The Student

Engagement
Gender Gap
An Exploration of Gender Differences in
Extracurricular Participation and Motivation
in Higher Education

Rachel Cutsumpas
Ithaca College | May 2020
1
Abstract
To analyze differences in participation in and motivation behind extracurricular
involvement, an exploratory research study was conducted at Ithaca College.
The purpose of this study was to examine differences in gender representation
in extracurricular involvement in higher education. Both primary and secondary
research was conducted on topics of student engagement, extracurricular
attendance, and participation. Primary research methods included an online survey,
in-depth interviews, and focus group sessions. Secondary research was conducted
in areas of student affairs, social psychology, and sociology. Participants for this
research study included current students of Ithaca College, recent alumni (graduated
within the past five years), and professional faculty and staff members. The study
was intentionally designed to be specific to Ithaca College’s campus community
and provide a deeper understanding of what motivates students to participate in
extracurricular activities. Research suggests that while self-identified men and self-
identified women might not have drastically different reasons for initially getting
involved, the level of involvement and motivation behind taking on leadership roles
does vary by gender identity. College women regularly expressed feeling higher
levels of stress than college men, as well as a greater pressure to achieve perfection.
This pressure permeates all aspects of the college experience, and is exemplified
in the realm of student engagement through a greater number of extracurricular
involvements and leadership roles. A potential explanation behind this is a feeling
among college women that they not only need to do everything, but excel at
everything. Many expressed feeling like they had to work harder than their male-
counterparts in classes or to achieve success in their intended career, which is likely
a reason behind greater levels of extracurricular engagement and participation. The
intended use of this research is to develop more informed, engaging, and inclusive
student engagement efforts that bring in a larger and more diverse audience.

2
Table of Contents

Introduction 4

Methodology 7

Defining Involvement & Engagement 11

Key Insights 17

Key Takeaways 41

Appendix 44

Acknowledgements 49

Sources 51

3
Introduction

4
My Path to Student Engagement
Student engagement defined my
experience at Ithaca College.

The organizations I’ve been involved with since my first year

at Ithaca College have provided me with amazing friendships,
mentors, and leadership skills. I enjoyed interacting with so many
different students and began working as a Student Leadership
Consultant in the Office of Student Engagement during my
sophomore year. As an extension of the Division of Student Affairs
and Campus Life, working in this office laid the groundwork for
my interest in this area of study. As I was planning workshops and
assisting other student organizations, I regularly thought about
why students do or do not get involved on campus.
Rachel Cutsumpas, Class of 2020
B. S. Integrated Marketing Communications

Why Student Engagement Research?

My experience working as an SLC, personal
observations, and conversations with
professional staff members attracted me to this
research topic. While working in student affairs, I
noticed a much greater number of women than
men getting involved in student organizations
and other engagement programs, but couldn’t
determine a concrete reason why. My major and
many of my own involvements skew majority
women-identifying students, so I was curious if
this was a campus-wide pattern or not. Student Leadership Consultants (SLCs)
Office of Student Engagement, Ithaca College, 2020

Does gender even have an impact or are some people just predisposed to involvement and engagement
more than others? Are women truly more involved in extracurriculars, or is that just a perception?
Do men and women have diff erent reasoning for getting involved?

I attempted to answer these questions and examine what motivates students to get involved through this study.

5
Data Disclaimer
It is important to note that this is not perfect data.
As with any study that relies on self-
report methods, there are bound
to be flaws in the data. However, as
an exploratory study, this research
is intended to be an initial look into
patterns of student engagement and
hopefully inspire further research
in this area. The results might only
include a fraction of the full student
body at Ithaca College, but they can
still provide meaningful information
about involvement motivation and
participation.
Potential biases in this data include
the sample size and participant
demographics (Appendix B-D).
As will be explored through this
report, significantly more women
than men completed the survey
and participated in interviews and
focus groups. In addition, there
was a greater percentage of survey
participants from the School of
Communications compared to
other academic schools. A potential
explanation of this is that many
communication students conduct
research for their own course
work and often empathize with
students going through the process For the purposes of this study,
of recruiting participants. For this gender identity w ill be the
reason, they may be more likely to primary focus of the research and
participate as a way to help their insights presented. However,
peers and pay it forward. the study was conducted w ith
an understanding that there are
The scope of this research study
many complex influences on one’s
focuses primarily on cisgender
behav ior outside of just gender.
men and women. Non-binary and
transgender perspectives were
collected and incorporated into the
analysis of the survey data. However,
due to the very small sample sizes of
these populations (Appendix B), data
from non-binary and transgender
survey responses was not able to
be incorporated into all areas of the
study. In addition, it is important to
note that there are a vast array of
identity variables that can impact
involvement and the overall college
experience for students, such as race,
ethnicity, socioeconomic status,
sexual orientation, first-generation
college students, and many others.
Gender identity and expression is
not an all encompassing part of
any individual’s identity, and the
intersection of all of these variables is
experienced differently by everyone.
6
Methodology

7
Study Participation
Efforts were made in the recruitment process to include a diverse set of students
of a variety of majors, class years, and levels of involvement. However, as would
be expected, it was difficult to gather many participants who are not involved in
anything on campus. In addition, there is a greater number of women participants
than men participants. The men that did participate were all somewhat to highly
involved students.

Methodology
This study used both primary and secondary research methods. Primary research
included an online survey, in-depth interviews, and focus group sessions. Research
participants were recruited via email, flyers, social media, and personal outreach.
Secondary research included supplementary readings in the areas of higher
education, student affairs, psychology, and sociology. Additional data was provided
by Ithaca College from IC Engage, a portal and database for student organizations at
the college. All research methods, recruitment practices, and participant incentives
were approved by Ithaca College’s Institutional Review Board (IRB Approval #132).

Initial brainstorming stage of data insights Focus group card sort activity

8
 309 Total Research
Impressions

Gender Identities
Represented 243
Survey Responses
Women
Men
See Appendix B-D for participant breakdown
Transgender by gender, class year, and academic school

Non-Binary

Ithaca College
Community 40
Recent Alumni Total Interviews

Class of 2015 - 2019 22 student interviews (15 women; 7 men)

3 recent alumni interviews (all women)
Current Students 15 staff member interviews
Class of 2020 - 2023

Faculty & Staff

Student Affairs
Residential Life 26
Athletics Focus Group
Participants
Religious & Spiritual Life
22 student participants (16 women; 6 men)
4 faculty and staff participants
All 5 academic schools (student organization advisors)

represented
9
9
Survey
The survey was conducted online and administered via an anonymous Google
Form. The instrument (Appendix A) has 34 total questions, using a combination
of multiple choice, Likert scale, and free response formats. Screening questions
and branch logic was used to ensure only relevant participants were taking the
survey. The survey was given to current Ithaca College students, in addition to
recent alumni who graduated within the past five years (class of 2015-2019).

Interviews
In-depth interviews were conducted with current students and recent alumni of
Ithaca College (graduated within the past five years). Interviews were conducted
in person or over video conferences for participants who were not in the local
area. All interviews lasted approximately 40 minutes and covered topics related
to extracurricular involvement type, motivations behind involvement, and
stresses and pressures felt as a college student (Appendix E-F). Interviews were
also conducted with Ithaca College staff members who work in student affairs
or a role that is related to student engagement outside of a classroom setting.
These interviews covered topics of the benefits of engagement and patterns
and challenges of student participation (Appendix G). Some participant names
have been changed at the request of those individuals.

