University of Virginia Library

ADMISSION OF WOMEN TO THE COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

As provided in the minutes of the meeting of the Board of Visitors on 14 December 1968, at which time the Board stated that it would "act upon the principles of the [Woody Committee Report] at the February meeting," the Board proceeded to a discussion of the question. The Rector noted that the Educational Policy Committee on 14 February 1969 had heard statements on the proposal from interested alumni and from students and student leaders. The Rector noted further that the Committee on Educational Policy had recessed its meeting on 14 February until 9:00 a.m. on Saturday morning, 15 February 1969, at which time the Committee voted to report the matter to the full Board without recommendation. After a lengthy discussion the following resolutions were adopted:

• (1) Resolution on the Admission of Women Adopted by the Board of Visitors of the University of Virginia on 15 February 1969
• WHEREAS at its meeting on 8 April 1967 the Board of Visitors authorized the President "to conduct a study to determine whether there is a need for the admission of women to the College of Arts and Sciences at Charlottesville";
• WHEREAS the Special University Committee on the Admission of Women to the College of Arts and Sciences at Charlottesville, which was appointed by President Shannon to conduct the study under the chairmanship of Mr. T. Braxton Woody, recommended in its Report to the President in November 1968 "that present restrictions on the admission of women to the College of Arts and Sciences at Charlottesville be rescinded";
• WHEREAS the Board at its meeting on 14 December 1968, after considering the Report of the Woody Committee, directed the President to conduct a study of the feasibility of the admission of women, such study to be presented at the next meeting of the Board;
• WHEREAS the President subsequently requested the Standing Committee on the Future of the University to "study the feasibility and means of admitting women to the College of Arts and Sciences at Charlottesville," which Committee presented a preliminary Report to the President on 31 January 1969, a copy of which Report was mailed to each member of the Board;
• WHEREAS the Report of the Committee on the Future of the University set forth in essence the following proposals for the consideration of the President and the Board:
• A. Should the Board act to revise the policy on admission of women to the College, it should act simply to remove the restrictions on their admission to all undergraduate schools of the University.
• B. If the Board proceeds with such action, it adopt a set of general principles as University policy to guide the administrative officers and faculty in planning the enrollment of women.
• C. The following general principles are submitted for consideration:
• (1) Any change in the University's policy regarding the admission of women and their education should be implemented in a manner consistent with the University's Statement of Institutional Purpose adopted by the Board of Visitors on 5 June 1964.
• (2) The admission and enrollment of women in the College and other undergraduate schools should be phased into the projected growth of the University in an orderly and carefully planned fashion.
• (3) The ultimate goal should be a program which preserves the traditions of the University and which provides the optimum educational experience for the students within this framework. During the initial transition period, however, the enrollment of women must be carefully phased in such a fashion that the following objectives are maintained:
• (a) The number of qualified male applicants admitted should not be curtailed as a result of the admission of women.
• (b) The faculty and facilities of the University should not be burdened to the extent that the effectiveness of the educational program is impaired. In particular, an adequate lead time must be provided in the recruitment of such additional faculty and staff members as may be required.
• (4) The undergraduate coeducational operation which ultimately develops should be one, as with the graduate coeducational operation long in effect, under which the existing policy regarding the enrollment of out-of-state students is maintained. During the transition period, however, it may be necessary to give preference to women who are Virginians or even local residents.
• (5) The existing regulations regarding the admission of men to the undergraduate schools shall apply to the admission of women.
• WHEREAS the Legal Adviser of the University has furnished a legal opinion to the Board and the President that there is no statutory authority preventing the admission of women;
• WHEREAS the President has recommended to the Board that the recommendations of the Special Committee and the Committee on the Future of the University be approved;
• AND WHEREAS the Board is fully cognizant that the admission of women to the College of Arts and Sciences brings with it many complexities and ramifications in many areas including faculty, admission, facilities, and finances; that such a decision will institute some changes in the nature of the University; and that the Board is aware that careful implementation of the policy is of the utmost importance;
• NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED by The Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia:
• (1) That the restrictions heretofore placed on the admission of women to the undergraduate schools at Charlottesville be and they are hereby removed, subject to the conditions set forth below;
• (2) That the Board directs the President to prepare for submission to the Board not later than its meeting on 3 October 1969 a plan for the admission of women to the College of Arts and Sciences and the undergraduate schools at Charlottesville to become effective on 1 September 1970, such plan to be formulated generally in accordance with the principles recommended in the Report of the Committee on the Future of the University;
• (3) That in the formulation of the plan consideration be given to the impact of the admission of women to undergraduate divisions at Charlottesville upon other public women's colleges in Virginia and especially upon Mary Washington College of the University of Virginia; and
• (4) That the President include in the University's Biennial Budget Request to the Governor and the General Assembly for 1970-72 the funds necessary to implement the plan.
• (2) Resolution Relating to the Admission of Student's Wives and of Wives and Daughters of Staff Members
• RESOLVED by The Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia that, effective for the academic year 1969-1970, the wives of students and the wives and daughters of staff members shall be eligible for consideration for admission to the College of Arts and Sciences. Completed applications must be received no later than 1 April 1969. Admission shall be only to the upper division (third and fourth years) of the College of Arts and Sciences. All applicants must have successfully completed at least two years of college level work at an accredited institution and must satisfy existing requirements governing transfer students in the various schools.

