All Entries in the "Women’s Colleges" Category
St. Mary’s College Reverses Its Decision to Admit Any Student Who Identifies as a Woman
In an email to the college’s community, Saint Mary’s College President Katie Conboy said the university is reverting back to its prior policy of only admitting biological women.
Texas Woman’s University Joins the Houston Guided Pathways to Success Consortium
As a Houston GPS member, Texas Woman’s University will partner with community colleges in offering streamlined pathways to its bachelor’s programs and ultimately, toward graduation.
Wellesley College Is One of Seven Educational Institutions Being Investigated for Anti-Semitism
An email sent out by resident advisors at Wellesley stated “that there should be no space, no consideration, and no support for Zionism within the Wellesley College community.”
Meredith College Enters Partnership With North Carolina State University
Meredith College, a liberal arts educational institution for women in Raleigh, North Carolina, has entered into an agreement with North Carolina State University that provides priority admission into Meredith’s master’s degree in nutrition–accelerated dietitian nutritionist track to up to four qualified North Carolina State nutrition science undergraduate students.
U.S. News and World Report’s Latest Rankings of the Nation’s Top Women’s Colleges
Wellesley College in Massachusetts was ranked in a tie for fourth overall, behind only Williams College, Amherst College, and the U.S. Naval Academy, and was tied with Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania, and Pomona College in California. Barnard College in New York City jumped from 22nd place in 2020, to 17th place in 2021, and 18th place in 2022. This year Barnard is in a five-way tie for 11th place.
Seven Women’s Colleges Receive More Than $5 Million in Grants From NASA
NASA awarded more than $5 million in grants to seven women’s colleges and universities to research and develop strategies that increase the retention of women in STEM degree programs and careers. The awards seek to address the significant national gender gap and disparate experiences of women in STEM in the United States, both in higher education and the workforce.
Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania to Offer a New Major in Creative Writing
The major will offer core classes in fiction and poetry and others including writing for radio and podcasting, screenwriting, and visual poetry. In addition to core requirements in creative writing, the major will require academic study both in literatures in English, and in a series of allied courses in other departments.
National Endowment for the Humanities Awards Grants to Several Women’s Colleges
The National Endowment for the Humanities recently announced more than $30 million in grants to colleges, universities, nonprofit groups, and other organizations. Among the grantees are several women’s colleges.
Stephen College Teams Up With the University of Missouri for Equine Veterinary Health Program
Starting in fall 2024, Stephens College, a liberal arts educational institution for women in Columbia, Missouri, will partner with the neighboring University of Missouri to create Women in STEM Research at Stephens College, a biomedical research program for Stephens undergraduates, especially those interested in equine veterinary health careers.
Texas Woman’s University to Offer a New Bachelor’s Degree Program in Early Childhood Education
The program’s key feature is a focus on the unique needs of the young learner. Faculty will incorporate strategies for inclusion and diversity of families, cultures, languages, and abilities. With that foundation, graduates will be equipped to work with all students from various backgrounds.
Hollins University and Sweet Briar College Join the Women in STEM Alliance
Hollins University in Roanoke, Virginia, and Sweet Briar College in Virginia are founding partner institutions for a new women-focused professional development program that offers students technology and career readiness skills. The two women’s educational institutions are joining with technology company Cognosante to prepare women for careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
Meredith College Offers Dual-Degree Program in Aerospace Engineering With North Carolina State University
In the past, Meredith College students majoring in mathematics could earn a second bachelor’s degree in biological, biomedical, civil, computer, electrical, industrial, or mechanical engineering at North Carolina State University. Now for the first time, students at Meredith College that are majoring in mathematics can earn a second bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering.
Salem College Inks Partnerships With Two Law Schools for 3+3 Dual Degree Programs
Salem College, the liberal arts educational institution for women in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, has entered into agreements with the law schools at Elon University in North Carolina and Campbell University in Buies Creek, North Carolina, to offer accelerated dual degree programs.
Texas Woman’s University Launches “Zero Tuition” Initiative
Under the Zero Tuition plan, the university will meet any remaining expenses for any Texas student who qualifies for federal financial aid.
Wellesley College Opens New Science Center
Wellesley College, the highly rated liberal arts education for women in suburban Boston, recently opened its new Science Complex. The nearly 100,000-square-foot facility was the most significant construction project in Wellesley College’s history.
Mississippi University for Women to Consider Changing Its Name
The school was chartered in 1884. In 1920, the institution was renamed the Mississippi State College for Women. In 1974 the school was renamed again to Mississippi University for Women. In 1982, men were admitted to all programs. Today about 18 percent of the student body is male.
Hollins University Forms Partnership With Kenyatta University in Nairobi
Hollins University, a women’s educational institution in Roanoke, Virginia, is working with one of Kenya’s leading universities to offer students experiential learning options in Africa.
Another One Bites the Dust: Notre Dame of Maryland University to Transition to Co-Education
Notre Dame of Maryland University has announced that it will transition to a fully co-educational institution for the fall of 2023. Founded in 1895 by the School Sisters of Notre Dame, the college made its first inroads into co-education by establishing a weekend college for both men and women. The university offers a wide range of graduate programs, which are open to men.
Where Do Women’s Colleges Stand in This Year’s U.S. News & World Report Rankings?
In the rankings of the top 50 best liberal arts colleges in the nation, Wellesley College in Massachusetts was ranked fifth overall. Only Williams College and Amherst College, both in Massachusetts, Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania, and Pomona College in California ranked higher.
