St Hilda's goes co-ed

Janny · 06-07-2006, 05:54 PM

St Hilda's - BBC

St Hilda's College, Oxford, the only remaining single sex college at the University has decided to admit boys. The MCR (the association of post-grad students at the college (ish)) opposed the decision, and the JCR (the one for undergrads) only supported the decision narrowly.

The question is whether this was the right decision to make. Do they lose something unique? And is it worth for any financial or image gain?

sun-star will elaborate...

**Nurvingiel** · 06-07-2006, 06:43 PM

I think it's a good idea that they let boys in. Sure, they did lose something unique, in that it was the last all-girls college, but the concept of a single-sex college is totally outdated.

Why shouldn't boys be allowed to attend St. Hilda's? All students should be given the best chance for their education.

Also, if it was an all-boys college I think people would be pretty hacked off. Well, gender equality goes both ways. Moves like this eliminate the walls we fabricate between genders.

Good for St. Hilda's I say. I hope the transition is a success.

Gwaimir Windgem · 06-07-2006, 08:50 PM

Come ON, people. Have we reached the point now where MEN are being opressed by the women, and need to be liberated and given equal opportunities? Feminism has not gone so far, and this is just silly. Sheesh...

sun-star · 06-08-2006, 04:04 AM

Keep up, Janny

http://www.entmoot.com/showthread.ph...&page=11&pp=20

From there:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lief Erikson

Hmm. My sister's been studying at Oxford, and she's American. Not that that means they aren't under represented, of course. It's certainly possible that she's one of too small a number. How under represented are they?

9% of Oxford professors and 23% of lecturers are women.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Butterbeer

Sun Star - what's your problem with equality and co-ed???????????

I don't have a problem with co-education - I've been to mixed schools and when I applied to Oxford I wanted to go to a mixed college. For me, a mixed environment is better. Some people want to attend a single-sex college, though, especially for religious reasons, and I don't see why they can't be given a choice.

As for equality, see the statistics above. It's laughable to talk about men needing equality with figures like those.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nurvingiel

Also, if it was an all-boys college I think people would be pretty hacked off. Well, gender equality goes both ways. Moves like this eliminate the walls we fabricate between genders.

I agree with your second point (though there actually are all-boys colleges at Oxford). I don't really care for the tradition argument or worries about the "atmosphere" of the college. However, there is a serious problem here. The main factor motivating this change was a financial one - the college found it difficult to hire female tutors because the University wouldn't support them, for complicated procedural reasons I won't go into. Oxford refuses to take its gender imbalance seriously, and this change will only make matters worse.

**Nurvingiel** · 06-08-2006, 03:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sun-star

9% of Oxford professors and 23% of lecturers are women.

Some stats for UBC, from our campus newspaper:

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Ubyssey

However, only 26.15 per cent of university teachers-including professors, lecturers, instructors, and sessional lecturers-are women, up from 25.52 per cent in 1997. There are 686 male full professors, compared to 101 women.

The Faculty of Commerce has 40 full professors, 39 of which are men. Only 10.5 per cent of its total teaching staff are women, compared to 11.7 per cent in Science, 28 per cent in Arts, and over 50 per cent in Education.

http://www.ubyssey.bc.ca/article.sht...lechange.htmlf

Well, we have work to do, but at least we don't pretend there isn't a problem. I'm very surprised to learn that a university like Oxford pretends they don't have a problem.

Now that I think about it though, Oxford is famous for academic excellence and for having been around for a long time. I don't think they're considered a "cutting edge" university (certainly not by me now!). Now we know why.

Quote:

Originally Posted by sun-star

I agree with your second point (though there actually are all-boys colleges at Oxford). I don't really care for the tradition argument or worries about the "atmosphere" of the college. However, there is a serious problem here. The main factor motivating this change was a financial one - the college found it difficult to hire female tutors because the University wouldn't support them, for complicated procedural reasons I won't go into. Oxford refuses to take its gender imbalance seriously, and this change will only make matters worse.

There are all boys colleges and they closed down the one all girls one?