Focus Groups
Focus groups were conducted to provide additional insight into some of the
topics explored in the interviews within a group setting. A total of five student
focus groups were conducted. Each session had 4-7 participants and lasted
approximately one hour (Appendix H). Sessions were split up by gender identity,
as well as some general sessions for all students. All student sessions included
a card sort activity (Appendix J) where participants ranked various statements
related to motivations behind involvement into categories of personal
importance (high importance, average importance, or low importance). One
focus group session with faculty and staff members was held to gain the
perspective of student organization advisors (Appendix I).

10
Defining
Involvement &
Engagement

11
Involved vs Engaged
Engagement is, and should be, multifaceted.
In his book “Student Success in
College,” student engagement
scholar George Kuh explores the
connection between engagement
and success. What Kuh refers
to as “educationally purposeful
activities” add value to the overall
student experience and ultimately
contribute to higher levels of
student satisfaction (Kuh). While
there is definitely a difference
between classroom engagement
and extracurricular involvement
and engagement, there are lots
of opportunities for educationally
purposeful and valuable activities
through extracurriculars. Even if
those extracurriculars aren’t directly
career oriented, there is still valuable
learning that takes place.
“Higher education constituents
(e.g. educators, policymakers,
public) generally agree to a set
of broad learning outcomes
such as critical thinking, effective
communication, appreciation of
diversity and multiple perspectives,
and meaningful interpersonal
relationships” (Strayhorn). These
outcomes are in line with the
goals of student affairs in higher
education and can be achieved
through extracurricular engagement
just as easily, if not more easily and
more frequently, as in a traditional
classroom setting. Engagement is
and should be multifaceted. There
is no “right” way to be an involved
and engaged college student.
Some students are class senators in
student government. Some students
are varsity athletes or play on a
club sports team. Some students
are in professional organizations
related to their major or a future
career. Some students are in identity
or affinity based groups related
to their culture or religion. Some
students are involved in groups
for a specific hobby and to have
fun. All of these different paths can
provide memorable and impactful
experiences.
Extracurriculars are recognized
as part of the college experience
and getting involved is known as a
great way to meet new people and
find one’s niche. When it comes
to actually defining involvement
and engagement though, it’s not
as clear. The majority of people
will say that there are positives to
getting involved, but everyone has
a different definition of “involved”
in their mind. For example,
some students might think of
extracurricular involvement purely
as student organizations unrelated
to academics or work, while other
students might value campus
employment as a valuable part
of their engagement and college
experience beyond just a paycheck.
Participant Definitions of
“ Involved” and “ Engaged”
When student and staff interview
participants were asked to define
“involved” and “engaged” there
were common patterns in their
responses, but everyone had their
own perspective on how these terms
do or do not differ from each other.
The majority of respondents saw
being engaged as a deeper level of
involvement beyond attendance,
encompassing further commitment
and care. However, others interpret
engaged through more of an
academic lens of interacting with
a program or activity, whereas
involved is being engaged with
something long term. The following
pages highlight the common trends
and differences among participant
definitions of these terms.
Definition Used in this Study
For the purposes of this study, the
terms involvement and engagement
can be used nearly interchangeably,
with the understanding that high
involvement leads to engagement.
Ultimately, the difference between
involvement and engagement
is that engagement includes a
greater investment of commitment,
time, and effort. When looking
at student engagement through
extracurriculars, it is more than just
being present and participating.
12
“Involvement is when you show up, you’re present. There might be, for some
people, a takeaway, but for most you’re there. Something external might
have brought you there. ... For engagement, you’re taking something away.
You have a meaningful connection and a meaningful learning experience.”
- Kevin Perry, Associate Director, New Student and Transition Programs

“It’s not just doing your academics and having that be it. It’s making
connections all across campus and not just one area.”
- Laura, Class of 2021, School of Communications

“To be engaged is to be actively involved. A lot of students may live in

the residence halls or be a part of an organization, and that’s a form of
involvement, but I think the engagement piece takes on a more active
participatory role.”
- Dr. Roger Richardson, Associate Vice President, Student Affairs and Campus Life

“Engagement is the investment piece. You may be involved in a thousand

clubs but what is the engagement that you have in terms of that
investment? Are you spending quality time with the organization or
whatever it is that you’re involved with?”
- Courtney Owens, Assistant Director of Leadership Programs,
Office of Student Engagement

“Involved to me means finding something you enjoy doing and giving it the
time you need to to be successful at it. Engaged means doing something
and being all in with it. Not just going through motions, but really being
focused on it mentally.”
- Briana, Class of 2021, School of Health Sciences and Human Performance

