Randolph College

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Randolph College is a private coeducational liberal arts college located in Lynchburg, Virginia. It was founded in 1891 as the woman's college Randolph-Macon Woman's College. It was re-named Randolph College on July 1, 2007, when it became coeducational.

[edit] History

The college was founded by William Waugh Smith, then-president of Randolph-Macon College, under Randolph-Macon's charter after failing to convince R-MC to become co-educational. Randolph-Macon Woman's College and R-MC were governed by a separate board of trustees beginning in 1953. Randolph-Macon Woman's College had historic ties to the United Methodist Church. After many attempts to find a location for Randolph-Macon Woman's College, the city of Lynchburg donated the property for the purpose of establishing a women's college. In 1916, it became the first women's college in the South to earn a Phi Beta Kappa charter. [1]

[edit] Coeducation

See main: Question of coeducation and women's colleges:21st century

On 9 September, 2006, the school announced the adoption of a new strategic plan which included a platform for a global honors emphasis and coeducation. The school became coeducational on July 1, 2007.

A letter in the 17 September 2006 issue of the Washington Post claims that the college decided to become coeducational because it felt that the market for women's colleges has decreased.^[1]

There were numerous protests on campus including rallies, blocking administrative offices, mass requests for transfer transcripts, banners all over campus, striking from classes, and participation in quiet protest to highlight lack of student voices in the board of trustee votes.^[2][3]

This led to the formation of a non-profit "Preserve Education Choice" (PEC),^[4] comprising students, faculty, and alumnae who are trying to reverse the decision. Two lawsuits were filed by Preserve Educational Choice.^[5] On January 23, 2007, both lawsuits were dismissed in Lynchburg Circuit Court.^[6] A 2 July 2007 article announced that PEC raised enough money to appeal both dismissals.^[7] A 09 July 2007 article announced that a group of nine students brought the case to the Virginia Supreme Court where "Richmond lawyer Wyatt B. Durrette Jr. asked the state's high court to grant an appeal of the group's lawsuit, which Lynchburg Circuit Judge Leyburn Mosby Jr. dismissed in January."^[8]

On 30 June 2007, professor emeritus of romance languages, Charlotte Stern, published the 24 page letter, How the Board of Trustees Hijacked R-MWC Right Before Our Eyes: An Open Letter to the R-MWC Community on the website, Preserve Educational Change.^[9] This letter was "endorsed by 19 others, ranging from alumnae, former professors and a former president of Randolph's board of trustees. Dated June 30, the letter was sent to former and current faculty, administration and trustees, and widely circulated among alumnae."^[10] The 21 July 2007 The News & Advance article, She said, she said: The coed debate broken down, summarized a few points of the letter and included responses from Randolph College.^[11] The article also referenced, Ginger Hill Worden, Interim President, responds to What Every Trustee Should Know and 20 Reasons Why You Should Change Your Vote, a response published on the college website, which discussed earlier debates concerning the decision to adopt coeducation.^[12]

The Virginia Supreme Court agreed to hear appeals in both the student contract and charitable trust cases. The Court affirmed the trial court's decision in both cases in opinions issued June 6, 2008.^[13]

[edit] Notable people

[edit] Presidents

• John Klein 2007-Present
• Ginger H. Worden '69 (Interim President), 2006–2007
• Kathleen Gill Bowman, 1994–2006
• Lambuth M. Clarke, 1993–1994
• Linda Koch Lorimer, 1987–1993
• Robert A. Spivey, 1978–1987
• William F. Quillian, Jr., 1952–1978
• Theodore H. Jack, 1933–1952
• N.A. Pattillo, 1931–1933
• Dice Robins Anderson, 1920–1931
• William A. Webb, 1913–1919
• William Waugh Smith, 1891–1912 [2]

[edit] Notable alumnae

[edit] Traditions

One of the college's oldest traditions is the Even/Odd rivalry. The year the student graduates denotes whether they are an Even or an Odd. The two staircases in Main Hall lobby are known as the "Even Stairs" on the left and "Odd Stairs" on the right. According to superstition, a student who uses the wrong set of stairs will not graduate. The class of 1903 unofficially established the Odd/Even tradition by adopting the class of 1905 as "little sisters."

The campus symbol of the Odd classes is the "Odd Tree", located on the college's front lawn. Legend has it that the original Odd Tree was viciously burned down by Evens. A large cement replica of the trunk now stands in the spot where the original tree stood. The Odd symbols are the witch and the devil. Their colors are red, grey and blue. Their spirit organization is the Gamma 13 founded by the class of 1913.

The "Even Post" in front of Main Hall serves as a symbol of the Even classes. Dr. William Waugh Smith tied his horse, Mr. Buttons, to this hitching post every day. The Evens also adopted Dr. Smith's dog, Mr. Bones, as a mascot. Symbols of the Even classes are buttons (after the horse) and bones (after the dog). Their colors are green, white and tan. Their spirit organization is called the Etas.

Members of the Odd and Even classes attempt to keep their respective tree and post clean and white, while striving to spraypaint or otherwise deface the symbol of their rival class.

Throughout the semester Skeller Sings are held between the Odd and Even classes. The senior spirit group stands on the stage in the Student Center to lead their sister class with class songs. The junior spirit group is sent to the stairs to lead their class respectively. At the end of the Skeller Sing, both the Etas and the Gammas come together to sing the Song of Syncopation and the school song.

Even or Odd Day is celebrated during the spring term. Members of First Year Board secretly decorate the campus the night of Even/Odd Day to surprise their sister class. The Evens and the Odds then face off at dinner time with a water balloon fight.

