For female students in the College of Business, positive female role models make the difference at NIU.

That difference sprouts from the professors. Many female students agreed that confident female professors were key components to their own successes in pursuing a bachelor’s degree in business.

Not only do business professors at NIU share their life experiences in the business world, they also make use of their experiences in the classroom. Business projects, homework and the classes themselves are designed to put students in real-life business situations they will eventually encounter.

“Teachers have a strong desire to help,” said senior marketing major Amy Obert.

Junior accounting major Beth Geskie believes NIU goes above and beyond in terms of helping students find internships and make business connections after graduation.

Geskie, like many others, pointed out that the school has a female dean. Dean Denise Schoenbachler is seen by many as a role model for women wanting to achieve high goals in the business world.

According to a 2007 study done by the Forte Foundation, female enrollment in business schools in the U.S. was at a stagnant 31 percent. At NIU, the Office of Institutional Research shows College of Business enrollment for fall 2008 at just over 32 percent female.

The differences in enrollment can be found in the various business majors and minors NIU offers. Female students are more likely to pursue marketing and accounting than management, for example.

“Crunching numbers and selling can be seen as a more female role,” said accounting major Krysten Grieco.

Many female students feel the reason for the larger number of female accounting and marketing majors has to do with sex appeal.

“Girls have a much better shot at selling than men because of [their sex],” Obert said. A lack of women in management classes reflects this.