Cedar Crest College Offers a New MBA Program With a Focus on Women’s Leadership
The new program at Cedar Crest College in Allentown, Pennsylvania, will prepare students to navigate gender-related challenges in the workplace. Courses will address systematic challenges to gender equity in the workplace, including wage gaps, broken advancement paths, assertiveness, representation, and more.
Women’s College in North Carolina Removes Name of Former Trustee From Campus Building
The board of trustees of Meredith College in Raleigh recently announced that “Joyner Hall, is named for an individual who advocated for white supremacy and unequal funding for schools based on race. The racist ideas James Yadkin Joyner, who served as a trustee for 55 years, stood for throughout his lifetime, are antithetical to Meredith College’s mission, vision, and values.”
Cathy Young Will Be the Next President of Moore College of Art and Design in Philadelphia
Cathy Young currently serves as executive director and senior vice president of Boston Conservatory at Berklee in Massachusetts. Earlier, she was a tenured professor of dance at Ursinus College in Pennsylvania. She will begin her new job on July 1.
Cottey College Enters Partnership With the University of Missouri-Kansas City
The University of Missouri-Kansas City and Cottey College, a women’s college in Nevada, Missouri, have partnered together to offer Cottey students an easy transfer into the university’s School of Computing and Engineering.
Texas Woman’s University to Offer a New Bachelor’s Degree Program in Gender Studies
The multicultural women’s and gender studies program at Texas Woman’s University in Denton has offered a master’s degree and a doctoral degree program as well as a graduate certificate and an undergraduate minor. Now, pending an expected approval from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, Texas Woman’s University will have a new bachelor’s degree in gender studies.
Meredith College Teams Up With William Peace University for a Joint Bachelor’s/MBA Degree Program
Meredith College, an institution that focuses on the education of women in Raleigh, North Carolina, and William Peace University, also in Raleigh, have formalized an agreement that provides a new, accelerated degree option where students at William Peace University will be able to complete a bachelorʼs degree and earn an MBA from Meredith College in five years.
Hollins University in Roanoke, Virginia, Receives the Largest Donation Ever Made to a Women’s College
Hollins University, the liberal arts educational institution for women in Roanoke, Virginia, received a $75 million gift from an alumna of the university who prefers to remain anonymous. The gift is the largest donation in the history of the university and is thought to be the largest gift ever made to a women’s college.
Barnard College Looks to Expand Opportunities for Women in the Investment Industry
Bridgewater Associates, an asset management firm, has entered into a partnership with Barnard College, a highly selective liberal arts educational institution for women in New York City. The “New Pathways Powered by Bridgewater” initiative will provide financial support for young women pursuing academic study in economics, math, statistics, and computer science, with the goal of encouraging more women to enter the investment industry.
A New Home for the Institute of Women’s Leadership at Texas Woman’s University
The institute was originally created and funded by the Texas Legislature in 2015 as the Center for Women in Business. In 2017, the Legislature expanded the mission of the institute to include leadership training for women in the areas of business, public policy, public service, and scholarly research. The university recently opened a new headquarters for the center on campus.
A New $100 Million Health Science Center to Be Built on the Denton Campus of Texas Woman’s University
Carine M. Feyten, chancellor of Texas Woman’s University stated that the building would include classrooms, offices, clinical space, and laboratories and would replace existing health sciences facilities that require major repairs or renovation, or expansion to accommodate growing enrollment.
Leading Women’s College Eliminates Loans From Its Undergraduate Financial Aid Packages
Smith College’s financial aid program will make a new annual investment of $7 million, projected to bring the college’s total aid awarded next year to more than $90 million. All students receiving need-based institutional aid, which represents more than 60 percent of the student body, will receive an increase in their grant from the college.
Mills College Board of Trustees Approves Merger With Northeastern University
On September 14, the board of trustees of Mills College approved a merger of the women’s college with Northeastern University. The merger is expected to take effect on or about July 1, 2022, subject to regulatory and other approvals. When completed, Mills will become Mills College at Northeastern University, and the campus will be gender inclusive.
Sweet Briar College Reports Its Largest Incoming Group of Students Since 2013
After almost closing its doors in 2015, there were just 79 first-year women at Sweet Briar College in Virginia in 2017. This fall, Sweet Briar welcomed 205 new students, the college’s largest incoming group since 2013.
Mills College’s Proposed Merger With Northeastern University Hits a Roadblock
This past June, Northeastern University in Boston reached an agreement to acquire Mills College, a liberal arts educational institution for women in Oakland, California. The Save Mills College Coalition, a group of students, faculty, alumnae, and other friends of the college contends that the college has the resources to continue operations without the merger. A California judge has now blocked the merger until a hearing can be held.
Mississippi University for Women to Offer a New Degree Program in Psychology
Students at the Mississippi University for Women in Columbus will have the opportunity to earn a bachelor of science degree in psychology starting in the fall 2021 semester. The new program will require more math and sciences courses and fewer foreign language courses than the bachelor of arts degree program in psychology.
Northeastern University Throws a Lifeline to Mills College
In March 2021, Mills College, a liberal arts educational institution for women in Oakland, California, that was founded in 1853, announced plans to end degree programs and transition to an academic institute. Now Northeastern University in Boston has made a proposal to bring Mills College into its global community.
