Admission Policy Review: A Conversation with Study Group Co-Chairs

Last fall, amid national discussions of transgender students at women’s colleges, President McCartney and Board of Trustees Chair Elizabeth Mugar Eveillard ’69 announced the formation of an Admission Policy Study Group. The 13-member group, comprising faculty, students and administrators, has spent the past few months collecting feedback from the Smith community, meeting with faculty and students and reviewing a range of materials on the issue.

Study group co-chairs Daphne Lamothe, associate professor of Afro-American studies, and Audrey Smith, vice president for enrollment, recently discussed the group’s plans and progress.

What is the study group’s charge?
LAMOTHE: “In broad terms, we are being asked to reflect on what it means for Smith to be a women’s college at a time when traditional concepts of gender—male and female—are evolving. Increasingly, society is recognizing that gender identity and gender expression may be more of a continuum.”

Why is this an admission question?
SMITH: “Through the lens of the admission process, the gender question looks like this: whose applications will Smith consider? Currently, we consider applications from students whose high school transcript and other academic documents reflect their consistent identity as a woman. The study group is considering whether that policy should remain or should be expanded to include individuals on a broader range of the gender identity and gender expression continuum.”

Who will decide if a policy change is needed?
SMITH: “The study group will present its recommendation to the faculty and then to the board of trustees.”

Tell us about your work so far.
LAMOTHE: “‘Study group’ is an appropriate name for this committee. We are seeking to learn as much as we can from a range of perspectives. We are talking with experts in the study of women and gender, including those on our own faculty. We are reviewing relevant literature. And we are holding small-group meetings with students, faculty and staff who represent a range of views.”

Why hasn’t Smith decided this matter already, given that other women’s colleges have?
LAMOTHE: “We are mindful of the announcements other schools have made, but our task is to consider what is best for Smith, which has its own specific history, identity and place in society. This is an issue that speaks to our mission. It deserves thoughtful consideration.”

Students, faculty, staff and alumnae were invited to share their feedback through an online form. What response have you received?
SMITH: “More than 1,500 members of the Smith community sent in feedback. Some respondents were brief and pointed; others used the opportunity to reflect on the meaning of Smith and their own experience at the college. We are grateful to those who took the time to write. Participation in the process is valuable and important.”

Is there still time to give feedback? 
SMITH: “Yes. The easiest way is to visit the study group’s website and fill out the feedback form.”

Daphne Lamothe (left), associate professor of Afro-American studies, and Audrey Smith, vice president for enrollment, are co-chairs of the Admission Policy Study Group.