The new school year yielded much excitement for women of all
ages awaiting their first week of classes to fully embrace the
power and experience of a women’s college.
To some students’ surprise, there were more men in their classes
and wandering around the campus than they expected. It is a known
fact that Mills caters to men, as well as women, in the graduate
program.
But what is an entering undergraduate student supposed to make
of a male Residential Assistant of whom she knew nothing before she
came to Mills? Presuming she’d be surrounded by women, the male RA
was definitely unexpected.
This student is just one of many female students who are
dumbfounded by the number of men in their undergraduate classes and
dorms, and acting as teachers’ assistants.
One student was horrified when a male student walked in on her
in the shower room.
Another student found herself defenseless as she was belittled
by a male lab partner in class.
Clearly, Mills has succeeded in their recruiting efforts to
increase enrollment, but as this increase takes place, students
question whether the administration is thinking about how they will
preserve the space and meaning of a women’s undergraduate college
with the influx of male graduate and post-baccalaureate
students.
We question whether the administration is calculating the
effects this increase will have on the undergraduate
population.
We are not saying that men should not be admitted to Mills, nor
are we bashing men. However, the college must take into
consideration the implications of the increase in male students and
how it affects other students.
A letter should have been sent to the student notifying her of
the male RA. She could then have made a decision whether to live in
that dorm.
In these first few weeks of school, undergraduates have reported
intrusions into the space and experience that a women’s college is
here to provide.
We want to hear how the college anticipates dealing with these
issues which we predict will only intensify if not addressed.
