Not a Marketing Issue

Until a few days ago, I knew very little about the merger between Mills College and Northeastern. As an attendee of a historically womens’ college (HWC) I keep abreast of general news surrounding these institutions. But discourse behind the merger was a mystery to me until someone informed me about the All4Mills movement, made up mainly of alumnae trying to prevent the takeover of Mills by Northeastern. Initially, I didn’t consider writing an op-ed about another college’s happenings. As a queer Smithie, however, I felt compelled to speak out after reading Mills alumnae citing Smith College as another HWC stigmatized by queerness. 

A letter from the “Whither Mills” session at the Mills’ 2021 reunion states:

Members of our group expressed the view that 58% of the entering Mills class identifying as LGBTQ may pose a marketing problem for Mills in the future. A majority LGBTQ educational niche, while welcoming to some, may be off-putting to other applicants. The stigma that Smith and other colleges have faced in the recruiting and college application process must have hurt Mills’ ability to recruit international students and many other students, too.

To add insult to injury, one member wrote:

 I think the reluctance of many potential Mills students may result from the fear that they would be entering a closed social and political environment with nearly two-thirds of the student body identifying as sexual minorities. If there had been large enough pool of academically talented LGBTQ applicants who wished to attend a college where they formed the majority, however, Mills would not be in the current position of lowered selectivity and academic standards. So I really do see this as a marketing issue above all.

In terms of the accuracy of this argument: the recently graduated Smith class of 2021 had a record number of applicants in their year at 5,432 applicants. Last year Smith had 5,249 applicants. In terms of the numbers game, Smith is doing just fine. 

Unfortunately, I’ve heard this statement before—from older Smithies who talk frequently about Smith being a “completely different place,” not so subtly attributing this change to the overt queerness on campus; from an ’80s graduate who told me that that she felt alienated as a straight person on campus; from prospective students from my high school voicing concern about attending a “gay college.”

I want to start off by stating the obvious: not everybody here is queer. There are a great deal of straight, cis women with whom I interact often and who voice no discomfort with the culture. I will admit that Smith can become a bubble, like any other small college. There is a queer culture here, but when people refer to this as being “off-putting to applicants,” I wonder why a community of queer people is off-putting to them. 

HWCs were founded in a time when (predominantly white) women couldn’t get an education at other institutions and where they could, they faced discrimination and harassment from peers and professors. While neither general sexism nor sexism in academia are eradicated, it’s a far cry from the state of education that prompted Sophia Smith to found a college in 1871. Now, according to the Association of American Universities’ 2019 Campus Climate Survey, non-heterosexual students are more likely to experience harrassment than heterosexual students. Furthermore, according to a study by Purdue University, 28.4% of queer students have considered dropping out of college and 42.8% of queer students as “below average/lowest 10%.” Why, now, should these institutions turn their backs on a community discriminated against on the basis of sexuality?

Mills College made history in 2014 when it became the first same-sex college in the U.S. to explicitly admit transgender students. That precedent inspired twenty HWCs in the United States to admit trans students, including Smith College. Unfortunately, this monumental decision was met with mixed reactions. I’ve had conversations with older alumnae (and other older adults) about trans students at Smith, which varied in tone from confusion to distaste. I understand that notions of nonbinary and transgender identities can be confusing to those who are unused to the concept. Still, I believe that prejudice against trans and nonbinary students at historically womens’ institutions are antithetical to those instutions’ values. It’s upsetting to see those who have benefited from inclusivity at these institutions turn their backs on those who are often discriminated against.

I want to end on a personal note: I am a queer student at Smith College. I only came out publicly after entering college and the queer community I found at Smith was a huge reason for that. Had I gone to a co-ed college, I honestly don’t know if I would have come out. Our queer community allowed me to learn about and grow comfortable with my own sexual identity. This is also a story I hear again and again from my peers at this college: a story of growth, hope and safety due to an environment that fosters inclusivity. That our story could be construed as a marketing issue troubles me greatly.

This article is not groundbreaking for current students and recent graduates who are familiar with the climate of Smith. Instead, this goes out to older alumnae, both from Smith and other HWCs. Consider what you gained from your education and time at college; know that the meaning you gleaned from this institution remains, regardless of the identities of those who attend.