The right to vote, the right to attend college and the right to have an occupation are examples of freedoms that have never come easy for women. Men have traditionally played a dominating role in history, which has continued to the present day.
At UB, the gender role of females is proof that women are still not equal with men, both as students as well as faculty and administrators.
"Men and women have never had the same roles in society and as a female student attending college, I am helping break that pattern," said Jennie Fernando, a sophomore undecided major.
According to Jeffrey Dutton and the Office of Institutional Analysis Web site, the number of male undergraduate students is statistically higher than the number of female students.
The OIA reports that in the 2004 school year there were 1,452 more male undergraduate students than female students. While that number might not be significant in the shadow of 18,000 undergrads, it is part of a trend nationwide that shows an overall higher percentage of men in college.
The statistics do show that there has been an upward trend of female enrollment at UB since 1980. In 1980, the percentage of men to women was 57 percent to 42 percent, and in 2004 the percentage was 51 to 48.
Some students say the difference in female and male students attending college should be attributed to the gender roles in American society.
"I think gender roles are still implemented in American society. No one likes to talk about it, but it still exists," said Harkiran Singh, junior chemistry major. "Just like the caste system, it exists but like gender roles, no one discusses them."
There is also a contrast between the male and females at the professional level.
According to Barbara Bono, associate professor of English and director of the Gender Institute, women are proving more successful at the professional level but it has not reached a significant peak.
"Throughout the university, the number of women tenured and moving up is disappointing and as you move up to the full professional level, the percentage is not strong," said Bono.
In students' opinions, there are many factors that affect a woman's ability to progress higher on the totem pole to reach the same levels as a male.
"I think it has a lot to do with the glass ceiling theory. We're in 2005 and we still haven't shattered that glass ceiling. So what's going on?" said Joanne Oates, a senior health and human services major.
Oates said the international diversity at UB is very strong and is a positive aspect, but the diversity among men and women is lacking severely.
"I think UB needs to diversify its upper administration because we have a strong sense of international diversity. But where is our domestic diversity?" said Oates.
Bono said that in the past, the traditional educational fields that attracted females were teaching and nursing, that they were underrepresented in the science and engineering fields and that this is still true today.
According to Johannes Nitsche, professor of chemical engineering, there is no female professor faculty member in the chemical and biological engineering department. He said this couldn't be attributed to the hiring process because it is not based on gender, but on individual merit.
"This department is very selective in hiring, but the decision is solely based on individual merit. It does not matter who you are, male or female, the hiring process is based on educational merit," said Nitsche.
Nitsche said it would be great to have more females as members of the faculty, but for a reason unknown to him, the chemical and biological engineering field simply does not attract females.
Arabella Lyon, an associate professor of English, said females in the university setting have come a long way since her experiences as a female undergraduate.
"When I was in college, there were quota systems and only a certain amount of men and women were accepted into universities," Lyon said. "This was the norm of my childhood so I think it's wonderful that women can now attend college without having to be concerned with a quota system."
Additionally, Lyon said that females tend to stagnate at the associate professor level because the aspect of family interferes.
"Women stay as associate professors because of compromises with family. It requires a lot of time away from your family to be able to achieve the full professional level," said Lyon.
Some students agree with the idea that women sacrifice their professional lives to be able to have enough time to spend with their children and fulfill the maternal role.
"For (female) professors working a full time job, it makes it hard to be there for their children and so I think that stops them from being at the same professional level as men," said Singh.
Lyon added that the situation for females entering the professional level, and the population of female undergraduate students, has improved a great deal, but it will take at least a couple more generations before there is a sustainable number of females in faculty.
Some students feel that with time and hard work, women will reach their goals and achieve the same titles as men.
"Nothing in life comes easy and I think the females in my generation will work hard and achieve the same job titles as men," said Nikita Dorsett, a senior health and human services major, "because only effort will help make a change in the trend."
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
