8 Co-Ed Colleges with the Best Campus Environments for Women
There are many reports in the news about cases of sexual assault on college campuses. Other reports have discussed the hostile environment towards women in some colleges’ and universities’ academic departments. Many colleges and universities are being criticized for not fostering a safe atmosphere for women on campus. It is an unfortunate reality that female students face a unique set of challenges in college, and these challenges affect women’s mental health, productivity, and academic outcomes. All students should have the right to a college environment that fosters their personal, academic, and social development and sets them on a path to success. While we still have a long way to go in closing the gap between men’s and women’s college experiences, there are some co-ed colleges that are leading the way in creating a positive campus climate for women. Read more about the efforts and policies of these 8 co-ed colleges with the best campus environment for women below.
Baruch College, New York, NY
Baruch offers a variety of activities and programs geared towards women’s issues and causes. There are 6 women’s athletics teams at Baruch: basketball, volleyball, tennis, diving & swimming, softball, and cross country. The college has a renowned interdisciplinary women’s studies department, which includes courses on women’s art in the 1970s, history of women and gender, and women’s accomplishments in math. There is a stellar daycare facility on campus so that moms on campus can pursue their academic and professional goals. Baruch scored a 100% for its enforcement of the Violence Against Women Act on campus.
California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA
Women make up 18% of tenured faculty at Caltech, which goes a long way in creating a positive campus climate for female students. Furthermore, 71% of the Associated Students Board of Directors is women. Caltech has established a mentorship program for women in science, making it among the top-ranked colleges with female representation in STEM. There are also several childcare facilities on campus. In terms of campus safety, Caltech has a safe ride program where students can be picked up and dropped off anywhere on or off campus in an emergency situation.
New York University, New York, NY
NYU has clearly defined sexual assault and prevention guidelines and an appointed Title IX Coordinator and associate coordinators if students need to file a complaint or are looking for a safe space to get some advice. (In case you don’t know, Title IX prevents discrimination on the basis of sex in educational settings.) The Health Promotion Office at NYU’s Student Health Center has a fantastic sexual violence prevention program for students and regularly hosts interactive workshops on campus dealing to spread awareness about sexual assault and violence. NYU students are actively involved in the community, creating opportunities to empower girls and young women to follow their dreams. The undergraduate student government executive board is 67% women, and the male to female student ratio is 40:60. NYU also has one of the best Gender & Sexuality Studies departments in the country.
Princeton University, Princeton, NJ
In response to a study that stated that 15% of women at Princeton had experienced “non-consensual vaginal penetration,” the university stepped up and reformed its sexual assault policy. In 2013, Princeton implemented an initiative called “Unless There’s Consent”—an online course designed to debunk myths about rape and sexual assault and to educate students on how to react if they or a peer experiences sexual violence. The university has a clear definition of sexual assault and unambiguous procedures for filing Title IX grievances. Princeton has also been ranked one of the safest college campuses. It has a safe ride shuttle that runs until 2 am. There are childcare facilities on campus as well as a Program in Gender & Sexuality Studies. In 1971, Princeton established the University Women’s Center, whose mission is to “recognize and redress historic and persistent gender inequality at Princeton and beyond.” It offers resources and information on gender-free restrooms, self-defense, religious life, and women in STEM. The Center has hosted such programs as Take Back the Night, a #BlackLivesMatter documentary screening, and a social justice retreat.
Rice University, Houston, TX
Rice’s student government is 80% women. The university regularly takes part in initiatives like Take Back the Night to raise awareness about sexual assault. There is no Greek life on campus, and the administration has a very strict zero-tolerance policy towards any kind of hazing. The university has a Title IX coordinator and several assistant coordinators as well as a system in place for dealing with sexual assault. The Rice University Police Department offers a free escort service for late-night transportation. Rice has a Women’s Resource Center whose mission is to “increase awareness of and sensitivity to gender issues in order to build a more supportive, dynamic atmosphere on campus.” Programs and initiatives on campus include self-defense classes, Consent is Sexy Week, and a production of The Vagina Monologues. In terms of academics, Rice is home to an undergraduate major in The Study of Women, Gender, and Sexuality, the Feminist Research Group, the Sexuality Studies Working Group, and the journal Feminist Economics.
Stanford University, Stanford, CA
Stanford recently established a campus-wide initiative to educate students about rape culture and sexual assault on campus. There are several student-run groups on campus that helped to get this initiative off the ground. The university aims to foster a safe and inclusive dialogue about campus sexual assault by distributing a survey asking students how they define consent. Stanford students and professors alike are involved with community initiatives educating students at local high schools about college sexual violence prevention. The school has an undergraduate major and minor in Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. The Women’s Community Center at Stanford offers programs for women in STEM. It also hosts an annual Women’s Leadership Conference, Herstory Month, and a Men’s Outreach Project. Furthermore, the university hosts an annual Online Feminism conference.
University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
Students at UCLA are actively involved in implementing educational initiatives on consent and sexual assault. For example, the 7000 In Solidarity campaign aims to gather accurate data and research about sexual assault, which is grossly underreported. The school has trained Title IX coordinators to handle cases of sexual assault as well as clear guidelines for filing a formal or informal complaint. Students were also responsible for coordinating a safe ride program, which is available between midnight and 4 am. UCLA has a top-ranked undergraduate major in Gender Studies.
Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO
There is a freshman course at Wash U called “Women in Science,” which contributes to the campus’s overall attitude towards women in STEM. In addition, the school offers a major in Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. There are clearly defined sexual assault and harassment guidelines and definitions, a Committee on Sexual Assault, and a Title IX coordinator and associate coordinators trained to deal with cases of sexual assault and abuse on campus. There are numerous student groups on campus geared towards women, including Women in Computer Science, Society of Women Engineers, Association for Women in Science, and the Women’s Panhellenic Association.
Do any of these co-ed colleges sound interesting to you? If so, how would you like to talk to a current student who can give you the inside scoop that you’ll never be able to find in a brochure or college guidebook? Well you can, and it’s easier than you think. You simply have to sign up for Konversai. Konversai is a global knowledge platform that allows for one-on-one live video conversations between anyone, anywhere, about anything. As a knowledge seeker, you can get a personalized session tailored to exactly what you’re looking for on any topic. As a knowledge provider, you can make money sharing anything and everything you know on any topic. Whether it’s college life, cooking, academics, books, languages, musical instruments, traveling, career counseling, health, or something else entirely, any and all knowledge you have has a place on Konversai, and that knowledge can benefit people elsewhere in the world. By joining Konversai, you’re becoming part of the movement to democratize knowledge, put the human connection back into technology, and enable meaningful and authentic conversations. Get started today!
Written by: Pavita Singh
One Reply to “8 Co-Ed Colleges with the Best Campus Environments for Women”
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