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Randolph-Macon's Board Votes to Become Co-Ed
By Maggie Saylor '07
STAFF WRITER

On Sept. 9. The Board of Trustees at Randolph-Macon Women's College voted 25-2 to become a co-educational institution. They will begin admitting male students in the fall of 2007.

This is a shock to many of the students at RMWC, and to students at other single-sex schools as well. Though many women's colleges have turned co-ed in recent years, "Randy-Mac’s" decision was a blow to all those who support single-sex education.

The move was especially upsetting due to the speed with which the decision was made – the college reports that they have been researching the subject for the last three years, but students were only informed of the discussion in fall 2005.

Most RMWC students and alumnae did not realize how seriously the Board was considering the change until this summer – students were briefly informed of the idea in an e-mail last October and then nothing more was said. There is some student support for going co-ed at RMWC, but these students often choose to keep their opinions quiet for fear of being ostracized by the majority.

Protests arose at the beginning of September and escalated throughout the following weeks. The brick wall along Rivermont Avenue was often filled with protesters holding signs stating "Keep RM a WC," and, "Finally a W we can agree on!" Numerous petitions have been circulating online, and dissenters to the Board have created The Coalition to Preserve Women's Education (CPWE), an organization that is spearheading the campaign to save Randolph-Macon as a women's college. Those defending single-sex education are seeking and finding support at the many single-sex institutions in the area, including Hampden-Sydney, Mary Baldwin, Hollins, and Sweet Briar.

Randolph-Macon is now preparing to take the next steps in the transition. The first is to redevelop their curricular and co-curricular goals to include a co-educational environment. This includes housing options and the classroom experience. They are also hoping to reconstruct their business plan. The college is conducting a survey through their homepage to receive suggestions for a new name.

The students and alumnae are also taking more steps; many do not think the issue has been decided. Liana Currera '07 says students are going to keep fighting: "We don't think it's irreversible. Girls at Mills College have pulled together; that's the strategy we're trying."

College administrators have issued many statements to students and families, stating their dedication to the college and to supporting Randolph-Macon women throughout the transition. The current interim president, Virginia "Ginger" Hill Worden ’69, is herself a Randy-Mac alumna and is regretful but determined to see the decision through. She stands behind the statistics that multiple women's colleges have used in recent years to defend the entrance of men into their schools.

Women's colleges have decreased by 75% in the last 40 years. Protestors aren't ready to submit to that trend. "It's kind of a scary prospect," says Caroline Gilstrag '07, "but women's colleges are going to be gone soon. We're not just doing this for us; we're doing it for women's education."