Following the adoption of the resolutions, certain members of the Board requested and received permission to prepare a statement explaining their votes for inclusion in the permanent Minutes.

These statements are as follows:

Statement of Edwin L. Kendig, Jr.
18 February 1969

Mr. Weldon Cooper

Pavilion VIII, East Lawn

University of Virginia

Charlottesville, Virginia 22903

Dear Weldon:

As requested, I am submitting for the record my reason for casting a negative ballot on the question of coeducation at the University of Virginia. The resolution was, of course, proposed and adopted at the February, 1969, meeting of the Board.

My reason is as follows: Mr. Thomas Martin, president of the Board of Managers, appeared before the Committee on Educational Policy and requested that action on the matter of coeducation be deferred until the alumni of the University could be polled; it was and is my feeling that this courtesy should have been extended to Mr. Martin and to the alumni.

Statement of J. Sloan Kuykendall
17 February 1969

Mr. Weldon Cooper

Secretary

Board of Visitors

University of Virginia

Charlottesville, Virginia

Dear Weldon:

I enclose herewith a statement of my reasons for voting against the resolution proposed by the Administration for the admission of women to the Undergraduate School of the University of Virginia. You will recall that the Members of the Board were requested to state in writing their views respecting this resolution and thus save some time and trouble for you.

I enjoyed, of course, seeing you and Julia over the weekend and I am looking forward to our visit with you again in Fredericksburg.

With kind regards, I am

The attachment to Mr. Kuykendall's letter is as follows:

REASONS

I herewith state my reasons for opposing and voting against the proposed resolution calling for a change of a long-standing policy of the University of Virginia respecting the admission of women to the Undergraduate Schools at the University. My reasons for opposing this resolution are briefly stated as follows:

(1) Notwithstanding our general commitment to take some action at the February meeting of the Board respecting this problem, I feel that the Alumni of the University should have been afforded a further opportunity to present their views. It is my feeling that the Alumni should have been individually circularized and that specific inquiry should have been made regarding the view of each alumnus.

(2) After having an opportunity to study and give thought to the views expressed by interested Alumni I would then have been prepared to finally determine the best course for the University with respect to this problem. The Board was called upon to take action upon a resolution that would have required the University to depart from a longstanding and highly cherished tradition and I would not have favored such action unless I was persuaded that such a course would be to the best interest of the University. I had not reached a conclusion at the February meeting.

(3) It is my view that, if women are admitted to the Undergraduate Schools at the University, there should be no restriction on admission other than the same restrictions imposed upon male applicants for admission. I feel that the Board should have been limited to the question of whether policy should be changed, and if women are to be admitted the determination of who should be admitted should be left entirely to the Dean of Admissions and his advisors. I feel reasonably confident that if the University establishes a policy of maintaining a fixed ratio of male students to female students the University may be in the posture of discriminating and there may be trouble in the courts later.

Statement of William S. Potter
18 February 1969

Mr. Weldon Cooper

Pavilion VIII, East Lawn

University of Virginia

Charlottesville, Virginia 22903

Dear Weldon:

At the meeting of the Board of Visitors on February 15 persons who voted in the negative on the resolution for the admission of women were instructed to write you the reasons for their negative vote. I voted in the negative for three reasons:

First: I am not persuaded of either the need or the desirability for the admission of women to the College of Arts and Sciences at Charlottesville.

Second: I have not been sufficiently informed as to the feasibility of the proposed program, or of the method of implementing it.

Third: I am convinced that no adequate opportunity has been given the alumni to express themselves on the subject.

I will appreciate it very much if the above reasons are set forth in the minutes of the meeting.

Statement of J. Harvie Wilkinson, Jr.
February 21, 1969

Mr. Weldon Cooper, Secretary

Board of Visitors

Pavilion VIII, East Lawn

University of Virginia

Charlottesville, Virginia 22903

Dear Weldon:

I believe the attached fairly represents my views which I would like to have recorded in the minutes.

Warm regards.

Always sincerely,

J. Harvie Wilkinson, Jr.

Chairman of the Board

JHWJr:mpw

Enc.

The attachment to Mr. Wilkinson's letter is as follows:

Visitor Wilkinson stated that he was prepared to vote in principle for co-education. He was, however, unwilling to vote at this meeting to inaugurate co-education in the absence of adequate feasibility studies. He stated that the University was seeking to move forward on many fronts and that inevitably there had to be priorities. These could not be wisely set in the absence of good estimates of the cost of co-education. Accordingly, he voted "No" on the resolution.

February 21, 1969