University of Virginia Library

ADMISSION OF WOMEN TO THE COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

The Educational Policy Committee referred to the full Board without recommendation the plan for the admission of women to the College of Arts and Sciences. After considerable discussion a motion was made by Mr. Wheatley and seconded by Mr. Walker that the following resolution be and it is hereby adopted:

• WHEREAS, at its meeting on 15 February 1969 the Board of Visitors received the 31 January 1969 report of the standing Committee on the Future of the University as to the Feasibility and Means of Admitting Women to the College of Arts and Sciences at Charlottesville;
• WHEREAS, at such meeting the Board voted to remove the restrictions previously placed on the admission of women to the undergraduate schools at Charlottesville and directed, inter alia, the President to prepare a plan for such admission to become effective 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;
• WHEREAS, on 29 May 1969, Civil Action No. CA-220-69-R was filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, Richmond Division, by Mrs. Jo Anne Kirstein, et al, against The Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia, the Governor, and others, which action, inter alia, maintains that the constitutional rights of the plaintiffs and class of women which they represent have been denied because the University has precluded their admission to the College of Arts and Sciences.
• WHEREAS, by order of 8 September 1969 the United States District Judge Robert R. Merhige, Jr. ordered, inter alia, the University to consider applications of certain of the plaintiffs without regard to the applicants' sex and to admit the applicants should they meet the necessary requirements as prescribed for all other applicants to the College, and pursuant thereto the University considered the application for admission of Miss Virginia Anne Scott and deemed her eligible for admission, whereby she enrolled in the College of Arts and Sciences;
• WHEREAS, by order of a three-judge court composed of United States Circuit Judge J. Braxton Craven, Jr. and District Judges Robert R. Merhige, Jr. and John M. Mackensie dated 30 September 1969, such court has indicated its concern, without deciding the question, as to the constitutionality of the University's previous policy in restricting the admission of women to the College of Arts and Sciences at Charlottesville and has ordered, inter alia, the President of the University of Virginia to file with Judge Merhige by 31 October 1969 the plan finally adopted by the University of Virginia for the implementing of coeducation in the College of Arts and Sciences, and a report of progress and implementation of such plan; and
• WHEREAS, pursuant to the Board's resolution of 15 February 1969 the President has transmitted to the Board a report of the Committee on the Future of the University on the admission of women to the College of Arts and Sciences and the undergraduate schools at Charlottesville, and the Board having considered such report in light of the pending court action deems it necessary to reject the plan for admission of such women set forth in the report and to adopt a different plan;
• WHEREAS, the Board desires to make absolutely clear its intent in removing the restriction on the admission of women to the College of Arts and Sciences and the other schools at Charlottesville, and pursuant to the court order dated 30 September 1969 desires hereby to adopt a plan for such admission;
• NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED by The Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia:

(a) that in lieu of paragraphs (1) - (4), inclusive, of its resolution of 15 February 1969 on the admission of women appearing at page 100 of its minutes, the following paragraph is substituted nunc pro tunc and represents and hereby is declared to be then and now the policy of the University of Virginia:

"That the restrictions heretofore placed on the admission of women to the undergraduate schools at Charlottesville be and they hereby are unconditionally removed, so that there be no restriction on admission of women applicants to the University of Virginia at Charlottesville, including, without limitation, its College of Arts and Sciences and other undergraduate schools, other than the same restrictions imposed upon male applicants for admission to such schools, provided, only, that the number of women may be limited during such temporary transition period as may be determined necessary by the Board for the implementation of this resolution; and that all such applicants shall be considered irrespective of their sex;"

(b) that the report of the Committee on the Future of the University on the Admission of Women to the College of Arts and Sciences and the undergraduate schools at Charlottesville (entitled "Report on the Feasibility and Means of the Admission of Women to the College") together with the minority report of Kevin L. Mannix, be received and filed;

(c) that the University is committed to provide the best possible educational experience for all of its students; that as the adjustments necessitated by significant numbers of women predicted to be hereafter in attendance in the College of Arts and Sciences at Charlottesville are impossible of precise forecast, a transition period during the academic sessions 1970-71 and 1971-72 is thus deemed necessary; and to this end the President is instructed to direct the Dean of Admissions at the University of Virginia at Charlottesville to offer admission to such women applicants as may be qualified, and to so many as can reasonably be expected to result in the enrollment for the academic sessions of 1970-71 and 1971-72 of approximately: (i) 450 women in the academic session commencing in September 1970 and (ii) an additional 550 women in the academic session beginning September 1971 (such that the total estimated enrollment of women in the 1971-72 session will be 1000); and that for each academic session beginning with the 1972-73 session, there shall be no limitation on the number of women to be admitted either as entering or transfer students within the overall limitation of the total number of all such male and female entering or transfer students; and that this constitutes the University of Virginia's plan for the admission of women as required by order of the special three-judge federal court dated 30 September 1969.

Following the adoption of the resolution on the Admission of Women to the College of Arts and Sciences, Chancellor Grellet C. Simpson reported on the possible affects of the court action on the status of Mary Washington College. After discussion the following resolution was adopted:

• RESOLVED by The Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia that at the next session of the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Virginia, the President is authorized and directed to request appropriate legislators to introduce legislation to delete the phrase "for women" from the Code of Virginia Section 23-86 pertaining to Mary Washington College, and to introduce conforming amendments to associated sections of the Code.