13
Involvement Culture at Ithaca College
When examining the factors that
influence a student’s extracurricular
involvement, it is important to look
at the environment in which they
are getting involved. Half of the staff
members interviewed specifically
noted that IC has a highly involved
campus. “We have a culture of high
involvement at this campus, which
is different from other institutions.
… Our students are different, in a
good way. Our students show up
to things and they’re not involved
in just one thing, typically,” said
RahK Lash, Director of the Center
for Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and
Social Change. Of course, the level
of involvement varies greatly from
student to student, but as a whole
Ithaca College students can be
characterized by a personal drive and
enthusiasm.
Involvement opportunities outside
the classroom is not a unique trait to
Ithaca College, but it is encouraged
from the first day students arrive
on campus. The guiding principles
of the college are “theory, practice,
performance.” The practice and
performance components of that
philosophy can be found through
academic opportunities, but are
more often than not found through
extracurricular opportunities, putting
the theories learned in the classroom
to use. “We are true believers that
if you want to have a successful
academic career, you’re going to
have a successful co-curricular or
outside of the classroom career.
You’re going to be someone who
finds opportunities to exercise
what you learn, who challenges
“We have a culture
yourself to learn new skills through
jobs, through internships, through of high involvement
leadership roles on and off the a this campus ... Our
campus,” explained Don Austin,
former Assistant Director of
students are different,
Community Service in the Office of in a good way.”
Student Engagement. “When you
- RahK Lash, Center for IDEAS
go out and you’re a professional in
life, it’s going to be way more than
just your job. It’s going to be way
more than just what you learned in off and they lose motivation. It’s
the classroom. … Without having not all of them, but I think a lot of
opportunities outside of academics students prefer to have a breadth
you can’t find what you like, more rather than a depth of involvement.
specifically what you don’t like, and They want to just do as many things
what you want to put your time as possible rather than getting really
and your value in. If you’re trying to deeply involved in one or two things.
build a whole person, you have to Usually by the end of a student’s
experience different opportunities,” experience when they’re preparing
said Erienne Roberts, Associate to graduate, they start to reflect on
Director of Intercollegiate Athletics. what that experience meant to them.
They start to think about getting as
Once students get involved in much as they can from an experience
extracurriculars in some way, they and how they’re going to leave their
typically want to continue that legacy.” At times, a student’s major
involvement. However, there are can also impact their involvement
a multitude of factors that might level and type, whether the barrier is
influence changes in involvement real or perceived.
level from year to year for a student.
Mary Holland-Bavis, Associate
Director of Student Involvement in
the Office of Student Engagement,
described a typical student
involvement life cycle she’s observed
during her years working student
affairs. “Typically, first-year students
are really excited about something.
I’ve seen them get really invested
and excited. But then, second-year,
third-year, sometimes students fall
14
Extracurricular Involvement Matters
Involvement outside of the
classroom is what makes a complete
college education. 12 out of 15 staff
interview participants noted that
students gain valuable skills through
extracurricular involvement, and
over half specifically noted benefits
beyond just a resumé item or “hard
skills.” Extracurricular involvement
has also been proven to aid in
student retention and connection to
the institution. “To not be engaged,
not be involved, to isolate oneself,
that is not a way of life that promotes
students’ persistence to graduation.
We’re constantly working to help
students identify an interest, an
activity, a club or organization that
they can connect to as a way to
have them foster good interpersonal
relationships, professional
development, and being connected
with the college,” said Dr. Roger
Richardson, Associate Vice President
of Student Affairs and Campus Life.
Students like to be involved
because it makes their lives at
school more exciting and fulfilling,
but it also helps them adjust to a
new environment and establish a
community and support system.
Hope, a first year English Education
student, was considering transferring
to a different college after one or
two years, but now considers IC her
home because of the connections
she formed through extracurriculars.
“I feel like I’m so involved on campus
that I can’t imagine switching schools
at this point. I feel really invested in
certain activities and certain clubs
that the idea of starting over almost
at a new school seems a lot more Benefits of
intimidating. If I wasn’t involved at Extracurricular
all, I think it would be a lot easier to
Involvement
make that switch and go to another
Named by Interview &
school,” she said in an interview. Focus Group Participants
Building that support system doesn’t
always happen in the classroom. • Budgeting
• Commitment
Having a group you’re involved in
and committed to, regardless of • Communication Skills
what it is, can be instrumental in • Compassion
building the grit necessary in the
transition to adulthood. Hierald • Conflict Management
Osorto, Director of Religious and • Critical Thinking
Spiritual Life, believes that any kind
of community of commitment helps
• Interpersonal Skills
students “develop resilience and • Leadership
an ability to sustain difficult things.”
• Networking
Students get involved because
extracurriculars provide a source • Open mindedness
of happiness, but they also provide • Organization
these valuable skills and experiences.
“I can’t imagine not being involved,” • Patience
said Evan, a senior Psychology major, • Personal Fulfilment
“I think my life would be very boring
and dull without other dimensions
• Problem Solving
to my college experience besides • Professionalism
academics. Extracurriculars help
• Self Confidence
me become a better time manager,
as well as expose me to people of • Sense of Belonging
similar interests and connect me to
• Sense of Community
many of my friends on campus.”
• Team Building
• Time Management
• Work-Life Balance
15
The Involvement Gender Gap
Social psychologist Geert Hofstede
developed a theory of cultural
dimensions that highlights a
society’s valued characteristics.
Many of his studies are used to
look at workplace values and the
influence of these dimensions. One
of these dimensions is masculinity
versus femininity. Hofstede defines
masculine culture as being driven
by “competition, achievement, and
success,” while feminine culture
values “caring for others and
quality of life,” and “standing out
from the crowd is not admirable”
(Bundgaard). While both men
and women can value the traits in
both of these definitions, many of
these traits are reinforced through
our culture and there are many
societal examples of these cultural
dimensions holding ture. Yet, when it
comes to extracurricular involvement
in higher education, these
dimensions are largely switched.
College men are largely socially
motivated and are looking to have
fun and spend time with friends
through their campus involvements,
whereas college women are
motivated by career prospects
and gaining skills to set them up
for future success. In fact, many
women interview and focus group
participants noted that they hope
their extracurricular involvement
will help them stand out for future
job and internship opportunities,
going against Hofstede’s definition
of feminine culture. Furthermore,
college women tend to be much
more ambitious in terms of their I’m a woman,’ but I have heard them
campus involvement, and are say ‘I don’t think he thinks I can do it
involved at a much greater amount because I’m a woman.’” said Sophia,
than men. Lia Muñoz, a 2015 alumna a senior Journalism major.
and the Assistant Director of New
Student and Transition Programs The research conducted in this study
noted, “I’ve been doing student has reinforced that a gender gap
affairs for a while, and one thing that exists within student engagement
I’ve experienced as a challenge at in higher education. While women
all 3 instituions that I’ve worked at is might be the dominating group
engaging men at the same level that within extracurricular spaces,
women are engaged. It’s just really many recognize and expect to
hard to get students who identify as face challenges post-grad and are
male to stay in leadership roles in motivated by career advancement.
student organizations or to follow There are definitely still college
through and be held accountable for men who are involved and greatly
taking on leadership roles. … When devoted to their extracurricular
it comes to extracurricular activities, groups, but they typically do not
folks who identify as male have more pursue engagement and leadership
likely than not been taught to go for opportunities out of a need to
the accolade, not necessarily the rest prepare and better compete for
of the work that it requires or the future jobs.
care aspect of it.”
It’s clear that the culture within
higher education is different than
that of the professional world.
There are more women involved
in extracurriculars than men and
achieving success and leadership
positions within those groups.
However, college women continually
experience more stress and anxiety
than college men. The gender norms
and expectations within our larger
society can be very subtle, but they
are also very pervasive. Even if we
don’t realize it at the time, many of
these societal constructs have an
effect on us and our behaviors. “I’ve
never heard any of my female friends
say ‘I don’t think I can do it because
16
Key Insights

17
Key Insights
When examining the data, four patterns emerged:

1. Women at Ithaca College are more involved than men,

and their involvement increases over time.

2. Women face added pressure and feel like they have to do

more to compete with their male counterparts.

3. Women look for career advancement opportunities in

extracurriculars. Men are more socially motivated.

4. Gender impacts the type of involvement for students who

identify outside of the gender binary.

18
Insight #1
Women at Ithaca College are more involved
than men, and their involvement increases
over time.

19
Women Are More Involved
Student
Organization
Membership
Survey Respondents
Across various involvement types,
there are more women than men
participating in student engagement
activities at Ithaca College. 18% more
women reported being members of
a student organization than men in
the survey. This pattern is evident in
a wide variety of student organization
types and topics, and even extends
into campus employment. 71.7% of
women respondents listed having
a campus job as involvement,
compared to only 53.3% of men.
Furthermore, 12 out of 15 women
interview participants and 13 out of
15 women focus group participants
were involved in multiple
extracurriculars on campus. 10 out
of 15 staff interview participants
also noted they’ve observed women
being more involved than men.
Men are not involved as much or at
the same level as women, yet still
consider themselves to be actively
94.7%
Women
76.7%
Men
involved students. 13 out of 15
women and 5 out of 7 men interview
participants consider themselves
to be involved. Yet, we know that
there are less men involved in things
outside of the classroom, as shown
through data in this report. Even
though the men who did participate
in this research are involved in the
sense that they do things other
than academics, the women who
participated consistently had
a significantly greater number
of involvements than the men.
Nevertheless, men considered
themselves as actively involved in
extracurriculars at similar amounts
as the women, even though it is not
necessarily true. One male interview
participant even considered
himself involved, yet was not in
any organizations or involvements
outside of academic commitments.
20
Women Are Involved at a Deeper Level
The survey data suggests that more
Student Organization Officers
college women are involved at a
IC Engage, 2019-2020
deeper level than men. This might be
in the form of leadership positions,
the amount of involvements, or other

979
additional responsibilities beyond
just membership.

