By Morgan Brooks
Here is an issue that is sure to be buzzing through everyone’s mind; whether you live on campus or you commute, whether you are a freshman adjusting to the college atmosphere or a senior preparing to graduate, everyone here will be affected by Rosemont Undergraduate College’s transition of an all women’s school to a co-ed enrollment.
On May 30, 2008 our Board of Trustees approved a strategic plan that will open the doors of the Undergraduate Women’s College to all qualified men and women of high academic achievement in the fall of 2009. This is a monumental change for all students who either have been nurtured by the close-knit Rosemont community. Since its founding in 1921, the Undergraduate Women’s College has been dedicated to providing a spiritual and academic education for its students, as well as implementing a thirst and pursuit for knowledge in each of its female learners. In recent years however, Rosemont has seen a decline in enrollment, finances, and infrastructure for several reasons. In the United States only 1.2% of college bound women are interested in attending a Catholic women’s college.In Philadelphia this declines to 1%. In face of this predicament, Rosemont has decided that it will not deny a quality education to those who seek it, but instead will expand, thrive, and survive by opening the doors of our UWC to male applicants.
This leaves several questions that you as students, which are the heart and backbone of Rosemont, have every right to ask, some of which are; “How big will this transition be?” “Will any of the existing curriculums be altered to include male students?” “How will this affect our athletics department?"
Next year we can expect 10 to 20% of our first co-ed class to be male; this means we will see as many as 20 to 40 male freshmen next year. The majority of students applying to be the Class of 2013 will be females who are considering Rosemont for the first time because it is no longer a same-sex college. In the past, these applicants might never have applied to Rosemont because they would not have desired attending an all women’s college. We will also be accepting male transfer students in order to integrate men in into our higher level classes.
This past summer first year students were required to read Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See. This book discusses the psychological, physical, and societal oppression of women through the abusive technique of foot binding. Male and female students will not have separate FYCS classes next year. President Sharon Hirsh, who has worked closely with the advisors of the strategic plan, divulged to the Rambler staff, “…as part of the strategic plan, we made a commitment to make our campus and our education to be gender balanced.” This means that Rosemont will continue to stress the significant accomplishments of women in our world even with a co-ed classroom. The Board of Trustees has decided that our residence halls will also be integrated; there will be no construction of new residence halls next year. However, over the years as male enrollment and enrollment in general increases residence life is susceptible to change.
Our athletic department will have its first male basketball team next year with Ryan Tozer as Head Coach. Tozer will dedicate the entire 2008-2009 school year recruiting for next year’s season. Before taking on the coaching job here at Rosemont, Tozer was assistant coach at Holy Family University, Interboro High School, and held a position on the La Salle University coaching staff.
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