than the distribution of lecture facts. Discussion-based teaching then furthers student/teacher interaction and works to connect students not only to the subject, but to their instructor in a non-threatening manner.Women’s institutions can more effectively adapt to their students, needs in thi s way, and often prioritize24these purposes through mission statements. These aims include the development of independence, self-confidence, and self-respect for women in an environment that encourages leadership, provides support, and active advocacy25 in fighting stereotypes26 and discrimination.The advantages of women’s colleges remains undeniable27. Though quantitative levels of enrollment may dwindle, such a supportive environment for women continue to serve an important population.As private insti tutions, women’s colleges retain their purpose in a way that haveinevitably28developed since the inception of women’s education. Today’s women’s colleges might not have been exactly what Emma Willard had in mind, but nevertheless，she’d probably be proud.Words And Expressions 词汇提示1.Female Seminary 女子学校2.domestic［♎☜♊❍♏♦♦♓］a.家庭的，国内的3.radical［♊❒✌♎♓☜●］a.激进的4.housewifery［♊♒♋◆♦♦♓♐☜❒♓］n.家政，家事5.decline［♎♓♊●♋♓⏹］n.下降6.demonstrate［♎♏❍☜⏹♊♦♦❒♏♓♦］v.证明7.dwindle［♊♎♦♓⏹♎●］v.缩小8.enrollment［♓⏹♊❒☜◆●❍☜⏹♦］n.登记，注册9.endowment［♓⏹♊♎☜◆❍☜⏹♦］n.捐赠10.obscurity［☜♌♊♦◆❒♓♦♓］n.阴暗，朦胧11.conviction［ ☜⏹♊♓☞☜⏹］n.深信，确信12.foster［♊♐♦♦☜］v.培养13.proponent［☐❒☜♊☐☜◆⏹☜⏹♦］n.建议者，支持者14.anxiously［♊✌☠☞☜♦●♓］ad.忧虑地，不安地15.dilute［♎♋♓♊●◆♦］v.冲淡16.refocus［♊❒♓♊♐☜◆☜♦］v.重调焦距17.curriculum［ ☜♊❒♓◆●☜❍］n.课程18.excel［♓♊♦♏●］v.优秀，胜过他人19.thrive［ ❒♋♓］v.兴旺，繁荣20.assertive［☜♊♦☜♦♓］a.断定的，过分自信的21.tackle［♊♦✌●］v.应付（难事等），处理22.majority［❍☜♊♎✞❒♓♦♓］n.多数，大半23.validation［ ✌●♓♊♎♏♓☞☜⏹］n.确认24.prioritize［☐❒♋♓♊❒♓♦♋♓］v.把…区分优先次序25.advocacy［♊✌♎☜☜♦♓］n.拥护，鼓吹26.stereotype［♊♦♦♏❒♓☜♦♋♓☐］n.陈腔滥调，老套27.undeniable［ ✈⏹♎♓♊⏹♋♓☜♌●］a.不可否认的28.inevitably［♓⏹♊♏♓♦☜♌●♓］ad.不可避免地Questions After Listening 听后答题1.Emma Willard founded the first women’s college__________.A. to voice her ”radical” beliefB. to provide young women with formal domestic trainingC. to educate women better than menD. to rear the nation’s youth2.Higher education for women _________.A. started in 1870B. boasted 11,000 students in single-sex colleges by 1821C. flourished in the1960sD.40 women’s colleges existed in the1950s3.Which of the following statements is true?A. There has been an increase in women’s institutions in recent years.B. There are only 77 female-only post secondary institutions now in the U.S..C. Celebrations are held every May to remember Emma Willard.D.110,000 female students are studying in women’s colleges.4.In an increasingly equal society women’ colleges______.A. are no longer necessaryB. are still vital for a fostering of the condition of womenC. don’t have to face issues of equality with fewer students and less endowmentsD. are controversial5.The worth of women’s colleges lies in_______.A. the course of housewiferyB. Emma Willard’s purpose--provide educational opportunities for women that men haveenjoyed for centuriesC. the curriculum of the Female seminaries of Emma Willard’s timeD. the survival issues6.At a women’s college, women can excel and thrive in an environment where ______.A. the lack of attention is no longer viewed as a problemB. competition against men is encouragedC. female faculty and role models contribute to female students’academic excellence andtheir identity developmentD. they become extremely assertive7.Women learn differently from men _________.A. so they are afraid of tackling traditionally male dominated fieldsB. so traditional lecture styles are effectiveC. because they tend to value relationships and validationD. because they prefer to have confirmation at the end of a lesson8.Discussion-based teaching encourages_________.A. interaction and sharing of informationB. the distribution of lecture factsC. non-threatening instructorsD. students’ response to the subject9.Women colleges can more effectively help________.A. women by adapting to their needsB. emphasize mission statementsC. women to develop self-respectD. active fight against stereotypes and discrimination10.The speaker concludes that_________.A. the a dvantages of women’s colleges remain open to further discussionB. the enrollment may increase as women’s colleges continue to serve the populationC. today’s women colleges are totally different from what Emma Willard had in mindD. Emma Willard would be proud of the development of women’s colleges【参考译文】女子大学的好处埃玛·威拉德1821年创办特罗伊女子学院时，目的是为青年妇女提供正规的家政训练。