"Bury the Hatchet" is celebrated at the end of the spring semester before graduation. A senior presents a hatchet to the most spirited junior to symbolize the Odds and Evens coming together in friendship at the end of the academic year.

[edit] Ring Week

Ring Week, held in November, is celebrated by juniors and their sister class, the first-years. The week begins with junior draw, when the juniors are picked by members of the first-year class. Throughout the week, the first-year will leave the junior gifts anonymously, and decorate their door. At the end of the week the juniors have a class dinner before taking part in a campus-wide scavenger hunt created by their first-years. The juniors are then presented with their class ring. Sometimes the first-year will have the junior complete a final task before receiving her ring such as breaking open a piñata, digging through Jell-O, or dancing outrageously.

[edit] Pumpkin Parade

Pumpkin Parade is celebrated by seniors and sophomores in October. Sophomores select a senior to secretly leave presents for during the week leading up to Pumpkin Parade. At the end of the week, the sophomore presents a carved pumpkin to her senior. The seniors, dressed in their graduation robes, carry their lighted pumpkins on a parade along the Crush Path across front campus. The parade ends on the steps of Moore Hall. There the senior and sophomore classes serenade one another with class and school songs.

[edit] Other Traditions

Never Ending Weekend is celebrated during the fall semester. The weekend begins on Friday with Tacky Party, a dance party where the attendants aspire to dress in the tackiest outfits possible. The Fall Formal dance follows on Saturday night.

Holiday dinner is celebrated during the last week of the fall semester. Sister classes dine together in dining hall, which is decorated for the occasion. At the end of the meal, students stand on their chairs and sing holiday songs. The evening is closed with the singing of the school song.

The Greek play has been a college tradition since 1909. Every other year a traditional Greek play is performed in the Dell, an outside amphitheater. The Greek play is unique to Randolph College and is run by Dr. Amy Cohen of the Classics department.

In addition to the traditions described above the college is host to many others including: senior dinner dance, Founder’s Day, MacDoodle Day, and Christmas vespers.

[edit] Maier Museum of Art

The college's art collection is housed in the Maier Museum of Art[3]. Randolph-Macon Woman's College was chosen in 1951 to be the site of a confidential storage facility to be used by the National Gallery of Art in the event of a national emergency. The college signed a 50 year contract with the gallery and began work on "Project Y." The construction was finished in 1952, and the museum was dedicated later that year. The Maier Museum of Art specializes in American artwork. The collection includes:

• George Wesley Bellow's Men of the Docks, the first purchase made by the Randolph-Macon Art Association in 1920, and the most valuable piece in the collection.
• Red Umbrella, by Colleen Browning. This painting was a gift from the Cynthia L. Hellman Memorial Fund in 1973.
• The Peaceable Kingdom, by Edward Hicks. Phyllis Crawford, class of 1920, donated this painting.
• Mrs. Scott's House, by Edward Hopper. The Louise Jordan Smith Fund purchased this painting in 1936.
• Yellow Cactus, by Georgia O'Keefe, was also purchased by the Louise Jordan Smith Fund in 1944.
• Gilbert Stuart's portrait of Mrs. Robert Hooper, circa 1811, was purchased in by the Fine Arts Fund and Dr. and Mrs. Ben T. Bell in 1961.

On 1 October 2007, the Board of Trustees of the college announced a decision to sell at public auction the above mentioned Men of the Docks and The Peaceable Kingdom, along with Ernest Hennings' Through the Arroyo, and Rufino Tamayo’s Troubador. The sale of these pieces, at Christie's in New York in November 2007, is expected to raise at least $32 Million, to be invested in the college's endowment to help offset the continuing financial difficulties facing the college.^[14] The decision was met with criticism by alumnae who have been strongly opposed to the sale since it was first mooted earlier in the year, and triggered the resignation on 2 October of the museum's director Karol Lawson, making her the third Randolph College employee to publicly resign in 2007 over the college's handling of the art collection.^[15]

The Maier Museum is open from 1 to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday during the academic year, and 1 to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday during the summer months. Admission is free, but donations are welcome.

[edit] Special programs

[edit] University of Reading

Since 1968, Randolph-Macon Woman's College has provided a junior year of study at the University of Reading, England. Each year approximately 30 to 35 students are selected for the program.

In 2005, the administration announced its decision to discontinue the Reading program as of June 2006. Rising costs, increased interest in locations other than England, and preferences for semester-long or shorter study abroad programs were cited as reasons for this decision.^[16] However, protests and pledges of donations from alumnae led the college to continue the Reading program through the 2006-2007 school year. The future of the Reading program remains uncertain.

The Reading program was allowed to continue again for the school year 2007-2008 and currently has 28 participants attending. The school has published new brochures calling the program “Randolph College Abroad: The World in Britain”[4]. From the links on the school website, it appears they are re-evaluating this program to be part of the their Global Honors.

[edit] American Culture

A major in American Culture offers Randolph College students the opportunity to study American society and culture by drawing upon resources, techniques, and approaches from a variety of disciplines. The American Culture program also accepts visiting students from other American colleges and universities for a one-semester intensive study of a particular theme and region, including literature, art, history, and travel components. As of October 25, 2007, the board of Trustees plans to cut the American Culture Major, as well as other departments (most notably Anthropology) in an effort to improve the student-to-faculty ratio by decreasing faculty and hopefully increasing enrollment due to the attractiveness of a high student-to-faculty ratio. Unlike rumor, however, the actual American Culture Program will not be cut.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Randolph College
• Information about the name change to Randolph College
• Preserve Educational Choice Non-profit supporting legal fight to preserve Randolph-Macon Woman's College as single-sex institution
• Alumnae Association website