PUBLISHED LETTERS TO THE EDITORS OF AREA NEWSPAPERS

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Auburn Citizen, 2/06/04

Dear Editor,

In your recent article about coeducation at Wells College entitled “Cutting Losses” Wells College VP for External Affairs, Ann Rollo, was quoted as saying: "We have definitely seen more alumnae giving to the school.”

I am a Wells College alumna and that statement is false.

According to the alumnae magazine, EXPRESS, the 1994-1995 Wells’ annual fund drive yielded a 52% participation from all alumnae, and in the 2002-2003 campaign, the participation figure dropped to 32% - and that was before the decision to admit male students. Alumnae have been voting with their money and showing a lack of support for the current administration for quite some time. The 2003-2004 annual fund figures have not been published in Fall ‘04 as expected, because there was no fall EXPRESS publication.

A recent alumnae survey was completed by 1,455 Wells women who represent a substantial portion of the approximately 5,000 living alumnae listed with known addresses in the current print directory. The high response rate of 25.5% received from this group yielded a statistically significant sample of alumnae opinion. 84% of alumnae said they believed there are reasons for Wells to remain a women’s college. 70% answered that they would support the creation of an escrow account for contributions to the college, for release of funds upon reversal of the decision to become co-educational in 2005.

I don’t know any alumnae who have been concerned about making Wells a “happy” place. I do know a few hundred women who are devastated by the coeducation decision.

Pru Campbell Kirkpatrick
Rochester

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Auburn Citizen, 12/23/04

Voices of past shall keep Wells president up at night

As an alum of Wells I was disappointed by the recent decision in country court. I was disappointed, but not surprised, that the Cayuga County court system does not see the work or value of women’s education. To think that Lisa Ryerson’s duplicity and misinformation was believed by the court is disheartening.

The ethical questions at Wells continue with no one questioning what they are doing. I’m told that the lawyer representing the college currently is the same lawyer who handled the Wells-Rowland real estate transactions while his wife was a sitting board member.

Current enrollment will continue to decline, revenues dependent on the college being single sex will disappear, and the male enrollment will never make up for the losses. Time will show what the real agenda is at Wells. Alumni will continue to inform the public of what is happening. We will let you know how many students leave and how few come in.

We will shine a light into the deep, dark recesses of the hidden agenda whenever possible. We will rest assured knowing that the haunting voices of generations of Wells women will follow all those who have done this to the college.

Wells was a magical, wonderful place to learn. It is now being turned into something else. Something it was never meant to be.

Shame, shame, shame on Lisa and all those who are helping her do this. May the voices keep you awake at night until you set things straight.

Victoria Hoffman, Auburn
Hoffman is a 1985 graduate of Wells College

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Syracuse Post-Standard, 12/27/04

Wells College decisions aren't tied to tax money

To the Editor: This letter is written in response to the writer who feels it's time that "Wells College get with the times."

The all-male institutions that the writer refers to were never forced to let women in. The fact of the matter is that the Supreme Court of the United States came up with the crazy notion that schools that receive public funds should not be able to discriminate. These schools in turn opened their doors to women in order to continue to receive taxpayer money.

Wells College, along with many other all-woman and all-male private schools, does not receive taxpayer money. Accordingly, they can decide whether they want to admit men or not. It is unfortunate that the trustees at Wells had to alter the school's tradition by going co-ed, but it appears that the decision was made for the school's survival.

After being exposed to the tone and attitude of the previously mentioned letter, it is little wonder that some women choose to spend their college years free from the sexual politics involved with an integrated classroom. The dressing up of thinly veiled sexism in a poorly reasoned equal-rights argument is the ultimate irony.

Michael Bass
Cayuga

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Syracuse Post-Standard, 12/22/04

It's about time that Wells College gets with the times.

How many all-male schools, military institutes and sports teams have to let women in, while all-women institutions remain exclusive? If the women have to have their rights, don't the men?

It's time for the disgruntled "girls" who don't want men around to learn that we both exist. Get over yourselves and deal with it.

David Tasick

Mattydale
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The Auburn Citizen
Sunday, November 7, 2004

Wells decision offers unfair financial gain

The more information that comes out of the Wells debacle, the muddier the water becomes. For anyone who wants to follow the money, Pleasant Rowland is the place to start. What is happening at Wells may or may not be legal (that will have to be determined in a court of law) but it definitely is not ethical! Ms. Rowland came into Aurora several years ago and donated something like a million dollars to Wells and, of course, took advantage of the tax break for that donation. She then gained control of much of it by establishing the Aurora Foundation with the college. Rowland holds 51 percent of that foundation with Wells holding 49. Interesting? It gets thicker. Some members of the Wells Board are also employed by Ms. Rowland.

Then there is the report given to Wells a year or so ago that told them if they went coed, they wold lose up to 50 percent of their enrollment. Last year, Wells was offered recruiting on a pro bono basis that wouldn't have cost the anything. Did they take advantage of the offer to boost enrollment? Nope. Obviously, the report is being ignored and not all alternatives to coed have been explored. Hidden agenda? Financial gain for someone?

Wells was established to provide women the best education possible. The ethics of the decision to go coed are questionable at best, and the people pushing for those changes have much to gain if Wells fails. Information being disseminated by Wells PR is simply wrong. They do not have the support of parents, alumnae, and enrollees.

I implore all Wells alumnae to become more involved in the actions taking place to prevent this terrible mistake from further disrupting the lives of all those enrolled at Wells and to keep the integrity of Wells as a single-sex institution for future generations. Wrong decisions can be made right.

M. Victoria Hoffman,
Auburn
Hoffman is a 1985 graduate of Wells College

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