Revisiting how to address the success of men studying in Canadian PSE
In early November, I was pleased to attend the Access Reboot Conference organized by the Higher Education Quality Council (HEQCO). As part of the conference, HEQCO shared a report on postsecondary credential completion and labour market outcomes.
This study found that nearly one-quarter of students who enrolled in PSE did not graduate after eight years. This was a striking finding, and among men the results were even more dismal: It was noted that men had significantly higher non-completion rates than women. This held true against all credential types (certificate, diploma and degree). This, combined with a recent study with existing data from Statistics Canada that shows that men are significantly less likely to enroll in postsecondary education in the first place, should serve as wake-up call to many who work in the sector. We need to revisit how we address the success of men studying on campus.
I want to be clear that addressing the student enrolment and completion issue among men should not be done at the expense of initiatives that promotion success of women in postsecondary, which historically have been discriminated against and still experience many forms of discrimination in higher education, including issues such as gender-based violence and hiring in senior administrative roles. However, there is a growing gender gap on campus in our universities and colleges and we need a fact-based, data informed conversation to address this.
In my own experience in 20+ years in higher education, I have found that men are less likely than their counterparts to seek out services such as personal counselling that might enhance their success even when accounting for gender disparities in overall enrollment. Certainly, on the student conduct side we see more men involved in conduct-related matters on campus such as gender-based violence, excessive drinking, and property damage, and they tend to be less likely to be involved in engagement activities such as mentoring programs as both mentors and mentees.
Compounding this issue, as noted by many researchers in higher education, we have data gaps to even identify which students and student groups are struggling. So, it is not only the question of men studying in higher education, but also those who are Black, Indigenous, or 2SLBGTQ+. Consequently there may be a broader equity issue that needs to be unpacked.
So where do we go from here? I have a few thoughts to share:
We need to get our act together around data. The recent HEQCO report has provided some good system-level data around what is occurring in our system, but we need much more granular data, especially in Ontario, at the student level to design effective interventions that will allow us to proactively intervene for students who might be at risk. If success and retention matters, then we need to put the tools/systems in place to support all students, but especially in this case, men. British Columbia has done great work in this area and Ontario should seek to replicate this model.
Promote enrolment in the HEAL related academic and professional programs. Richard Reeves, founder of the new American Institute for Boys and Men, has said that we need to reduce stigma of boys and men working in health, education, administrative and literacy related areas (HEAL), where they are often under-represented. According to data from Statistics Canada in 2011, 84% of Canadian elementary teachers and 59% of secondary teachers were women. As extreme teacher shortages are prevalent today, we need further incentives for men to enroll in postsecondary and pursue work in the HEAL areas of the economy, similar to the efforts to support women in pursuing STEM related professions.
Finally, we need to change the social media narrative of what it means to be a man. Various social media influencers such as Andrew Tate have promoted a toxic version of strong masculine stereotypes, pushing young men to conform to what they believe is the ideal alpha strong male. The Federal Government has recently announced funding counteract this issue with a $3.5 million dollar initiative to educate boys and young me though a health masculinities project to form respectful relationships a combat the regressive forms of masculinity which are perpetuated in society. Leaders in higher education should not only promote these types of initiatives, but should also take the lead in further developing programs like these on our campuses in Canada.
We should celebrate the improving access to postsecondary education in Canada, without a doubt, as graduates of advanced credential programs of all types are needed to address the issues facing our country. However, the expanding gap in postsecondary attendance and success by male students is worrying: We must invest in the data infrastructure, provides incentives for men to enter caring or HEAL-related professions, and combat the negative stereotypes of toxic masculinity prevalent in social media and on campus.
Joe Henry is the Dean of Students at King’s University College at Western University. You can follow him at @askdeanjoe on Instagram and X.
