October 6, 2006

Students Sue Women's College in Virginia Over Decision to Admit Men

Nine students at Randolph-Macon Woman’s College sued the women’s institution today, accusing it of breach of contract for its decision last month to start admitting men next fall, the Associated Press reported. The students, who filed suit in a state court in Lynchburg, Va., said the Virginia college had given them no indication when they applied that it might go coed before they had completed their degrees. They asked the court to force the college to remain all-female until at least 2010, when they and their classmates will have graduated.

The college, which has cited declining enrollment and worsening finances as the main reasons for its decision, said delaying the onset of coeducation would not be practical. In the months both before and since the college’s board voted to admit men, students, alumni, and some faculty members have sharply protested the decision (The Chronicle, September 11).

Comments

1. Check out the RAND statistics or other sources and you can confirm that enrollment has NOT decreased, that there has actually been a slight increase from high 600’s to 700’s for the residential full-time population since 2000. Worsening finances? The college just completed a $100M capital campaign and has one of the highest endowments per student of any women’s college in the state, and stronger than many coed colleges. I don’t buy these statements from the board of trustees or the administration. Why are they trying to sell assets of the college in private sales, ie the artwork from the museum, the property in England for the study abroad program, the land near the riding center… ruining the “global” honors program at Reading England and angering members of the art community who donated and supported the musuem. And if they are concerned about attracted wealthier students, selling the riding center is not the way to distinguish the college. I think this administration has shown a lack of planning, failing to update their marketing materials, and not concentrating on diversifying their curriculum to attract more candidates – add a business major, add a computer science major, add more BS degrees in the sciences, add some masters programs. I find it abhorrant that they would wait until the college is coed to create those programs and then tout the success of the additional recruiting. Women today are already saying that they want these programs. RMWC has a strong academic history and traditions as a women’s college. They should concentrate on their strengths, not apologize for their location and their differences. If 115 years of tradition and support from alumnae, with the unique assets of the college are presented properly, applications will increase, as they have increased at other women’s colleges in Virginia and among top women’s colleges. I see no particular reason for a coed global curriculum to succeed in Lynchburg, VA – once you deficit spend to create all the new men’s athletic facilities, convert the dorms, change the college’s name, change the college’s curriculum.. what is left? A no-name, marketing buzz word course of study in sleepy Lynchburg, 3 hours from DC, further than many other coed colleges that have diverse global populations nearby to enhance their programs. Use that $20-30M to strengthen new programs or do the capital improvements to attract more female students. The leadership of the college is lacking – there is an interim president that has choked on the planning and implementation of the current mission of the college. Look at the 50-100 page strategic plans of Mt Holyoke, Mary Baldwin, Sweet Briar, Hollins, Agnes Scott – documents available on their websites that indicate their challenges and focus. Then look at the 4 page “strategic plan” devised by the R-MWC administration. What a joke! If they bothered to see what their competition and sister schools were doing they would have already realized that being single sex is an ASSET in distinguishing yourself from other liberal arts colleges. I hope that this board decision to go coed/global honors can be reversed and that the college can be saved. Otherwise, I look forward to supporting the remaining women’s colleges that are so inspiring and dedicated to this mission.

   — Toby Delrahim    Oct 8, 07:48 AM    #

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