63.1% of women respondents

reported holding a leadership
position in a student organization,

Women
429
compared to only 46.5% of men.
However, data from IC Engage, the
portal used by all college recognized
student organizations, suggests this
Men
difference is actually even greater.
Recognized student organizations
are required to list their officers in
commitment as other organizations one event during this time period
IC Engage and as of February 2020,
are, is female skewed. 10 out of (tracked by IC Engage). This data
there were 979 women who held
15 staff interview participants suggests that women students are
officers positions, compared to 429
noted challenges related to event involved at a deeper level in various
men for the 2019-2020 academic
and program attendance and aspects of their college career.
year. While there is currently a higher
participation, particularly with male
percentage of women undergraduate
participation. These patterns are An exception to this pattern can be
students than men (56.4% vs 41.7%
supported at a wider level through found in certain events that are put
respectively), this difference in
data from IC Engage. Although it is on by academic schools or degree
leadership roles is not proportional.
not used at all events, many offices, programs that are male dominated.
80% of women interview participants
academic departments, and student For example, the School of Business
hold a leadership role in their
organizations at Ithaca College use is 71.6% men and their events
involvements and nearly half of staff
IC Engage to track attendance at attendance through IC Engage
interview participants mentioned
their events. Since switching to this reports a much greater number
they’ve observed more women in
platform, most large scale events at of men attendees. However, the
leadership roles than men.
the college track attendance with IC majority of large campus events
Engage and students’ ID numbers. receive a significantly greater number
Women students are also more
Between August 2019 and February of women than men in attendance.
involved in the larger campus
2020, women attended an average Athletic events are some of the only
community, not just within the
of 2.23 events each, whereas men events that have an attendance
groups they have a direct tie to.
attended an average of 1.57 events breakdown close to that of the
Even engagement through event
each. In addition, 72% of women college as a whole.
attendance, which is not as big of a
and 65.3% of men attended at least

21
Average Events Attended
IC Engage, August 2019 - February 2020

Women

2.23
Men

1.57

Unique Event Attendees

IC Engage, 2018-2019
The organizations in this chart were chosen based on hosting multiple events throughout the 2018-2019
academic year that tracked attendance through IC Engage and engaged at total of 100 students or more.

Event Host % Women % Male

Exploratory Program 72.1% 27.9%

IC After Dark 66.3% 33.7%

Intercollegiate Athletics 59.8% 40.2%

New Student and Transition Programs 65% 35%

Residence Hall Association 77.4% 22.6%

Student Leadership Institute 63.7% 36.3%

Students Today Alumni Tomorrow 66.7% 26.8%

22
Women Devote More Time to
Extracurriculars
Most students spend between 3 and 8 hours on
extracurriculars each week.
(52.9% of survey respondents)
10.1% of women and 6.8% of men spend 18+
hours on extracurriculars each week
(Survey responses)
While the amount of students
who are very heavily involved in
extracurriculars is much smaller
than the general student population,
there are more women among those
who devote a large portion of time
to these involvements. This pattern
holds true even among the most
involved students. 10.1% of women
survey respondents noted spendings
18 hours or more on extracurricular
involvements each week, compared
to 6.8% of men. In addition, 20.83%
of women alumni surveyed (class
of 2015-2019) indicated this level of
high involvement. Perhaps women
students get more involved and
devote more time to extracurriculars
as they progress through their
college career, as compared to other
students.
Time can act as a major barrier to
getting involved further for students.
For both men and women, when a
student is highly involved there is
little free time available and they are
forced to structure their time out of
pure necessity. Many students who
hold leadership positions in their
involvements are on campus all
day and into the evenings multiple
days a week. Their time is being
split up among a variety of different
commitments that require meetings
and outside work. College students
are always going to wish they
had more time, but the difference
between men and women in this
area is that women prioritize their
extracurriculars more so than
men. For better or worse, women
are seeing extracurriculars as high
priority commitments, sometimes
more so than their academics,
because they want the experience
for their future. In a focus group
session, one woman stated, “ There
have been times that I weigh
extracurriculars way heav ier than
everything else in my life.” In
contrast, Joaquin, a senior Integrated
Marketing Communications major,
noted in an interview, ““I have
a hierarchy of things to do and
extracurriculars aren’t even on it.”
More men than women think of
academics as their main priority.
23
Women Borderline Being Over-Involved
Due to the fact that college women
are involved in so many things
and are holding the leadership
positions within these organizations,
many women borderline being
over-involved. 12.6% of women
specifically mentioned wishing they
“did less” in survey responses when
asked what they would change about
their extracurricular involvement.
A class of 20201 woman from the
School of Business stated, “I would
be involved less and focus on what
really matters towards my future
career and my interests.” A class
of 2019 woman from the School
of Communications said, “I would
have worried less about not doing
enough. Looking back, I was doing
plenty and should’ve spent more
personal time on myself.”
6 women interview participants and
5 women focus group participants
spoke about having issues with
overextending themselves and the
difficulties of letting go of certain
involvements, while none of the men
interview or focus group participants
noted issues with either of these
in their responses. The issue of
overextension and over-involvement
came up many times throughout
this research. Elena, a class of 2018
alumna, noted that she regularly
observed her peers overbooking
their schedules. “No one would say
it, but people would kind of have
a competition to see who was the
busiest and who was doing the most.
… It could get really unhealthy.”
What would you change about your
extracurricular involvement?
“I would have worried less about not
doing enough. Looking back, I was
doing plenty and should’ve spent
more personal time on myself.”
- Woman Survey Respondnet,
Class of 2019, School of Communication
Other women know that their
schedules are full to point that
they are not manageable, but they
continue to be involved in a lot of
different things because they don’t
know what to cut out. One woman
focus group participant said, “My
first semester I went to 8 clubs and
orgs a week. That was kind of a mess.
I’m doing 6 now, which is still a lot.
Overbooking is definitely a thing,
but then I never know what to cut
down on because these things are
all important to me.” Lia Muñoz in
New Student Transition Programs
often serves in an advisory role for
students and stated, “It’s more about
trying to figure out how to make our
calendars full but not overwhelming.
When I’m working with students,
that’s what I see.”
24
Insight #2
Women face added pressure and feel like
they have to do more to compete with their
male counterparts.

