This book traces the development of competitive admission and financial aid policies at a selected group of 16 liberal arts colleges in Ohio and Massachusetts over the period 1955 to 1994. Exploring the way institutional decisions reflect and respond to broad demographic, economic, political, and social forces, the book considers the challenges…

A 5-year effort to project a new and more realistic public image and to bring about improvements in student recruiting and fund-raising for a small, private, liberal arts women's college is described. The changes included offering bachelor's degrees for the first time and building pride and support among alumnae. (MSE)

Nearly 11 years ago trustees of Wilson College (Pennsylvania) voted to close the institution. A group of alumnae brought a lawsuit to keep the college open, and since then the college's programs have been transformed to meet the changing interests and ages of its students. A division of continuing studies was created. (MLW)

A program officer at the Ford Foundation traces her experiences as student and "young trustee" at Vassar, graduate student at Columbia University during the early '70s, and teacher at Staten Island Community College. The challenge of diversity that she encountered in the '70s is seen as still prevalent today. (MLW)

This paper ranks 155 U.S. Catholic universities and colleges which produced the highest number of students in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s who later earned doctorates, and analyzes various trends for these decades. The study first provides trend information followed by a ranking analysis among single-gender Catholic institutions. Among the facts is…

Data on Ph.D. productivity during 1951-1980 for all accredited institutions are presented, along with a narrative summary. Productivity ratios were computed by dividing the average number of Ph.D.s conferred per year (1951-1980) by the average number of bachelor's degrees conferred per year (1946-1976) for each institution. Liberal arts colleges…

The early history of Bennington College, Vermont, beginning with initial endeavors by Vincent Ravi Booth in 1923, is examined. Topics include: granting of a satisfactory charter to the college; the role of educators such as Amy Kelly and William Heard Kilpatrick in initial curriculum recommendations; electing Robert Devore Leigh as president;…

The efforts of Mary Lyon, virtually singlehandedly, to raise money, recruit students, and plan the academic development of Mount Holyoke Female Seminary, founded in 1837, are detailed in this book. The founder sought to educate women through rigorous application of the intellect, which she believed to lead to salvation. In doing so she…

Organizational change at Wells College, New York, is traced from 1876-1905 in relation to women's role in higher education. This excerpt of a larger study indicates how women worked within a female college that had male authority figures at a time in which there were strong notions about proper feminine behavior. The college was intended to train…

Queens College, a women's liberal arts institution, regained prosperity by maintaining its traditional, quality undergraduate offerings and adding coeducational graduate and continuing education programs and degree options for mature women. (MSE)

A mail survey was conducted of alumnae or students who left Sweet Briar between 1979 and 1986. The study was to solicit information about attitudes toward educational loan debt which could be used in counseling current and prospective students, evaluating award packaging policies, and responding to legislation affecting student loans. (MLW)

A study of 547 science and mathematics majors graduated from a leading women's college found that cohort, major, number of undergraduate science courses, parental encouragement, and career advice from faculty were key factors associated with persistence in science and mathematics after college. (Author/MSE)

A survey of alumnae of three Catholic liberal arts colleges investigated applicability of a theoretical model proposing that selected demographic, background, and opinion variables would affect alumnae giving. Results indicate that most of the demographic/background variables studied had only weak to moderate correlation with giving patterns.…

Data on the undergraduate and subsequent life experiences of the 1967 and 1977 graduating classes of 48 women's colleges were studied. For the nearly 5,000 graduates, attention was directed to: undergraduate fields of concentration and extracurricular activity, graduate study, work status, family status, and current involvement in the community.…

Literature from the late nineteenth century and a case study of Cornell University between 1870 and 1900 are discussed in relation to higher education of women to explore how contemporary theorists and academic administrators dealt with the issues. Theoretical definitions of "equal" opportunities for women in academe shifted from…