United States

Cash-Strapped Mills College Lays Off Professors Instead of Admitting Men

A cash-strapped college in Oakland has decided to lay off tenured professors rather than allow men into the all-women's college.

Mills trustees made the controversial decision this summerto fire tenured professors, a rare move in academics, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

Mills College President Beth Hillman says rather than admitting male undergraduates to boost admission and raise money, the school trustees voted to fire five tenured professors.

The college says it doesn't anticipate future reductions. In addition to the layoffs, some faculty members are looking at retirement options.

The college was established in 1852 as an all-women's campus. It is one of 36 women's colleges remaining in the United States.

In 1990, students resisted efforts to make the school co-educational. Hundreds of students occupied the campus for 13 days until the school's trustees reversed their decision.

The school has roughly 1,345 undergraduate and graduate students.

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