25
College Women Experience More Stress
According to the American College Health Association’s
National College Health Assessment, women students face
higher levels of stress, exhaustion, and anxiety than men.
90%
of women students
reported feeling
overwhelmed by all
they had to do
15 percentage points
higher than college men
Stress continues to be a major
issue among all college students,
especially those that are highly
involved and have various major
commitments. High levels of
involvement and over-involvement
can lead to burnout from a “do
it all” mentality. 6 staff interview
participants specifically noted that
they’ve observed bournout and
overcommitment among many
highly involved students. This issue
of burnout and stress can impact
what in a student’s life gets sacrificed
first. Oftentimes that is sleep and
mental or physical health for many
students, particularly women. Some
focus group participants reported
they have or would sacrifice their
mental health before sacrificing
their academic performance or
extracurricular involvement. This
pressure to do it all and balance
everything can sometimes lead to
64%
of women students
reported feeling
overwhelming
anxiety
18 percentage points
higher than college men
an unhealthy lifestyle, even when
people are aware it is happening.
Kayli, a junior Television-Radio
major said in an interview that
juggling a full course load, working
on campus, and various leadership
roles in extracurriculars during
her sophomore year created an
unhealthy lifestyle. “I ended up in
the hospital from overworking. … I
think now I’ve reached the point of
engagement when I really focus my
time and energy towards the things I
am passionate about and spending
more time with those things. It’s
gotten so much better than it was.”
However, not all students make
this behavior change even though
they know they might be sacrificing
their mental and physical health
at times or creating more stress for
themselves.
86%
of women students
reported feeling
exhausted (not from
physical activity)
14 percentage points
higher than college men
A large part of this is that
extracurricular can actually add more
stress for some students, especially
when they are in a leadership role.
Many student leaders, particularly
women, take their extracurricular
commitments very seriously and
recognize that other people are
relying on them. While there aren’t
grades like there are in academic
classes, there can still be legitimate
ramifications if an organization
member doesn’t follow through
on a task. College women know
that adding more commitments to
their plate will add more stress, but
because they enjoy the benefits of
extracurriculars and usually have a
personal interest in the group, they
are usually willing to take on that
stress. “A lot of my extracurriculars
are fun and stressful, but I feel like
I’m ok with that,” noted a woman
focus group participant.
26
Women Experience an
Expectation for Perfection
Women students feel a greater
pressure to be perfect than men.
When survey respondents were
“I regularly feel pressure to be perfect as a college student.”
asked to rank their feelings towards
the statement “I regularly feel STRONGLY AGREE & AGREE DISAGREE

pressure to be perfect,” 28.4%

more women agreed or strongly 80.7%
Women
agreed. However, many men
respondents noted they did not 52.3%
Men
feel this pressure regularly and 5.9% 20.5%
Women
disagreed with this statement Men

(20.5% of men survey respondents).

Higher education research among
15 different institutions shows that
many college women feel a need
“I regularly compare myself to my peers as a college student.”
to be perfect at greater rates than
men and are leaving college with STRONGLY AGREE & AGREE STONGLY DISAGREE & DISAGREE

lower self-esteem than they came

in with. College women feel an
intense pressure to be perfect and
possess the ability to do it all with
ease. They feel like they not only
have to be perfect, but they have to
be effortlessly perfect, maintaining
good grades, an active social life,
and high levels of involvement. This
leaves little room for any struggle,
or at least visible struggle, in the
equation (Paterson). These kinds
of expectations for perfection are
not felt by college men in the same
way. One man said he “rarely” feels
pressure to achieve perfection during
an interview, and other men noted
that it is only an internal or self
imposed pressure, not influenced
by outside factors. “I think it comes
down to gender privilege. As a
woman, I always thought about, and
I saw it all the time, how I was so
80.3%
Women
68.2%
Men
6.9% 22.7%
Men
Women
involved but my male counterparts
got more awards for being involved
in one. But it was almost an
expectation that I be involved in 7
[organizations] and balancing it all.
… there’s more pressure on women
to be exceptional all the time,” said
Lia Muñoz in an interview.
Other student affairs staff members
noted similar observations. Michele
Lenhart, the Director of Student
Engagement in the Office of Student
Engagement, stated, “I think that
27
there’s such a pressure, still, in
society that women have to be
perfect. Just in the past two weeks
I’ve had conversations with a couple
of different women who feel really
bad that they either had to drop
something, or they feel like they “I think it comes down to gender
have to do everything well … When privilege. As a woman, I always
I’ve had these talks with women
thought about, and I saw it all the
they feel guilty and are worried that
other people will be mad. It is not time, how I was so involved but my
at all the same when I have these male counterparts got more awards for
conversations with men.”
being involved in one. But it was almost
Those who are highly involved are an expectation that I be involved in 7
often surrounded by other highly [organizations] and balancing it all. …
involved, high achieving, ambitious
there’s more pressure on women to be
students, making them want to
take on more and stay up to that exceptional all the time,”
same level of high involvement. - Lia Muñoz, Class of 2015, Assistant Director,
Women college students compare New Student and Transition Programs
themselves to their peers on a
regular basis. This is not the case
for men, at least not to the same
degree. 12.1% more women survey
respondents agreed or strongly
agreed with the statement “I regularly
compare myself to my peers” than
men. Furthermore, 22.7% of men
respondents disagreed or strongly
disagreed with this statement,
compared to only 6.9% of women. “A
lot of the pressure I feel as a college
student is related to not feeling good
enough. The comparison to your
friends and colleagues is something
that has been with me for all 4 years
of my time at school,” said Olivia, a
senior Music Education major.

28
Women Feel Like They Are Not
Doing Enough
Survey data shows that college
women often feel like they are
not doing enough. When survey
respondents were asked to rank
their feelings towards the statement,
“I regularly feel like I am not doing
enough as a college student,” 56.4%
of women respondents agreed or
strongly agreed with this statement,
compared to 36.4% of men. While
both men and women disagreed
with this statement, a greater number
of men than women disagreed.
45.5% of men respondents disagreed
or strongly disagreed with this
statement, compared to 27.7% of
women, showing how the majority of
men feel like they are doing enough.
Many college women simultaneously
feel like they are not doing enough
while also doing too much. 7 out of
16 women focus group participants
specifically noted feeling both of
these things on a regular basis.
7 out of 16 women focus group
participants also mentioned having
2.8 out of 5 women
survey respondents regularly feel like they are not doing enough
1.8 out of 5 men
survey respondents regularly feel like they are not doing enough
difficulties balancing all of their being highly involved also begin to
commitments. “It’s this weird thing get tapped for other opportunities,
where you know that you’re doing despite already having a full plate
enough, but it never feels like you of commitments. More often than
are” said a woman focus group not, these people are women who
participant. are involved in multiple groups and
hold a leadership role. “I feel like it’s
Keeping up the image of being the really involved people that get
highly involved plays a role in this. tapped for things and recommended
Involvement and engagement for other opportunities. … And I like
can become part of one’s identity the compliment, but I also know that
and reputation as a student and I can’t do any more. I definitely have
there’s often a feeling of pressure to trouble saying no,” said a woman
maintain this image. When you are focus group participant.
a highly involved student, it almost
becomes an expectation you will
continue to be just as involved, if
not more involved, as you progress
throughout college. “ I definitely
feel a pressure to do all of the
things I possibly can because
that is what I have always done
and what people around me
ex pect me to do,” said Briana, a
junior Athletic Training major. These
students who are known by their
peers, professors, and advisors as
29
Women Need to Prove Themselves
“In what ways, if any, do you think gender identity plays a role in the
pressures and stresses felt by college students?”

