The council of the 165-year-old college voted on the proposal on Monday night,saying that in order to “excel at forming the nation’s leaders” in the 21st century,it was important to include women. “We are so pleased to be able to announce this exciting new chapter in the history of our College,” said the warden,Reverend Ed Loane.
The college raised the idea five months ago,seeking the views of students and alumni. One of the responses was a submission opposing,signed by 200 students including 80 from neighbouring Women’s College.
St Paul’s College has decided to become co-ed.Dominic Lorrimer
The opponents argued students already had plenty of interaction with women,and while the world was co-educational,it was not co-residential;living with the opposite sex would not prepare them for anything.
However,the college responded at the time by saying the move made business sense,given enrolment trends suggested keeping St Paul’s male-only would force it to recruit students from other universities.
Women now outnumbered men across the wider university (men make up 41 per cent of students) and the university’s co-residential colleges were more popular than St Paul’s,including among men.
There was no longer a waiting list,and international border closures had left many rooms in the new,neighbouring graduate wing - which is co-residential - empty.
On Tuesday,Dr Loane told theHerald finances did not drive the final decision. “The main driver is the college continuing to do what it’s done in history,which is producing society’s leaders,which in the 21st century is men and women,” he said.
“We’re not driven to this by financial reasons,but to have a long wait list because we’ve doubled the pool of applicants does strengthen our position.”
Dr Loane said the logistics of change were still being worked out. “My intention is to employ female staff,including a head of co-residential transition,and they will help us move to the new state of affairs,” he said.
“We do have a co-residential graduate house,so it’s not entirely crossing a threshold. We do have women on staff,there’s a thriving women’s voice in our community.”
The St Paul’s College Union of students and alumni opposed the move. However,Dr Loane said the college consulted widely and there was also strong support from many other alumni and students.
St Paul’s decision leaves only two all-male university residences in Australia;St Leo’s at the University of Queensland and Warrane at University of NSW.
A string of scandals over the past decade,including a pro-rape Facebook page by students in 2009,prompted former Sydney University vice-chancellor Michael Spence to criticise a “deep contempt for women” in the culture at St Paul’s.
An investigation by former sex discrimination commissioner Elizabeth Broderick in 2018 found and celebrated sporting wins by taking girls to a “bone room” lined with mattresses.
The college apologised for its poor past behaviour and promised to act on all recommendations. It has since been working on cultural change,which includes to its predominantly private school cohort.
The Morning Edition newsletter is our guide to the day’s most important and interesting stories,analysis and insights.Sign up.