This fall, Mills College has a record number of undergraduate students enrolled and is fast approaching the goal set in 1990 of 1,000 undergrads.
According to an e-mail sent by Dean of Students Joanna Iwata on Thursday, Sept. 21, the Fall 2006 Final Census counted 1410 students, comprised of 927 undergraduate students and 483 graduate students. However, at press time Thursday evening, students were unable to access the online version of the census.
Weekly editors attempted to verify census numbers with the Office of Admissions on Thursday, but were told by Associate Director of Admissions Jasmine Bryan that she could not comment on official numbers until Dean of Admissions Giulietta Aquino returned from traveling next week.
These numbers are especially significant because after the protests in 1990 that followed the College’s decision to become co-ed, Warren Hellman, the chairman of the board of trustees at the time, announced that in order for Mills to stay an all women’s college, 1,000 undergrads would be needed for the college to remain financially stable. Enrollment at the time was 777, having previously peaked in 1971 at 907.
With women’s-only colleges in decline from their peak in the 1960s, and following the recent decision of two more women’s colleges in the US to become co-ed, the continued rising enrollment at Mills only solidifies the College’s place as a bastion of women’s higher education.