58.7% 24.4% 13.4%

of women respondents of women respondents of women respondents
noted added pressures mentioned that mentioned that
related to being women students need women face added
a woman in their to prove themselves in pressure to be taken
responses their responses seriously by others

Even if they are very subtle influences, the majority of women respondents noted
added pressures felt in college related to being a woman in their responses (58.7%).
Various survey responses from women mentioned how women students face more
pressure than men in college (13.4%), added pressure to be taken seriously by peers,
professors, and others (13.4%), and pressure to compete for future jobs (11.8%). All
of these pressures factor into a feeling among women students that they need to do
more, work harder, and prove themselves on a regular basis (24.4%).

“I’ve paid attention to this over the years. I think it’s such a pervasive phenomenon,”
said Diana, a staff member in New Student Transition Programs. “ I wonder whether
women believe, and perhaps correctly believe, that they need to do more just
to be on a level playing field when they graduate college. Equally I wonder if
men believe they don’t have to do any more. It sort of goes back to some research
on career promotions. Women tend to believe they need to prove themselves before
they can either ask for money or get a promotion, whereas men feel they should get
the promotion or the money and then they’ll show you after the fact. In a lot of ways
it’s not shocking to realize that college and the university setting has the same sort of
gender differences as the career or business world.”

30
When asked about the role gender identity plays on
the pressures and stresses felt by college students,
survey respondents noted:

“As someone who identifies as a woman, I feel pressure to prove myself as

academically capable and intelligent. I find myself having to push against
my male peers and inserting myself in order to be taken seriously and
regarded as intelligent.”
- Woman, Survey Respondent, Class of 2020, School of Humanities and Sciences

“Women are often getting involved in things because they feel like they
need to do that to give themselves a boost once they go out and job
search. They want to have those experiences. They want to have leadership
positions to list and talk about in their materials. I think that maybe men
just feel like they’re going to get something no matter what, regardless of
whether they do this or not.”
- Michele Lenhart, Director of Student Engagement, Office of Student Engagement

“As a women in STEM, I think that my gender identity added an additional

pressure as to the fact that my field is male-dominated. I felt that I had to
excel academically and in academic-related extracurriculars in order to
prove myself to male peers.”
- Woman Survey Respondent, Class of 2021, School of Humanities and Sciences

“Females might feel more stressed because they often face more obstacles
in the real world.”
- Man, Survey Respondent, Class of 2022, School of Communications

31
Women Regularly Worry
About the Future
Survey data shows that college men
are less worried about the future
than women. 70.7% of women
respondents agreed or strongly
agreed with the statement “I am
frequently worried about my future
as a college student,” compared to
56.8% of men. Of course, college
men do think and worry about their
future, but not to the same degree or
as frequency as college women.
In addition to this worry surrounding
their future, college women reported
feeling less confident than men
regarding career success. When
asked to rank their feelings towards
the statement “I feel confident I will
Added Pressures Impact Involvement
The stress and pressure felt
by college women impacts
their level of extracurricular
involvement, more so than it does
for men. 64.9% of women survey
respondents agreed or strongly
agreed with the statement, “The
pressures I feel as a college student
impact my level of extracurricular
involvement,” compared to 41.9%
of men. Furthermore, 34.9% of men
respondents disagreed or strongly
disagreed with this statement,
compared to 13.3% of women.
Based on data from stress-related
questions in the survey, it is clear
that women are facing higher levels
of pressure than men. If men are
be able to achieve my career goals,”
the majority of survey respondents
agreed (47.3%). Yet, much more
men respondents strongly agreed
with this statement (47.7%) than
women (22.9%). Women are likely
more hesitant to strongly agree with
this statement because they feel like
they have to do more to be perceived
on the same level as their male
counterparts, and might see more
potential barriers in their future than
men. Women participants were also
less confident than men to say they
have been successful in their college
career during interviews. Most
women did express that they felt they
have been successful in college, but
not experiencing as high of a level
of stress and pressure, it would
not impact their extracurricular
involvement much as it does not play
as big a role in their lives.
At times, students who are in
leadership roles in organizations
face added stress out of a sense
of obligation. “I wish I didn’t feel
the pressure to be in a leadership
position. I think that really has
tainted my experience in the club.
I enjoyed being on the E-Board for
the past two years when I wasn’t the
President, but now that I’m in that
top leadership role it’s been very
stressful because I feel like I can’t
they would typically validate their
claim with examples of things they’ve
done to feel successful, rather than
confidently agree like many of the
men. There were much more “I think
so….” responses than pure “yes”
responses. “I would say yes, a light
yes. … I don’t think I’ll ever get to a
point in my life where I’m like ‘that’s
perfect, I’ve got it,’” said Megan, a
sophomore Television-Radio major.
Similarly, Jenna, a class of 2019
alumna, stated, “I do not know if I
have achieved it quite yet but I think
I’m working on it. But I might always
be working on it.”
have fun anymore, I just make sure
everyone gets their job done,” said
Maggie, a senior Integrated Marketing
Communications major. “I’ve been in
higher ed for 10 years and I feel like at
least when I started, involvement did
just seem fun. Students did things
because they really just wanted to
do it and loved it. Now, I see some
involvement, especially in the bigger
clubs like student government, it’s
like a part time job. Sometimes I
don’t see the students getting joy out
of it. They’re doing out of some kind
of obligation,” said Mary Holland-
Bavis.
32
Insight #3
Women look for career advancement
opportunities in ex tracurriculars.
Men are more socially motivated.

