Hampden Sydney College - Kaleidoscope Yearbook (Hampden Sydney, VA)

Page 19 text:

tings. Their presence in the classrooms adds that expe- rience and challenges the tra- ditional stereotypes of women's roles and the view of women as merely sex objects. They become equals, competitors, and friends. The reason most com- monly offered by our present students for remaining all- male is that women are a dis- traction in the classroom. And they are, if that is the only way one views women. This is the most powerful OPENING issues in and out of class, attending concerts, participat- ing in service organizations. This is the way one adjusts to the new role women have in our society, not by hiding from it. Nor do l think this terminates the very powerful male friendships that develop in college. There are still fra- ternities and dormitories and athletic teams where the sexes are largely by themselves. What I am talking about is an expanded circle of friends, not a loss. ft. behind, primarily those from out of state, of whom we have a growing number. This latter issue is related to one of the most pressing problems we face-retention. For a school which prides itself on close relationships and a strong sense of com- munity, we lose an inordi- nately large number of stu- dents for non-academic reasons. The addition of women and the creation of a more intellectually alive cam- pus would help immeasura- bly. It would reduce the sense argument for change. We are doing our graduates a disser- vice by sending them out to compete with women, work with them, and build families with them without being with them during these very for- mative, maturing years. We presently reinforce the old chauvinist ideas. One of the very positive aspects of coeducation is the development of male! female friendships not based on dat- ing possibilities-discussing jf if fig 'Teal Q I Furthermore the perman- ent presence of women on campus should keep men on campus, reducing the amount of driving done and enliven- ing weekends CI do not deny the existence of traditional relationships Q. The suitcase nat1.u'e of Hampden-Sydney is very undesirable. A college should not close down for two days every week. It detracts from the academic climate, undermines school spirit, and creates a lonely atmosphere for those left of isolation which so many gf' students experience. More particularly, female interests in arts and letters and lan- guages will strengthen these offerings at Hampden- Sydney, especially those in the arts which have been tra- ditionally neglected. A more natural environ- ment, an improved curricu- lum, a more lively climate, better retention, maybe even less anti-social behavior-for these reasons I find the change highly desirable. And

Page 18 text:

l 985 KALEIDOSCOPE Coeducation at Hampden-Sydney Dr. Heinemann Examines the Issue 'Men of Dartmouth, set a watch, lest the old traditions fail! Stand as brother stands by brother! Dare a deed for the old Mother! So the second verse of my college's alma mater, reflecting a two-centuries old commitment to male segrega- tion. So much for old traditions! Alumni gagged and wept over the conversion to coed- ucation, convinced that some- thing very dear had been lost-a special bond between students and college that many believed was created by the absence of females. ln actuality, that bond was the product of a shared experience-the place, the education, the friendships- something which had very lit- tle to do with sexual segrega- tion and which remains vital today. Dartmouth has not languishedg nor have any of the prestigious institutions of the land which made the change over the past fifteen years. Now in 1985 Hampden- Sydney and Wabash remain the only non-military, non- sectarian colleges to cling to all-maleness. Why? What is peculiar about them that they would rather fight than switch? Defenders of single sex institutions usually men- tion the importance of tradi- tion and uniqueness, the availability of an alternative, the distractions of coeduca- tion, a more relaxed atmos- phere fa euphemism for the right to be slovenlyj, and male camaraderie-all of which may have merit but none of which addresses the essential purposes of educa- tion-personal growth and pre- paration for life. Tradition, no matter how old, is good only as long as it serves the present and enhances the educational process. Similarly, options are desirable if they serve a pur- Dr. Heinemann pose, but single sex institu- tions satisfy no special educa- tional function funless one is preparing for the priesthoodj and they inhibit the socializa- tion process. What is the logic behind educating men and women separately? Once that was considered the social and educational norm because of the supposed inferiority of the weaker sexy most of America's institutions of higher learning adhered to that belief. That is no longer the case. The role of women in our society has changed dramatically, and most col- leges have recognized this fact. This was not change for the sake of change. It was an acknowledgement of a major revolution having taken place in social mores and sexual relationships, something which Hampden-Sydney has refused to accept. Today, the exclusivity of the all-male school implies to the world and to its own students that women are not good enough for the intellectual life, a blat- antly bigoted position. There is no social, pedagogical, or logical reason for continuing this discrimination, while, on the other hand, there is every reason to argue that coeduca- tion provides a superior cli- mate in which to prepare young people for the world beyond ivied walls. Women add a different dimension to college life. Through the roles they fill, the treatment they receive, and their femininity, they have a different experience, a different perspective that men need to be aware of and understanding of, an aware- ness that cannot fully develop when women are excluded from academic pursuits and contacted only in social set-

Page 20 text:

besides, wouldn't it be nice to send your daughters to Hampden-Sydney? lt is rather sad for a father to describe how wonderful his college experience was but then tell his daughter that it cannot be for her. As compelling as the argument for coeducation is in its own right, the bottom line for convincing alumni and trustees to accept the change is survival, a less plea- sant but more critical matter. At a recent football game students paraded about with a banner proclaiming Better Dead Than Coed! Most observers chuckled at a sign of youthful exuberance, but if, indeed, the slogan repres- ented a deeply felt opinion that Hampden-Sydney's essence is its all-maleness, we have failed in our purpose. If this institution means little more than drinking beer with the boys, then the Col- lege deserves to die, a relic of an older day. If, however, Hampden- Sydney is stately old buildings and revolutionary era oaks, the excitement of discovery in the classroom or victory on the athletic fields, the joy of friendships with professors and fellow students, then that is an experience which must endure. The College is not in danger of closing. I am refer- ring to surviving with quality. Cut size and reliance on tui- tion revenue makes getting a good class every year imperative. A small dip in numbers is threatening. We 1985 KALEIDOSCOPE are running very hard now just to stay in place, but we are losing better students to UVA and William and Mary, among others, because of costs. This is why we must improve our retention rate as well as expand our applicant pool. Coeducation more than doubles that pool. It adds the women and those large numbers of men who never consider us or reject us because we are all-male fvery few of our students select us for this reason, meaning the decline in our present consti- tuency would be slightj. In the very competitive world of admissions, the demographics are clear. There will be one million fewer college age stu- dents available in the next decade, it is estimated that perhaps one hundred small colleges will not survive because of this. We must reduce our liabilities-the reasons why students reject us-single sex, isolation, nar- row curriculum, rapidly escalating costs. Coeducation is not the great panacea, but it would certainly eradicate one of these deficiencies and likely ameliorate the others. ln addi- tion, it would also have the advantage of improving the quality of those accepted for admission. This change will not be easy. New problems will arise. Costs will be entailed. And so we must prepare well for this eventuality, but the preparation must now. We should be striving to make Hampden-Sydney the best that it can be, while avoiding a slide into the ranks of second rate institutions. We cannot afford to wait. The worst possible time for such a move is during declin- ing enrollments and financial exigency. A time of strength, of confidence, with emphasis on the positive nature of the change, is the appropriate moment. We must look to the future now more than the past. The all-male institution has outlived its usefulness, it is anachronisticg it is time to change. l