What you said changes everything Sun-star. When I read the last all-girls college was becoming co-ed, I assumed that there were no all-boys colleges.

I still think all colleges should be available to everyone, but this isn't fair to St. Hilda's - the all-boys colleges should admit girls now too.

Janny · 06-08-2006, 05:20 PM

I think the 'all-boys colleges' sunny referred to are private halls (Campion Hall and St. Benet's Hall, according to my 2006-7 prospectus). They are religious, only having academic staff for philosophy, theology, Church history, and one Dr. of English. St. Benet's have 40 undergraduates in total, compared with around 419 at St. Hilda's. Campion Hall has 2 undergraduates!

Dare I say it, but I believe you go there if you want to become a Jesuit priest... so that one's the Church's fault.

But you are right, there are inequalities, but ironically they're not at the all-male colleges.

To me, it just seems like the governors have an agenda (and everything I've seen said by them in the media just makes them look vaguely ditzy... which is really great for their stereotype...).

[Continued opinion] Colleges seem to select pupils not only on their grades, but on who they are. Colleges have identities, and want to attract a certain profile of student, since most students meet the entry requirements. St. Hilda's was very different for other colleges, providing for a different kind of student, and it will now no longer do that.

sun-star · 06-09-2006, 04:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nurvingiel

Some stats for UBC, from our campus newspaper:

http://www.ubyssey.bc.ca/article.sht...lechange.htmlf

Well, we have work to do, but at least we don't pretend there isn't a problem. I'm very surprised to learn that a university like Oxford pretends they don't have a problem.

Now that I think about it though, Oxford is famous for academic excellence and for having been around for a long time. I don't think they're considered a "cutting edge" university (certainly not by me now!). Now we know why.

Very true! Oxford may be quite possibly the least cutting-edge place in the western world.

BTW, I have to say that "The Ubyssey" is a great name for your campus newspaper

Butterbeer · 06-09-2006, 04:27 AM

great name St Hildas!!

Is it anything like St trinians?

heh - anyone ever see any of those old Will hay films? I loved those!!

best, BB

Sunstar

- looking forward to the world cup??

and heh - isn't hot and sunny!!!

great!

best BB

sun-star · 06-09-2006, 04:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Butterbeer

great name St Hildas!!

Is it anything like St trinians?

heh - anyone ever see any of those old Will hay films? I loved those!!

best, BB

I'm sure when boys do apply to come to St Hildas, it'll be because they hope it's like those films

Quote:

Sunstar - looking forward to the world cup??

and heh - isn't hot and sunny!!!

great!

best BB

Looking forward to Wimbledon, not so keen on the world cup

I'm loving this weather though!

Butterbeer · 06-09-2006, 04:31 AM

sssh! don't mention Wimbledon ...

*oh my gawd ... looks outta da window .. yes i think i can see a cloud forming on the horizon already .... sssshhh!!!!*

sun-star · 06-09-2006, 04:42 AM

Oops, sorry

The Gaffer · 06-19-2006, 06:03 PM

What will we call the Hildebeests when they let blokes in?

Was at Sti Hilda's a few weeks ago. Very nice frontage.

Janny · 06-22-2006, 05:19 PM

I think that they should have given the people who opposed it some kind of trade off. Ok, we'll let men in, but we're changing the name to 'St. Hilda's College for Women'.

06-07-2006, 05:54 PM	#1
Janny The Blobbit Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Kent, England (Not Oxford! ... yet...) Posts: 1,596	St Hilda's goes co-ed St Hilda's - BBC St Hilda's College, Oxford, the only remaining single sex college at the University has decided to admit boys. The MCR (the association of post-grad students at the college (ish)) opposed the decision, and the JCR (the one for undergrads) only supported the decision narrowly. The question is whether this was the right decision to make. Do they lose something unique? And is it worth for any financial or image gain? sun-star will elaborate... __________________ Janny's Songs Janny's lyrics and random photographs Tradition means giving votes to the most obscure of all classes, our ancestors. It is the democracy of the dead. Tradition refuses to submit to the small and arrogant oligarchy of those who happen to be walking about. ~ Mercutio... erm, GK Chesterton.