33
 Women Seek Out New Skills
in Extracurriculars
What do you look to get out of your extracurricular involvement?
90.8% 76.3%
Meet new people Way to have fun
Overall, when it comes to
extracurricular involvement, most
students are looking for valuable
experience and professional
development (75.8%), a way to
meet new people (90.8%), sense of
community (75.8%), a way to have
fun (76.3%), and a way to express
themselves and pursue interests
(65.8%). While men respondents
actually report similar or ever
so slightly higher preferences
for these criteria, women report
higher preference for skills based
criteria, or things that will give them
an advantage after graduating
college. These include learning a
new skill (69.1% women vs 55.8%
men), involvements that look good
on a resume (71.8% women vs
65.1% men), career advancement
(44.7% women vs 39.5% men), and
leadership experience (69.1% women
vs 60.5% men). “A lot of the things
I look for in campus involvements
are a 50/50 shot between ‘it will help
me in the future’ and ‘enjoyment,’”
Megan said in her interview.
Women interview participants
more regularly mentioned career
related benefits of extracurricular
75.8%
Professional
experience/growth
involvement than men participants
in an unaided question. In addition,
11 out of 15 women interview
participants and 11 out of 16
women focus group participants
were involved in a career related
organization. “I always had my future
career in mind and how this would
help me to make connections to
get an internship to get a job when
I graduate. Basically everything I’ve
done in college from day one has
been related to how I can get a job
as soon as possible,” said Nicole,
a senior Integrated Marketing
Communications major during an
interview.
Since women are devoting a lot
of their extracurricular time to
career related organizations, the
“fun” activities are often what gets
cut. “I don’t think I really have that
many purely ‘just for fun’ things,”
said Elizabeth, a junior Integrated
Marketing Communications major.
“One of my professional clubs
takes up most of my time, even if
I don’t want it to, because I know
professionally that’s what’s best,”
noted a woman focus group
participant.
75.8% 65.8%
Sense of
Pursue interests
community
While women are looking for
career advancement in their
extracurriculars, they are more
looking for leadership opportunities
and the ability to learn valuable
skills. They are focused on what
they can do within the involvement
itself, rather than just being able to
put it on their resumé. They want
to be able to prove themselves in
interviews and when competing for
jobs based on their ability in addition
to a title. The focus group card sort
activity showed that men rank how
an activity will look on their resumé
as more important than women.
50% of men participants ranked
the statement ‘it will look good on
my resume’ as high importance,
compared to 18.8% of women
participants. While this is still
important for women, most women
ranked this as average importance,
and more women than men ranked
this as being of low importance
(31.3% of women focus group
participants compared to 16.7% of
men focus group participants).
34
Women Are More Leadership
Focused Than Men
67.6%
of women survey respondents are motivated by the
prospect of career advancement in extracurriculars
Women are largely motivated by
career advancement and leadership
opportunities in extracurricular
involvements. The majority of
students are motivated to get
involved with extracurriculars when
it is something related to their
hobbies and interests (88.7% of
survey respondents) and allows
them to meet new people (70% of
survey respondents). However, when
it comes to career advancement
as a motivator, 11.5% more
women respondents indicated
this influences their extracurricular
involvement than men. Similarly,
men are motivated by leadership
opportunities in extracurriculars
(51.2%), but not as much as women
(58.5%). Men respondents also
ranked their success in college
higher than women. 38.6% of
men respondents strongly agreed
w ith the statement “ I feel like I
have achieved success during my
college career, compared to 28.2%
of women.
Other survey data shows that men
respondents feel less stress and
worry surrounding their future, so
they likely don’t focus on leadership
opportunities as much because
they don’t feel like they need to, and extracurriculars. 56.3% of women
they already feel like they are very focus group participants ranked the
successful. statement ‘it provides leadership
opportunities’ as high importance
There is much more confidence compared to only 16.7% of men
among the men who hold leadership focus group participants, the
roles in their extracurriculars than majority of which ranked it as
women. “I think that I am naturally average importance.
a leader, and so it makes sense to
me that my primary role on campus
is a leadership one,” said Charlie, a
senior Music Education major. This
trend is often found in academics
too, where women feel the need to
prove themselves. “That’s a common
thing I’ve seen, that there’s a lot more
confidence from the guys in class
even if there’s not necessarily the
ideas backing it up. That’s what I’ve
seen and have heard other people
observe from classes,” said a woman
focus group participant.
The prospect of leadership
opportunities can be a primary
motivating factor for women to get
involved in certain extracurriculars.
The focus group card sort activity
showed that women are seeking
out leadership opportunities
more than men and look for the
potential to gain a leadership role
in their decision to get involved in
35
Men Are More Socially Motivated

76.7% of men respondents Gaining community and making ranked this as average importance
reported being motivated to get friends is important to women, but in their decision to get involved
involved in extracurriculars by the is often not their main motivator in extracurriculars. Some women
opportunity to spend time w ith in getting involved in different rank this as low importance in their
friends, compared to 63.3% of extracurriculars. The focus group motivation to get involved, whereas
women. While career opportunities card sort activity showed that 50% all men participants ranked it as
are important to all students, men of men participants ranked the either average or high importance.
are often more socially motivated statement ‘I will be able to spend
and focused on having fun in their time with my friends’ as high
extracurricular involvements than importance, compared to only 6.3%
women. Women tend to view of women participants. Most women
academics and extracurriculars
more equally than men, due to
their career influenced motivation
behind involvement. When asked Differences in Academic vs
about differing motivation between Extracurricular Motivation
extracurricular and academic
commitments, 13.3% of men
respondents noted academics “Extracurricular activities are just for
as being more important than fun and do not matter much in the
extracurriculars in their responses,
long run in my life, while academics
compared to 7.7% of women.
“Soccer is my favorite sport so I did have a direct impact on my future.”
intramurals all four years. My friends - Man, Survey Respondnet,
and I will make a team so it’s fun to Class of 2023, School of Communication
spend time with them. I don’t know
if I would do it if it was just me and
some other people. I guess friends
are the main motivation,” said “I have a tendency to put more
Joaquin in an interview. Similarly, a
emphasis on my club than my
man focus group participant stated,
“I’m already spending the vast academics because it is more related
majority of my time in college doing to my professional development as I
academics and pursuing my career
leave college.”
goals, I want extracurriculars to be
the other stuff. Something that gives - Woman, Survey Respondnet,
Class of 2020, School of Music
me the opportunity to spend time
with friends and let me explore other
hobbies and interests is what I want
out of it most.”

36
Exception to this Pattern: Athletics

While there are various differences in

gender identity representation and
extracurricular participation, athletics JV & VARSITY
tends to be an exception. Many if
not most student organizations at
ATHLETIC
Ithaca College have a majority of PARTICIPATION
women members, while athletics
are more evenly distributed. 6.9%
of women survey respondents
noted participating in JV or Varsity
athletics, compared to 9.3% of men.
Athletics are thought of as a more
stereotypically “masculine” activity in
our society, and while college women 9.3%
are more involved overall, athletics 6.9% Men
act as more of an equal playing field Women
for gender identity representation
than other involvements.

Yet, gender norms and stereotypes still seep into athletics. “Athletics is very
gendered. … I think it’s a huge pressure because we have women that are incredibly
passionate, very animated, and get super excited or super loud or super tense. And
sometimes she’s told to calm down or chill out or relax, when you wouldn’t say
that to a man that was on the field. Similarly with our men, sometimes they feel
like they have to be hyper-masculine and sometimes all they want to do is cry,”
Erienne Roberts stated in her interview. While athletics is an exception to some of the
patterns surrounding extracurricular participation, there are still added pressures on
students surrounding their gender identity.

37
Insight #4
Gender identity impacts the type of
involvement for students who identify
outside of the gender binary.

38
There are Heightened Pressures
for Other Gender Identities

Gender identity plays the biggest

role in extracurricular motivation

Extracurricular Motivation: and participation for those who

Leadership Opportunities
Survey Participants
identify outside of the gender
binary. 100% of non-binary and
transgender survey respondents
agreed or strongly agreed with the
statement “The pressures I feel as a
college student impact my level of

77.8% Non-Binary & extracurricular involvement.”

Transgender Furthermore, students who don’t

identify as cisgender often seek
out and are more motivated by

58.5%
leadership opportunities. Even
Cisgender more so than cisgender women,

Women these students likely seek out these

additional opportunities because
they feel like they have to do more
to compete with their peers and be

51.2%
taken seriously. 77.8% of non-binary
Cisgender and transgender survey respondents
Men noted leadership opportunities
as a motivator for extracurricular
involvement, compared to 58.5% of
women and 51.2% of men.

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Affinity & Identity Based Involvement
Non-binary and transgender students often seek out spaces with common students.
This is often through membership of affinity or identity based groups, such as gender
and sexuality or culture, race, and ethnicity related organizations. 44.4% of non-
binary and transgender respondents noted being a member of a culture, race, or
ethnicity related organization.

