The following recommendation was made by the president and administrative staff of Grove College, a private institution, to the college’s governing committee.” Recently, there have been discussions about ending Grove College’s century-old tradition of all-female education by admitting male students into our programs. At a recent faculty meeting, a majority of faculty members voted in favor of coeducation, arguing that it would encourage more students to apply to Grove. However, Grove students, both past and present, are against the idea of coeducation. Eighty percent of the students responding to a survey conducted by the student government wanted the school to remain all female, and over half of the alumnae who answered a separate survey also opposed coeducation. Therefore, we recommend maintaining Grove College’s tradition of all-female education. We predict that keeping the college all-female will improve morale among students and convince alumnae to keep supporting the college financially.”

The following recommendation was made by the president and administrative staff of Grove College, a private institution, to the college’s governing committee.

“Recently, there have been discussions about ending Grove College’s century-old tradition of all-female education by admitting male students into our programs. At a recent faculty meeting, a majority of faculty members voted in favor of coeducation, arguing that it would encourage more students to apply to Grove. However, Grove students, both past and present, are against the idea of coeducation. Eighty percent of the students responding to a survey conducted by the student government wanted the school to remain all female, and over half of the alumnae who answered a separate survey also opposed coeducation. Therefore, we recommend maintaining Grove College’s tradition of all-female education. We predict that keeping the college all-female will improve morale among students and convince alumnae to keep supporting the college financially.”

Write a response in which you discuss what questions would need to be answered in order to decide whether the recommendation is likely to have the predicted result. Be sure to explain how the answers to these questions would help to evaluate the recommendation.

The recommendation by the president and his administrative staff to admitting male students into Grove College’s programs is well-intentioned, and the college’s governing committee should seriously consider the proposal. However, there are several factors that the administrators should keep in mind before moving forward. First of all, the faculty members’ rationale that more students would apply if they were allowed to study alongside women is based on a false premise. Indeed, the administrators may find that the current student body will not be swayed by the prospect of coeducation; rather, students may be more interested in the school’s high quality programs, low tuition costs, and unique atmosphere, all of which are exclusive to Grove College. Furthermore, the recommendation assumes that female students are against coeducation, but the administration should take into account the opinions of female students, since they may respond differently to the change. If the administrators truly wish to improve the student body’s morale, they should begin thinking of ways in which they can attract more female students to the college. Perhaps the college’s professors could consider revising their curriculum to include more gender-neutral subjects, or they could combine classes such that female students are not required to take classes with male students. If the administration truly believes that coeducation will not adversely affect the Grove College experience, then it may be worth experimenting with coeducation on a limited scale, such as by allowing a small number of male students to attend one semester.

If the administrators do decide to go ahead with the coeducation plan, they should be certain that their decision is in tune with the desires of both the students and faculty. If the administration is confident that coeducation will be beneficial to the college, then they should decide on the number of male students that they would like to admit, but for the time being, they should postpone the implementation. A more thorough examination of the college’s student body, both current and alumni, will reveal how serious of a threat coeducation may pose to the institution.