I got an email last week. The Board of Trustees of Rosemont College approved the Strategic Plan to demolish Rosemont’s traditions and flush Cornelia Connelly’s vision down the toilet. It is a sad day knowing that everything that Rosemont stood for has been abandoned. It was a unanimous vote. That bothers me the most. The argument was convincing, apparently. I don’t buy it. I believe something could have been done to save Rosemont but it should have been started *years* ago. I also believe that these “new” strategies are the same ones that brought Rosemont down to her knees. It’s a shame.
June 2, 2008
Dear Alumni of Rosemont College,
I am pleased to announce that on May 30, the Board of Trustees of Rosemont College approved a Strategic Plan which will emphasize and expand the College’s enrollment, programs, and reputation by embracing co-education, partnerships, and online education.
The approved Plan proposes that the College will open its doors at the undergraduate level to all interested and qualified women and men in the fall of 2009, unifying the College’s three schools and expanding the College’s mission of being a ‘community of learners’. Blah Blah Blah. Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah. Sensitivity to market realities, and commitment to diversity blah. Developing environmental sustainability, and multiculturalism blah blah. Meaningful cross-cultural interaction and understanding. Blah Bah Blah. Stick a for in her, she’s done.
Sincerely,
Ron Remick
Chair, Board of Trustees
Sorry to hear about your school. This is exactly what Lehigh and Villanova did many years ago, and look where they are now…
Rosemont would have done better to start an all-women engineering school there – they could have gotten tens of millions from the federal government alone just to start it, plus a jump in high-earning graduates who would have bolstered the endowment.
But it’s easier to admit men and sell the same product (i.e. the same courses) with the same professors – no additional costs up front!