66.7% of non-binary and transgender respondents reported being a member of a

gender or sexuality related organization, compared to 7.3% of men. Students who
don’t identify as cisgender might have a stronger affinity to these groups and seek
out these spaces, whereas cisgender men might not see a reason to join these
groups as they are a societtally accepted an often favored identity.

Less Men Participate in Advocacy Groups

Membership in Social Justice/Advocacy Organizations
Survey Respondents

66.7% 18.6% 7.3%

Non-Binary & Cisgender Cisgender
Transgender Women Men

Survey suggests that men are less likely to participate in advocacy and social justice
related extracurriculars, while non-binary and transgender students reported the
highest level of involvement in these groups. Non-binary and transgender students
likely have the highest participation in these organizations because they might feel a
greater need to advocate for themselves or others than cisgender students.

40
Key Takeaways

41
What This Data Shows About
Involvement & Engagement
This research suggests that while self-identified men and women might not have
drastically different reasons for initially getting involved, the level of involvement
and motivation behind taking on leadership roles does vary. Women regularly
expressed feeling higher levels of stress than men, as well as experiencing greater
pressure to achieve perfection. This pressure permeates all aspects of the college
experience, and is exemplified in student engagement through a greater number of
extracurricular involvements and leadership roles. A potential explanation behind
this is a feeling among college women that they not only need to do everything, but
excel at everything.

Many women ex pressed feeling like they had to work harder than their male
counterparts to achieve success in their intended career, which is likely a
reason behind greater levels of extracurricular participation.

Intention of this Research

While this study is specific to Ithaca College’s campus community, it provides insights
and analysis on patterns in student engagement in higher education as a whole.
This study was designed with the hopes that it will serve as inspiration for further
research in this area. If future research was to be conducted at Ithaca College or other
institutions, it would be worthwhile looking into additional identity variables that
influence involvment motivations. In addition, looking specifically into differences in
involvement type (paid campus jobs, recreational organizations, professional groups,
etc.) and the experiences of first-generation students would provide further insight
into what impacts students’ engagement patterns.

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The Future of Student Engagement
As the higher education environment
will continue to change with
changing behaviors and motivations,
so too must student engagement.
Involvement and engagement
will always be an important and
meaningful part of a student’s
educational experience, but students
would also benefit from a reframing
of engagement. In order to engage
more college men, there needs
to be clearer communications
about the long-term benefits
of involvement. “We talk about
involvement and push involvement
from before a student gets here.
We never talk about intentionality
in that conversation though. … I
think that as a campus we have to
get better at explaining how to get
the most out of your involvement
rather than just ‘get involved,’”
noted a student organization
advisor in a focus group. Frank
Harris III, an associate professor
of postsecondary education at
San Diego State University has
a decade of work studying male
college student engagement
patterns. “Men are absolutely still
more advantaged in society than
are women,” he says, “But I don’t
think that should be a reason for
us not to do the work necessary to
help men become better people”
(Sander). Harris’s point is true and
should be considered, but there
also needs to be a remodeling of the
“high involvement” environment.
The women that are involved and
engaged shouldn’t be experiencing
an unhealthy lifestyle in order to reap
those benefits. Part of finding that
balance comes from personal growth
and reflection, but higher education
institutions can work to foster a less
stressful environment.
Another improvement that can be
made to increase overall campus
involvement is more consistent
marketing and promotion. For
student run organizations, this will
always vary widely, as all students
have different levels of skill and
knowledge. However, for larger,
campus-wide programming that
provides opportunities for students
to be engaged, many studently
simply just don’t know that they are
happening. “I attend the events put
on by the organizations that I’m a
part of, but aside from that, not too
many. Usually because I don’t find
out about them or I don’t see the
poster until that day or the day after,”
said Connor, a first year Theatre
Arts Management major. Based
on interview responses, student
event attendance is largely socially
influenced. Students mainly attend
the things that their friends tell them
about or to support their peers in
something. If efforts are made to
increase awareness of different
opportunities, it will have a ripple
effect and increase engagement
beyond just those that further
promotion reaches. Most students
will continue to be involved or seek
out future engagement opportunities
once to go to something, but
they need to be aware of what’s
happening in order to kickstart that
interest.
Lastly, involvement opportunities
have an Impact on the college
search for some, but it’s rarely a
deciding factor. “I figured it was
something that all schools just
had, honestly. I didn’t really think
about Ithaca being special with
extracurriculars,” said Elizabeth in
an interview. More emphasis should
be on the benefits of involvement
in recruitment events more so than
just the fact that opportunities
for involvement and engagement
exist. It’s not a differentiating factor
that Ithaca College offers all of
these extracurricular activities and
opportunities for involvement and
engagement, but the experiences
students can get from those
opportunities is what makes them
significant.
43
Appendix

44
Appendix A: Survey Instrument
The survey for this research study
was administered through Google
Forms.

A PDF version of the survey is

available here.

Appendix B: Survey Participation By Gender

45
Appendix C: Survey Participation
By Academic School

Appendix D: Survey Participation

By Class Year

46
Appendix E: Interview Protocol
(Current Students)
A copy of the interview protocol used for current students is available here.

Appendix F: Interview Protocol

(Recent Alumni)
A copy of the interview protocol used for recent alumni is available here.

Appendix G: Interview Protocol

(Staff Members)
A copy of the interview protocol used for staff members is available here.

Appendix H: Focus Group Moderator

Guide (Students)
A copy of the focus group moderator guide used for current students is available here.

Appendix I: Focus Group Moderator

Guide (Advisors)
A copy of the focus group moderator guide used for student organization advisors is available here.

47
Appendix J: Focus Group Moderator
Card Sort Activity

48
Acknowledgements

49
Acknowledgements
I wish to express my deepest gratitude to Dr. Lisa Farman, who served as my faculty
advisor for this independent study and has provided continued guidance throughout
the research process. This study would not have been possible without her
encouragement, advice, and mentorship. Thank you for being an amazing professor
and career role model!

I would like to thank Michele Lenhart and the entire Office of Student Engagement
staff, past and present. Michele has been an advocate of my study from the start and
played an instrumental role in helping me refine my research topic. Getting to work
with you and the OSE staff has been a highlight of my time at Ithaca College!

I would like to recognize Dean Gayeski and the Roy H Park School of
Communications for providing funding and support for this project. I would also
like to thank Carla Golden and the Women’s and Gender Studies Department in the
School of Humanities and Sciences for providing funding for this project through the
Janet Kalinowski Student Development Fund.

Thank you to my family for their continued support - and special thanks to my mom
for making the coffee every morning that helped keep this project going in the
transition to remote instruction this semester due to COVID-19!

50
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Kuh, George D. Student Success in College. Jossey-Bass, 2005.

Paterson, Caralena. “Inside Higher Ed.” Trying to Conform to a Myth of Effortless Perfection Is Damaging Women Undergraduates’ Mental Health
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Sander, L. (2012). Colleges Confront a Gender Gap in Student Engagement. Diversity in Academe: The Gender Issue.

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52
Rachel Cutsumpas
rcutsumpas@ithaca.edu
Integrated Marketing Communications
Ithaca College, Class of 2020

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