Jen Miller isn't a minority because of her nose ring.

She belongs to another small group at the University: she majors in film.

Only 13 women have declared the major according to Dee Vonada, coordinator for student services in the School of Communications.

But even if the scale tips in favor of men in Penn State's program, some Big Ten universities have no film program at all.

Michigan State University offers a specialization in film, with no concentration at all in film production, according to Herbert Bergman, a spokesman for the department.

Ellen Jacobson, the undergraduate adviser for the University of Wisconsin's communication arts department, estimated that of the 321 people in the radio/television/film major, 50 percent are women. However, that major involves no film production.

Indiana University's film certificate program consists of one production class for undergraduates, said Deb Munson, the program's secretary. Students concentrate on film theory, she said. Women and men number equally in the program, and women outnumber men at the graduate level.

Of the University of Michigan's 95 film/video majors, 49 are women, said Kathy Churchill, a spokeswoman.

Miller proposed several reasons for the small numbers at Penn State. Men traditionally dominate the field, she said, and women suffer from a lack of positive role models, behind and in front of the camera.

"Really there aren't any women role models I have," Miller said, pensively. "I don't know any female cinematographers in a major film." Miller hopes to practice cinematography after graduating in May.

Vernon Sanders (senior-film) agreed with Miller and pointed to other factors subconsciously discouraging women.

"You have a class where very few films challenge issues of gender, race and differences," Sanders said. That disparity means men not only outnumber women in the classroom, but women receive negative images from onscreen.

Any change must involve changing people's perceptions first, Miller said.

"It needs to start with women portrayals in films," Miller stressed. "That's something I feel we need to be doing now.

"I don't think women should take over the industry, I just think the industry needs to be balanced."

Some at the University strike a balance through their art. Pointed, direct films about women bring the problem of underrepresentation into the classroom.

"My work focuses on women's issues," said Sue Bohn (junior-film), who made a documentary on battered women and is filming another on abortion.

"(My topics) are very personal to me," Bohn said. "I like men to see some of the things women go through. I would like men to get more information about issues that affect women."

Miller added, "Right now I try to do projects that at least have a diverse range of characters -- women and other minorities."

A fine line exists between token diversification and acting responsibly toward other women. But you can't force women to create, Miller said.

"It's individuals -- you have to do what's best for you. But at the same time, there's a small responsibility to women in general," she said. "You end up either compromising yourself or regretting."

Nothing, however, can replace women in the classroom. Ned Faust, an assistant professor of communications, received funding to begin a program for minority high school students. The program will train the students in film techniques. Faust said he wants to start a similar program for women students.

"I don't like to work in a 'boys' club' environment," Faust said. "The mixes of people and the interaction you get give you a much more developed view."

Currently, efforts to bring women to the program consist of intra-University efforts, Faust said.

Retention efforts include making women and minorities feel comfortable in the classroom.

"We encourage minorities and women to feel their voice is welcome," he said.

Miller said professors do attempt to include wide-ranging views, but they sometimes fail.

"There is an unconscious subcurrent or something, where I sometimes think they don't take me seriously because I'm a woman, but it's very subconscious," Miller said.

Instructors do, however, encourage students to look beyond standard fare for how to portray women without stereotyping.

"I think our professors are probably some of the most open-minded professors I've had," Sanders said. "They've encouraged us to look at films other than the typical Hollywood stuff."