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Bashing Men on Campus
N SEPTKMBER 23, USA TODAYpubMshed an editorial

which should serve as a wake-up call to everyone who cares about American higher education.
Pointing to a recent U.S. Department of Education study, the paper noted with alarm that across the country, "135 women receive bachelor's degrees for every 100 men. That gender imbalance will widen in the comingyears." As the paper warned,
"This is ominous for every parent with a male child.
The decline in college attendance means many will needlessly miss out on success in life. The loss of educated workers also means the country will be less able to compete economically. The social implications—women having a hard time finding equally educated mates—are already beginning to play out."
USA Today cited some possible culprits for the increasing distaste young men are showing for college, pointing provisionally to our high schools, suggesting that perhaps "female teachers in elementary and middle schools, where male teachers are scarce, naturally enforce a girl-friendly environment that rewards students who can sit quietly—not a strong point for many boys, who earn poor grades and fall behind." One reader countered that in fact, "schedules, curriculum, social politics and teachingmethods have gone overboard to benefit girls" and other officially designated "protected groups"—which essentially amounts to anyone other than white males.
In subsequent days, letter writers aptly noted that if such an imbalance cut the other way—if women were turning out to be under-represented at U.S. collegesit would result in a national uproar, including presidential fact-fmding commissions, multimillion dollar study grants from non-profit foundations, and calls for affirmative action. To no one's surprise, the decline of the male on campus has