ABSTRACT
A considerable literature has emerged in recent decades, exploring the unique gendered experiences of women in sites of higher education. Overwhelmingly, this body of scholarship is grounded in the context of urban-based universities, thereby reflecting a particular standpoint. The ways in which education is delivered and the ways in which pedagogical practices may differ across different contexts have received considerably less attention, to date. This likely reflects the fact that sites of higher education have predominantly been located in urban sites. In the Canadian context, we are in the midst of a shift in our post-secondary sector, in that universities are increasingly facing a competitive market and are developing new strategies to recruit students. One corollary of this new landscape is the expansion of university campuses beyond urban centres, into more rural areas. Satellite or regional campuses, as they are often termed, are designed to attract new cohorts of students, who may otherwise be less likely to pursue higher education. This trend has been especially effective, although not exclusively, in providing opportunities to women to pursue university studies. As broadly noted in feminist research, given women’s role as primary caretakers of children, they have traditionally been less mobile and able to move away from home for the purpose of pursuing higher education. Furthermore, women may prefer to study in or near their home communities due to kinship ties or other affective
connections. Further, national statistics indicate that women are enrolling in higher education at greater rates than men. Also noteworthy is the fact that for those between the ages of 25 and 34, 32% of those from urban areas will earn a university degree, as compared to 13% of rural residents (AUCC 2011, 28). Rural campuses may be one avenue to begin redressing these disparities, affording women the chance to pursue postsecondary education without disrupting their family life or necessitating a move (albeit often temporary) to an urban area. Rural campuses also offer opportunities to those who may not be able to afford post-secondary studies, if it necessitated moving to an urban area.
