The Trustees Vote "Yes"

At 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, November 21, nearly all of Hanover was tuned in to campus radio station WDCR. President Kemeny had promised to announce at that time the decisions reached by the Dartmouth Board of Trustees at their special two-day meeting, called to settle at long last the twin questions of coeducation and year-round operation which had been studied and debated for more than two years.

The momentous news from President Kemeny was that the 16-man Board had unanimously approved a year-round academic calendar for the College and had "by a substantial majority" voted to matriculate women for the Dartmouth A.B. degree. Both become effective in the fall of 1972.

Although Dartmouth has enrolled women as graduate students and approximately 150 women are now on campus as undergraduate exchange students for one year, the November 21 vote of the Trustees to admit women as full-fledged undergraduates and candidates for the Dartmouth degree clearly was one of the landmark decisions and major turning points in the 202-year history of the College.

If any one reason for the Trustees' adoption of coeducation could be singled out as all-important, it is probably to be found in this statement by the Board's chairman, Charles J. Zimmerman '23: "The historic purpose of Dartmouth College has been to train leaders for society. It is clear that women now will be playing an increasing role of leadership in our society and that Dartmouth can, and should, contribute to their making it possible for them to become, as Dartmouth men have through two centuries, outstanding doctors, lawyers, business leaders, scientists, and leaders in government. In endorsing both coeducation and the Dartmouth Plan for Year-Round Operation we are acting to assure that Dartmouth will continue to serve as a leader in innovation in undergraduate education. Dartmouth has traditionally put its highest priority on the quality of its undergraduate program, and it is our hope that this major new experiment will make Dartmouth even more attractive to young men and women who prize freedom of choice."

The College's new educational pattern, already being called The Dartmouth Plan, projects an increase in undergraduate enrollment from the current level of 3200 to approximately 4000 by the fall of 1975. Of that total, 3000 will be men and 1000 or more will be women. Year-round use of the College plant for four full terms instead of three will mean, however, that no more than 3400 students will be on campus at any given time. The plan permits a 25% increase in enrollment at minimum cost, and possibly at a break-even or better level when fully in operation.

A somewhat clearer estimate of admission figures for next fall was available after President Kemeny and top faculty and administrative officers had repaired to Dartmouth's Minary Center at Squam Lake, N. H., for a day and a half of "talking out" the details and problems of implementing the year-round and coeducation decisions. At a general meeting of the faculty, President Kemeny estimated that next fall's freshman class (the Class of 1976) would consist of 800 men and 150 to 175 women. In addition, 70 to 90 women will be admitted to the upper classes as transfer students, and the current exchange program will be continued with 100 to 125 women students, bringing next year's total female enrollment to about 350.

All members of the Class of 1976 will study under the new Dartmouth Plan, which will have its first full summer term in 1973. Current freshmen and sophomores have the option of shifting to the new program, but will not be required to do so. The new academic calendar will consist of four terms of approximately ten weeks each, separated by vacation breaks. After a traditional three- term freshman year, students will be encouraged to select any combination of terms they wish, consistent with course availability. Course offerings will henceforth be announced for longer periods into the future, so students may arrange their own individual plans of on-campus study. In order to assure a reasonably steady level of enrollment through all four terms, students will be required to elect at least one summer term.

As part of the new year-round operation, the Trustees approved the faculty recommendation that the requirement for the A.B. degree be reduced from 36 to 33 courses (11 terms), thus making it possible to complete the A.B. degree in three years if a student so desires. It is expected that College charges under the Dartmouth Plan will be made by the term rather than the year. Students will have one less term to pay for than under the present four-year, twelve-term system.

Before closing their historic November meeting, the Trustees asked the President in consultation with the Chairman of the Board to bring to the January meeting recommendations for administrative arrangements for implementation of coeducation and year-round operation. President Kemeny has already recommended the appointment of a distinguished woman educator, at a senior administrative level, and the Board has concurred. Also to come before the Board in January are proposals from the Treasurer and Business Manager of the College as to necessary modifications in existing plant facilities.