The hearing was scheduled to coincide with the 30-year anniversary of Title IX and to examine the progress that has been made in allowing women equal opportunities in education. Title IX was enacted on June 23, 1972 as part of a general education bill, the Education Amendments of 1972. It prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in federally assisted educational programs or activities, such as sports programs, grading, admissions, and financial aid.
Today's hearing included testimony from Secretary of Education Rod Paige, Assistant Secretaries Gerald Reynolds and Brian Jones, and three-time Olympic gold medalist Nancy Hogshead-Makar.
"Today more than ever before, more women are not only attending college, but are continuing on to earn advanced degrees," said Senator Collins. "In 2000, nearly 46 percent of all law degrees, and 43 percent of all medical degrees were earned by women. Women are also increasingly selected for faculty positions at our nation's colleges and universities. In fact, nearly one in five colleges or universities has a woman president, including two schools in the University of Maine system."
Since Title IX's enactment, important gains have been made for women in higher education in a number of areas. In 1971, only 18 percent of women completed four or more years of college. By 2006, it is projected that women will earn 55 percent of all bachelor's degrees.
The Senator also discussed the important benefits from the increased access to school sports programs that Title IX has influenced. "When I attended high school, there were no competitive teams for women athletes except gymnastics," said Senator Collins. "This is hard to imagine in the world we now live in, where women have a wide variety of both high school and college programs to participate in, and where there are an increasing number of celebrity women athletes who serve as role models."
In 1971, fewer than 300,000 girls played interscholastic sports. In 2001, the number of female interscholastic athletes was over 2.8 million. At the college level, the number of women playing sports also has increased, rising from fewer than 25,000 in 1971 to more than 200,000 today.
"Increased participation in sports not only provides the obvious health benefits, but also helps girls develop the leadership and teamwork skills that are necessary to succeed later in life," remarked Senator Collins. "It is no coincidence that nearly 80 percent of female managers of Fortune 500 companies have played competitive sports."
Senator Collins has a long record of advocating for equal access to education and opportunities, both for woman and minorities. Earlier this year, she urged the Administration to surrender its proposal to change consolidated student loan interest rates from a fixed rate to a variable rate. The Administration''s proposal would have meant higher cost student loans for graduates to repay, and would have had the effect of discouraging students from pursuing a higher education. Also this year, Senator Collins urged the Secretary of Labor to maintain the 10 regional offices of the Women''s Bureau, the only federal agency mandated to represent working women and promote their interests. Due to her input, the Department of Labor reversed its decision. Yet another example of Senator Collins''s efforts to keep doors of opportunity open to all Americans is her cosponsorship of a bill that would continue to give support to welfare recipients while they pursue a secondary degree. This bill, which would provide the crucial support for mothers training for a better job, is currently under consideration in the Senate.
"As a result of Title IX, women and girls today tend to be better educated and have more opportunities than those of previous generations. While we must continue to ensure that Title IX's promise is fulfilled, we have seen real accomplishments in improving access for women in education programs and activities," said Senator Collins. "This is something of which we can celebrate."
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