PEC Update, October 22, 2006
Dear PEC Supporters:By now you may have heard that yet another meeting of the Board of Trustees of Randolph-Macon Woman's College has come and gone, and the board has still refused to reconsider its tragic vote to adopt a strategic plan that has been criticized by every major constituency of the college. At its business meeting on October 21, 2006, the board did not reverse its vote of September 9, and has announced to the media that it does not intend to do so.
The board has now made it clear that they are impossibly entrenched, and will not listen to reason. Since September 22, PEC has continued to ask for a meeting with the trustees to present our Carrot Plan and research. First, PEC sent an olive branch in the form of carrots, mailed to trustees' homes. In October, PEC sent multiple emails and letters to all trustees requesting an opportunity to present our research. Last week, numerous past trustees asked current trustees to meet with PEC. Even current trustees contacted PEC board members and asked us to meet with trustees: PEC said "absolutely yes" but the board said "no." Even though faculty, past college presidents, past trustees, and alumnae have all praised PEC's research, the trustees refuse to accept our help and dismiss our documented research. It appears that the trustees' strategic planning process is anything but "open."
Three past college presidents, Dr. Quillian, Dr. Spivey, and Dr. Lorimer have all contacted Ginger Worden and trustees asking them to stop and consider other alternatives than coeducation, but the current trustees have elected to not heed the advice of the three best administrators the college has ever had. Likewise, the trustees have elected to ignore the pleas of more than a dozen former trustees who have all proved to be excellent stewards of the college. These former trustees have asked the board to heed PEC's documents, reverse its vote, and/or slow down the process. This week several of the college's very largest donors have asked Ginger and the board to stop this process that is tearing apart the school-but to no avail. There also has been significant movement among faculty members to oppose the "global honors" curriculum plan, but the board has refused to acknowledge that growing disapproval.
At this point, you should be asking: What is the reason behind these trustees' emphatic move to coeducation? What could be so pressing that they will not heed the advice of any constituency - not even those who have a track record of superior college stewardship? Even the board's own consultant, Art and Science Group, admitted in its presentation to students on October 9 that it had presented an option for the college to remain a woman's college and that it was the board's choice to go coed.
At this point, it appears clear that litigation is the only way to reverse this tragic decision. PEC's research has uncovered several issues, but the most important is this: according to its own 2004-2006 financial statements, R-MWC is not in dire financial distress. In fact, the financial health of the college has improved over the past three years. Additionally, it is clear that the tuition discount rate under the board's coeducational model would still be 20 points higher than nearby women's colleges and almost twice the average of coed colleges. If the tuition discounting problem will not be solved, then why adopt coeducation? It will not substantially boost the college's revenues per student and coeducation will definitely drive up operational expenditures and cause the school to incur an enormous amount of debt. We will not know why the board insists on abandoning women's education unless lawsuits are filed that require the college to prove to a judge the urgency and fiscal soundness of its strategic plan. PEC will file the necessary lawsuits to overturn the board's inexplicable vote to adopt coeducation and "global honors."
Many of you will find the trustees' reluctance to reverse the vote a depressing moment. PEC leadership found this day to be extremely sad as well. But keep in mind: the trustees are counting on PEC supporters to give up-it's stated as part of the coed transition plan. Trustees are counting on the fact that alumnae, faculty, and students will not sustain this righteous fight. This is where the trustees are more wrong than ever. In the wake of factual evidence from PEC and advice from wiser stewards, the trustees' intransigence should fill you with anger. Alumnae need to use that anger to fuel the battle to win our college back. R-MWC graduates have never been known as quitters; we're tenacious. It's time to remind the trustees just how tough we are.
The weeks and months ahead will unfortunately be filled with litigation. PEC wants to remind all R-MWC constituents that PEC didn't choose "the stick," the trustees did. PEC continues to offer trustees "the carrot" instead of litigation. We have treated these trustees as if they were family: we showed them courtesy copies of our lawsuits prior to filing and asked them to reconsider. But unlike family, they chose litigation.
Other groups have attempted rational conversation with the board, but their attempts were also to no avail. Dr. Quillian, past trustees and alumnae delegations met with Ginger Worden and board president Jolley Christman just last week. While Ginger and Jolley have entertained these delegations, they have not "listened." In addition, they have not permitted these distinguished individuals to speak to the full board. Despite the overwhelming amount of advice received, trustees still adamantly refused to reconsider their vote. Just as adamantly, they have refused to allow a full examination of financial models and research documents upon which trustees based their September 9 vote.
Some of you have waited to donate to PEC until you learned whether PEC would have to go to court. It now appears that PEC will be forced to pursue a legal battle on behalf of its supporters. Your donations are the only way to make this litigation possible. You can donate via PayPal at www.PreserveEducationalChoice.org. It is disheartening that trustees have chosen litigation as the only way to save our Alma Mater. PEC continues to invite trustees to negotiate instead of litigate. If we are successful, all unused donations to the legal fund will be given to R-MWC.
In the coming weeks, it's very important that you attend the trustee meetings across the U.S. These meetings will not be easy-they are tough on all who attend. However, it's very important that you attend and make it very clear to Ginger and trustees that alumnae have not given up. If you don't attend and voice your disapproval, they will think they have won. Please read PEC's research paper "20 Reasons Why Trustees Should Change Their Vote" and "What Every Trustee Should Know" before you attend, and use these documents as a template for asking questions. A schedule of trustee meetings is on the R-MWC.edu website under "alumnae events."
Likewise, it's important that you continue to send letters to the trustees at board@rmwc.edu and ask that trustees set their pride aside and reverse the vote. This is the only way to show trustees that resistance has not subsided. Once back home, trustees will have no idea the extent to which alumnae still oppose the coed vote. It's important to note that emails sent via the college appear to not be opened for at least a week or more-we have no idea how much additional time is required to "package" these emails and forward them to trustees. There appears to be a significant bottleneck. If you have trustees' postal and email addresses from the Reading listserv, please also write the trustees directly.
To keep up to date with PEC's efforts, be sure to sign up for our newsletter at www.PreserveEducationalChoice.org and check the site regularly. Signing up for the newsletter does not make you a registered "supporter" of PEC-it's merely meant to inform. Copies of lawsuits, news releases, PEC's published research and the work of other groups can be found on the website. And, most importantly, please continue to spread the word about PEC's efforts, and encourage others to join our growing list of supporters. Start by forwarding this email update to your class secretary or obtaining the email addresses of your class and send the email for your class secretary. All reasonable entreaties have been dismissed by the board. PEC is now the last line of defense for our beloved Alma Mater.
Let wisdom rise!
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