06-07-2006, 08:50 PM	#3
Gwaimir Windgem Dread Mothy Lord and Halfwitted Apprentice Loremaster Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Thomas Aquinas College, Santa Paula, CA Posts: 10,820	Come ON, people. Have we reached the point now where MEN are being opressed by the women, and need to be liberated and given equal opportunities? Feminism has not gone so far, and this is just silly. Sheesh... __________________ Crux fidelis, inter omnes arbor una nobilis. Nulla talem silva profert, fronde, flore, germine. Dulce lignum, dulce clavo, dulce pondus sustinens. 'With a melon?' - Eric Idle

06-08-2006, 05:20 PM	#6
Janny The Blobbit Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Kent, England (Not Oxford! ... yet...) Posts: 1,596	I think the 'all-boys colleges' sunny referred to are private halls (Campion Hall and St. Benet's Hall, according to my 2006-7 prospectus). They are religious, only having academic staff for philosophy, theology, Church history, and one Dr. of English. St. Benet's have 40 undergraduates in total, compared with around 419 at St. Hilda's. Campion Hall has 2 undergraduates! Dare I say it, but I believe you go there if you want to become a Jesuit priest... so that one's the Church's fault. But you are right, there are inequalities, but ironically they're not at the all-male colleges. To me, it just seems like the governors have an agenda (and everything I've seen said by them in the media just makes them look vaguely ditzy... which is really great for their stereotype...). [Continued opinion] Colleges seem to select pupils not only on their grades, but on who they are. Colleges have identities, and want to attract a certain profile of student, since most students meet the entry requirements. St. Hilda's was very different for other colleges, providing for a different kind of student, and it will now no longer do that. __________________ Janny's Songs Janny's lyrics and random photographs Tradition means giving votes to the most obscure of all classes, our ancestors. It is the democracy of the dead. Tradition refuses to submit to the small and arrogant oligarchy of those who happen to be walking about. ~ Mercutio... erm, GK Chesterton.

06-09-2006, 04:27 AM	#8
Butterbeer Elf Lord Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: here and there Posts: 3,514	great name St Hildas!! Is it anything like St trinians? heh - anyone ever see any of those old Will hay films? I loved those!! best, BB Sunstar - looking forward to the world cup?? and heh - isn't hot and sunny!!! great! best BB Last edited by Butterbeer : 06-09-2006 at 04:29 AM.

06-09-2006, 04:42 AM	#11
sun-star Lady of Letters Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Either Oxford or Kent, England Posts: 2,476	Oops, sorry __________________ And all the time the waves, the waves, the waves Chase, intersect and flatten on the sand As they have done for centuries, as they will For centuries to come, when not a soul Is left to picnic on the blazing rocks, When England is not England, when mankind Has blown himself to pieces. Still the sea, Consolingly disastrous, will return While the strange starfish, hugely magnified, Waits in the jewelled basin of a pool.

06-09-2006, 04:31 AM	#10
Butterbeer Elf Lord Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: here and there Posts: 3,514	sssh! don't mention Wimbledon ... oh my gawd ... looks outta da window .. yes i think i can see a cloud forming on the horizon already .... sssshhh!!!!

06-19-2006, 06:03 PM	#12
The Gaffer Elf Lord Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: In me taters Posts: 3,288	What will we call the Hildebeests when they let blokes in? Was at Sti Hilda's a few weeks ago. Very nice frontage.

06-22-2006, 05:19 PM	#13
Janny The Blobbit Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Kent, England (Not Oxford! ... yet...) Posts: 1,596	I think that they should have given the people who opposed it some kind of trade off. Ok, we'll let men in, but we're changing the name to 'St. Hilda's College for Women'. __________________ Janny's Songs Janny's lyrics and random photographs Tradition means giving votes to the most obscure of all classes, our ancestors. It is the democracy of the dead. Tradition refuses to submit to the small and arrogant oligarchy of those who happen to be walking about. ~ Mercutio... erm, GK Chesterton.