In late July, the Peace College Board of Trustees announced that Peace College, a small women’s college in Raleigh, NC, plans to become William Peace University—and to admit men to all its undergraduate programs for the first time in its 154-year history. Our Friday poll (see below) gives you a chance to comment on the significance of the decision.
Peace College is one of many women’s schools that converted to co-education in recent years. The number of women’s colleges in the United States shrank from over 200 in 1960 to fewer than 70 today.
Debra Townsley, who became president of Peace a year ago, says the changes are necessary for the 600-student private school because its revenue model depends heavily on tuition and enrollment. Tuition accounts for more than 80 percent of revenue at Peace; its endowment generates about 11 percent; and unrestricted annual fundraising generates about 1 percent to 3 percent, Townsley says. The board also cited evidence that only 2 percent of women students will even consider attending a women’s college—vastly shrinking the pool of possible students.
Charles Duncan, a faculty member at Peace College, defended the changes in the Raleigh News & Observer, citing budget woes: “the sad truth is that…over the last 12 years (not including this one), the percentage of our budget spent on academics has been reduced by almost half. Although I believe the faculty and staff here have worked overtime to provide a high-quality education for our students, doing so was becoming more and more difficult.”
But not everyone agrees with the changes. Some donors are ending their long-term support of the school in response to its decision to admit men. Philanthropy Journal interviewed several formerly generous alumnae who plan to end their annual giving to the school. Alumnae also object to the secrecy in which the decision was made. There is even an alumnae-based group dedicated to opposing the recent changes: Preserving Peace College’s Legacy.
Take our poll to tell us what you think!