The College Fix

Single moms and ‘women of color’ are focus on ‘gender equity’ plans at heavily female school

An Arizona State University campus that is 70 percent female said it will develop “gender equity” strategies – to help “vulnerable” women.

The New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences says it will focus on “innovations and advances in gender equity” to “address the needs of New College’s growing female student population by improving access to education, leadership opportunities, and equitable advancement.”

“With women soon representing nearly 70 percent of students at West Valley campus, we must create educational strategies that support vulnerable groups, including single mothers and women of color,” the ASU college explains.

The university system did not provide comment after being asked multiple times via email.

The College Fix asked if there had been any analyses or discussions regarding the reasons for the decreasing male enrollment and how ASU West Valley responds to criticism arguing that the decreasing male population does not actually promote the concept of gender equality for all.

The Fix also asked if the university could elaborate on the specific challenges faced by the subgroups stated in the university’s statement.

Director of Media Relations Veronica Sanchez deferred to another spokesperson, Jerry Gonzalez, who asked for more information. He requested clarification from The Fix but still has not responded in the past several weeks.

However, the focus on female students, despite the declining enrollment of male students, drew criticism from a conservative professor who teaches in the arts and sciences college.

A screenshot of an ASU website describing ‘gender equity’ issues.

Philosophy and religious studies Professor Owen Anderson has been a vocal critic of ASU’s focus on DEI. He sued the school over its DEI requirements, as well. He told The Fix that “no particular attention is given to male students and the unique needs they face.”

“I wondered on my Substack if this might also be a consequence of DEI and critical race theory curriculum that makes negative assessments of men, places blame on them for historic wrongs, and gives them no hope for the future,” he said. Anderson first highlighted the “gender equity” plan on his Substack newsletter, where he regularly shares his criticism of ASU.

The Fix asked if the lower male enrollment might be because men were potentially less interested in college, and if anything should be done to address this.

He said anti-male bias might be a reason behind the declining enrollment across the board in male students.

“Why would anyone pay 60k to be taught they are inherently problematic and have no hope for their future,” he asked. “Additionally, universities have become job training centers and there are many other jobs they men want to get that do not need that kind of job training.”

He noted “even the humanities majors” focus on how a degree will help someone get a job “rather than as a way to learn virtue and wisdom.”

He said the university is “failing badly” at serving males and has “no plan on how to reverse this.”

“Additionally, its humanities program privileges radical leftist political ideologies and is disparaging toward Christians but the West Valley is a majority Christian area,” Anderson said. He alleges the school torpedoed his class on Christianity, as previously reported by The Fix.

He also alleged he has been targeted by an “AI generated sexualized image” on his office door because he is Christian, yet the school showed “no concern.”

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IMAGE CAPTION AND CREDIT: Arizona State University students celebrate their graduation; Arizona State University/Facebook

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