Sun sets on the Hildabeast
Fellows at Oxford’s last stronghold of all-female education abandoned 113 years of tradition yesterday, voting to admit men at all levels of college from undergraduates to teaching fellows. Male students could be admitted to St Hilda’s within a year, while men can be appointed fellows immediately. This ends decades of intense scrutiny over the status of Oxford’s last all-female college.
St Hilda’s Principal Lady Judith English said, “This is an important decision which opens up new and exciting opportunities for St Hilda’s.” Financial troubles and difficulties in attracting top-quality students and academics motivated the decision to go mixed. The announcement follows a JCR referendum which supported the move to coeducation.
However, the decision caused uproar among some members of the student body, who have accused College authorities of ignoring their opinions and undermining the College’s founding principles. As fellows entered the voting chamber, they walked past St Hilda’s students protesting on College lawns, chanting against a change to the College Statutes. Recent days also saw a poster and graffiti campaign around the college.
Opponents of a mixed future daubed “St Hilda’s, 1893-2006?” underneath the college crest in purple, the colour which has come to symbolise pride in the college’s single-sex status. Purple balloons were pinned up around the college, while banners filled the windows of student rooms. Precisely at the time of the Governing Body’s vote, a bugler sounded “The Last Post” for St Hilda’s final all-female cohort.
MCR President Clare Lynch said, “People are very disappointed, because of what this means for future students and the principle of women’s education in general.” Last term, St Hilda’s JCR voted for the first time to support the admittance of men to both the student body and the fellowship. 55% voted for a mixed JCR, with an overwhelming majority of 77% supporting the admittance of men in into the SCR. However, the referendum was based upon a turnout of just 57%.
Hilda’s student Arielle Goodley said, “If the Governing Body took this into account, that’s just ridiculous. It’s outrageous to make a decision based on such a low turnout.” For the last decade St Hilda’s MCR has consistently opposed any moves to alter the College’s status to accept men. A referendum at the end of Hilary Term showed support for a female student body running at a huge 81.4%.
St Hilda’s Principal Lady English announced the decision to a large crowd of students that had gathered in the college gardens. The College’s Governing Body met at 2pm to vote on two issues: whether to accept men to the student body and whether to open up the fellowship to men. Changing the College Statutes requires a two-thirds majority of the Governing Body to vote in favour of proposals, which was achieved at the meeting.
Lady English refused to confirm the exact number of votes for and against. In a statement released later that day, Lady English said, “This is an important decision for St Hilda’s which opens up new and exciting opportunities, in line with the Strategic Agenda adopted a year ago. “We are proud of our heritage as a women’s college but plan to build on that with a new focus for the 21st century, now that women can go to every college in Oxford.
She told The Oxford Student that October 2008 had been agreed as a provisional date to admit male undergraduates. “We have proposed a delay of two years until the admittance of men, but this is subject to consultation with students. If the JCR wanted it strongly enough, we would delay the change for a year. If students wanted to become mixed sooner, it could happen as soon as next year.”
Hilda’s students demonstrate before yesterday’s decision
Lady English added, “There are some that will be disappointed, and several students have voiced opposition.” MCR President Clare Lynch said, “The JCR have claimed this as a victory. What they don’t understand is that this is a surrender on the part of the Governing Body because of the pressures of funding, motivated by Lady English’s desire to have a final legacy.
The College has also faced criticism for the way it has made the choice to go mixed, without sufficient consultation with the student body. Lynch said, “I think it’s a shame that the whole decision has been done in this way, without fully consulting the opinions of students. I’m now keen to make a go of it, but it’s unfortunate that it’s gone through in this way.” OUSU Vice-President (Women) Ellie Cumbo, a former student of St Hilda’s herself, reflected Lynch’s sentiments.
“OUSU believe that St Hilda’s must learn to talk to the student body, not at the student body.” In ‘St Hilda’s for the 21st Century’, a strategic agenda adopted by the Governing Body in May 2005, Lady English wrote, “We must change the Charter and Statutes to open the Fellowship and the student body to men.
This has left Lady English and the Governing Body open to charges that the JCR and MCR referendums were not taken into account as they were making the decision, since they both occurred after Lady English’s arguments for going mixed were outlined. JCR President Ailbhe Menton admitted that the Governing Body’s decisions were based on previous agreements and findings. She said, “The Governing Body had already put their minds to this decision.
They listened to our questions and concerns but I think they felt that the change was necessary and inevitable.” Immediately following the vote, MCR President Lynch launched an attack on what she considered Lady English’s disregard for the needs of religious minorities. Lynch said that although the college has outlined plans to provide a separate accommodation block for students who wish to live in an allfemale environment, “This is just a means to ghettoize women.
Lady English has slightly offensively said that this is such a small minority that it is not a major concern. But why should we keep Muslim girls in a separate block just because of their religious beliefs?” Lady English informed Lynch and Menton of the judgement immediately after the meeting of the Governing Body, which is made up of around 30 fellows with voting rights. Menton described it as “quite a day” and commented, “Emotions are running high at the moment.
The JCR made the decision to support going mixed because we want higher admissions, more money and better teaching. It’s not that we don’t love St Hilda’s as it is, but there is a recognition based on admissions statistics that the change should happen.” The College was also motivated by financial problems and the negative perceptions which have continued to dog St Hilda’s since it was left as the last all-female college in Oxford after Somerville went coeducational in 1994.
Menton said, “It’s hard for students to live with the Hildabeast stereotype and it’s unfair for girls to be looked down upon when they tell people they go to St Hilda’s.” Lady English agreed that negative perceptions were an issue for an all-girls’ college. She said, “Many young women don’t see single-sex education as an attractive option, which makes it hard to attract applicants. This is based on a true cultural shift in the community at large.
St Hilda’s currently has the lowest number of first-preference applications around the University. Around 75% of students who currently study at the College did not choose it as their first choice when applying. The College has been forced to fund most of its own lectureships because of equal opportunities legislation. Legally, the University cannot advertise lectureships to women only, meaning that the College does not benefit from University- funded positions.
Female lecturers appointed and funded by the University rarely choose St Hilda’s as their tutorial base. Hilda’s must therefore advertise independently for fellows who they are then obliged to fund. The Strategic Report predicts that in ten years time an unmixed fellowship would cost the College an extra £400,000 per annum. Lady English claimed that in practical terms, the transition between single-sex and co-ed would largely be smooth one.
She said, “There would be some issues in terms of buildings, but discussions with other colleges who have made the change suggested that the change would be an easy one.” Somerville College Senior Tutor Norma Macmanaway said that there were few logistical problems in effecting her college’s transition to co-educational status. She said, “The change improved the college atmosphere no end. The whole college became much livelier.
However, I would think that because of its location, St Hilda’s could suffer from insularity even if men are accepted.” Lady English denied that the proposals are inherently in opposition to the College’s original aims. “We are re-interpreting the founding principle in a way which strengthens it for the modern era, focussing on outreach and opening access to bright young men and women who would otherwise not seek an Oxford education.”
8th Jun 2006