Women rule at school

SARA MINOGUE

This year, just three men graduated in a class full of women at the management studies program at the Rankin Inlet campus of Nunavut Arctic College.

“Last year it was really odd,” said college president Mac Clendenning. “They had 11 students graduate from the management studies program and they were all female.”

It’s part of a growing trend across Nunavut – one that Clendenning is aware of.

“The typical college student here in Nunavut is 26, 27 years old, female, and quite often with family responsibilities,” Clendenning said.

That’s not too different from trends he observed during his 21-year career in community colleges in New Brunswick, but still, Clendenning has already been involved in discussions about how the college can attract more young males.

Three new programs starting this fall are expected to attract more women: a mental health care worker program, a social worker program and a maternity health worker program.

Clendenning would like to see more hands-on trades programs. Both the carpentry and environmental technology programs in Iqaluit mainly attract men.

Another area Clendenning is investigating with the GN is information technology. There is a growing demand for computer technicians in Nunavut. In the South, this field is dominated by men.

A more complicated task might be attracting Inuit men to academics. Clendenning admits that the college may have a responsibility to incorporate more active, on-the-land activities into academic programs in order to meet the needs of potential students.

Why so many women?

Clendenning also admits he’s not too concerned about women getting ahead in school.

“I think it’s a good news situation that shows how women have seized the opportunities,” Clendenning said.

“At the same time, we need to provide a more welcoming environment for men. There’s a lot of opportunities in Nunavut. Without proper training, they’ll miss out on them.”

For example, college staff turnover in the last three years has resulted in female campus directors at all three campuses – jobs that were previously held by men. Women now make up almost half the senior management team.

At Iqaluit’s campus, Henry Coman is the only male out of 11 students in the Akitsiraq law program.

He doesn’t speculate on why so many women are heading to school, but does say that the trend is “quite obvious just walking around campus.”

The common characteristic Coman sees among fellow students is that “each felt a need to continue with our education.”

Sandra Inutiq, who is also in the Akitsiraq program and now articling at the department of justice, will only speak to the reasons why she decided to pursue higher education. Inusiq is a single mother, with a 10-year-old daughter.

“I think as a mother, your responsibilities to your family are a lot more immediate, especially if you’re a single mom. The need to provide for your family and to do better is always in your face.”