By Timothy Ritterbusch and Cade Acker, Staff Writers
Student Development and the Chaplain’s Office will sponsor the fourth annual Men’s Conference later this month. This gathering aims, among other things, to empower men toward personal growth and responsibility and, according to Dean of Residence Life Justin Heth, “call men to use their strength and gifts to help those around them flourish.”
While not expressly focused on leadership, the conference draws attention to an often-discussed issue around campus: a shortage of male student leaders. While data from student organizations indicate there are significantly fewer men involved in leadership across campus than women, the potential causes of this trend are less clear. However, Heth said that the college’s leadership views this as a significant issue.
“It has been God’s design from creation to have men and women to work as a team to steward and help cultivate his creation,” Heth said. “When there aren’t men leading alongside women, I don’t believe we’re fulfilling our mandate that the Lord has given us.”
Heth said Residence Life has struggled in the past to recruit male leaders, especially for resident assistant (RA) positions. He said he has more frequently needed to personally encourage men to apply.
His observation is echoed by Jared Falkanger, who oversees the Office of Ministry and Evangelism (OME). Falkanger said the programs in his office often see fewer men interested in participating than women, which can make identifying leaders more difficult in years with especially low male involvement.
“When more male students are in positions of authority and leadership, it attracts other men to get involved,” he said.
Director of Discipleship Eric Larson says that a lack of male participation may also contribute to the shortage of male leaders, since participants often return as leaders in the following years.
According to Larson, Discipleship Ministries currently has 28 male students on its leadership team compared to 46 female students. In small groups, 253 female students are enrolled, while 182 male students participate.
Larson said developing male students as leaders is a key part of the college’s responsibility and that reaching out to men about leadership positions can help correct the gender gap. He added that college is the perfect time to practice leadership skills and build up experience.
“We’ve tried to communicate in a way that’s appealing to men — to try to tap into the deeper needs or questions that men are asking around identity, around calling, around what it means to be a healthy, godly Christian man,” Larson said. “ Society needs healthy men who are leading in a variety of capacities.”
The trends described by Larson extend beyond Discipleship Ministries and Residence Life to the Office of Multicultural Development, Intercultural Arts and Media, International Student Programs, Office of Ministry and Evangelism, Orientation Committee and the Student Involvement Office.
Among 277 student leaders across those six groups and the Student Government Association, 66% are women and 34% are men. The organization with the highest male-to-female ratio is the Orientation Committee, with six men and six women, while the organization with the lowest ratio is the Intercultural Arts and Media team, with two men and 17 women.
Wheaton College has 2,150 degree-seeking undergraduates, 55% of whom are female and 45% male. While a closer ratio than the national average of 43% male to 57% female undergraduates, according to Heth, there are proportionally fewer men at Wheaton than there were five to 10 years ago, which may play a role in the student-leader gender gap.
Heth identified other potential factors, including higher male participation in varsity athletic teams and involvement in off-campus ministry. There are 367 men and 135 women rostered in varsity athletics. Alex Copestick, a first-year business analytics major who is on the wrestling team and involved with leading youth ministry off campus through Young Life, echoes this reasoning.
“Young Life and wrestling make it difficult for me to have time,” he said. “It’s not that I would be opposed to it.”
While some view the gender leadership gap as a significant problem, others disagree. Wesley Kiso, a junior studying philosophy integrated with Christian formation and ministry, notes that it may not be a systemic issue.
“ I think it’s individual rather than gendered,” he said.
Kiso has a unique background in the issue. As a sophomore living in Fischer Hall last year, Kiso was approached by Hannah Silk, the former Resident Director of Fischer, about being a resident assistant after Residence Life could not find enough men to fill positions in upperclass halls. Now serving as a RA in Williston Hall, Kiso emphasized personal calling in leadership decisions.
“It probably comes down to the ways each person is listening to the Lord where they’re at in their journey,” he said.
Student Government Association Vice President Cara Pisani said that SGA maintains a fairly even gender balance. However, discussions about shortages of male leaders in other areas of campus life frequently arise, which is concerning for student representation on campus.
“It’s a problem in that we’re not hearing as much from diverse perspectives across the board because men aren’t taking those leadership roles,” Pisani said.
