University of Virginia Library

Males Better Investment

Fry Favors Slow Coeducation

By Jeff Ruggles

"It is better for Virginia to
remain a step behind other fast-moving
universities, so that we can
avoid making any potentially
disastrous mistakes," said Charles
L. Fry, Jr., B.A., Ph.D., and
Assistant Professor of Psychology,
in speaking of the University's
moves towards coeducation and the
effects it will have on the school.
Mr. Fry further stated that he
believed we should take only "one
step at a time" in gradually
becoming a co-ed institution.
Specifically, he approved of the
school's plans to admit women
until eventually a ratio of
approximately two males to every
female is reached in 1980. Mr. Fry
declined to take a stand on the
direction of coeducation after
1980, saying we will have to wait
and see how things turn out.

Mr. Fry commented on the
proposed 65 to 35 ratio of male to
female undergraduates, attacked in
some quarters as a quota system.
Realistically, he said, when it comes
to education, males are
economically a better investment.
A male will take his degree and
start his career either immediately
or after two or three years of
service, whereas a female may,
because of marriage and the duties
of the home, either not finish her
degree or else not start a career for
many years. A sizable portion of
tuition comes from government or
other sources besides the student,
and these sources would like to get
their money's worth, so to speak,
of graduates to fill needed positions
in society.

"This is a man's society," Mr.
Fry stated. He said that the
educational system tends to
substantiate his claim. "The
greatest universities are either all
male, or overwhelmingly male," he
said.

He said that if the University
were to admit students on their
qualifications rather than their sex,
"the University would soon become
almost entirely made up of
females." He explained that female
students who are unable to attend
quality institutions at the present
because of quota systems would
come to the University and
"overwhelm" the male population.

"One school alone can not break
the tradition of male dominance,"
said Mr. Fry. He suggested that it
would take a fundamental and
wide-reaching change, such as a
Supreme Court decision.

He said that the presence of
women at the University may have
some unexpected effects on school
life, as well as the obvious social
ones. Mr. Fry explained that since
the University will be more
selective with girls, it is possible
that males might find themselves
out-performed academically and
possibly politically.

However, Mr. Fry believes that
the University has an obligation to
provide an all-round education for
its students. This includes normal,
everyday relationships with
females. He argued that a date on a
weekend is far from enough contact
with females, "because the
situation is basically artificial, and
the daters are forced to sell
themselves to each other rather
than be themselves."

He added that situations like
these are not relaxed and do not
help to prepare either for marriage,
or adult relationships.

He said that a boy coming from
a male prep school is even more at a
disadvantage, and the University
has a responsibility to try to help
him and make up for his lack of
preparation.

"Through coeducation people in
this position can learn a great deal
just from living in everyday
situations with members of the
opposite sex," said Mr. Fry.

He also talked about the phobia
on the Grounds of "creeping
State-Uism." He seemed to think
that the University's policy of
excluding women is a distinctive
element that separates it from other
state universities.

"But the benefits received by
the students from coeducation
would more than offset the feeling
of State-Uism which may occur
with the admission of women,"
added Mr. Fry.

The psychologist said that the
University should try to keep up
with the times, and that the
"damage" done to the students at
the University by remaining
primarily all male would be greater
than whatever might come from
State-Uism.