On November\u200c 21, a groundbreaking announcement was made by the student newspaper serving Saint Mary\u2019s\u200d College \u200dand the University of Notre Dame. Saint \u2063Mary\u2019s, a Catholic women\u2019s college founded in 1844, will now consider admission for applicants \u201cwhose\u200b sex is female or who\u2063 consistently \u2063live and identify as women.\u201d\u200c This\u200d decision marks a significant shift for the college, which had proudly maintained \u200dits single-sex identity for decades.<\/p>\n

The article<\/a> reveals \u2064that the board of trustees voted on this policy change during their June 23 meeting. Interestingly,\u2062 the announcement was sent \u200bout \u200dafter business hours on \u200cNovember 21, just two days before Thanksgiving \u200bwhen most of the campus \u2063would \u2064have already left for the holiday. It’s worth noting that this news comes shortly\u2063 after the fall phone-a-thon campaign and the final Notre Dame football game, both of which attract a large number of alumnae to South Bend.<\/p>\n

Unsurprisingly, the decision \u200cfaced immediate backlash\u200b from alumnae. The college’s social\u200c media posts<\/a> were flooded with\u2063 comments\u2063 from angry students, parents, and alumnae, prompting the disabling of commenting and \u2064the \u2062disappearance of\u200b a Change.org petition<\/a> that had been\u200b gaining traction.\u200b It\u2062 seems that \u200cthe college\u200b is\u200b now shying away from free inquiry,\u2062 scientific facts, and the teachings\u200d of the \u200bchurch regarding gender.<\/p>\n

In February 2022, I\u200b wrote \u2064an article predicting the future of my alma mater,\u2062 Saint Mary’s College. \u2064I foresaw two possibilities: either the college would rebrand \u200citself as a “College for People with Uteruses,” or it would \u2062open admission to anyone claiming to be a woman,\u2064 regardless of biology. Sadly, my prediction has come true, and it \u200cbreaks my heart. \u200dThe class\u2062 ring that once symbolized my cherished memories now fills me with sorrow. The \u2064institution that taught me to seek truth\u200b and uphold \u2064objectivity has turned its back\u200c on reality.<\/p>\n

The Role of the College President<\/h2>\n
In 1986, \u200bthere were 107 women’s colleges<\/a> \u2064 in \u200dthe United States. Today, there are fewer than 30, and most of them have adopted transgender\u200b policies that essentially make them coeducational. It is disheartening to witness secular\u200d institutions, such as Smith, Wellesley,\u2063 and Agnes Scott, admit mentally ill men who\u2064 identify as women.\u200c However, it is even more gut-wrenching \u200cto\u200b see a Roman \u2062Catholic institution, sponsored by religious sisters, \u200bfollow\u200c suit.<\/p>\n
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Saint Mary’s College President Katie\u2062 Conboy justified the decision\u200c by stating that the college is not the first Catholic \u2064women’s college to adopt\u2063 such a\u2062 policy. She\u2063 pointed to Minnesota’s College of Saint Benedict as an example. However, instead\u200d of standing as a leader in higher education and boldly proclaiming the truth about gender, Conboy has chosen to follow the path of others. She cited Pope Francis’ call for love and inclusivity as\u2062 the driving \u200dforce behind the decision, but she seems to have \u2062overlooked the Pope’s warning about the dangers of gender ideology and its \u2064blurring of distinctions between men and women.<\/p>\n
The Catholic \u200bintellectual tradition emphasizes the use of transcendentals, \u200csuch as truth, goodness, and beauty, to evaluate subjects.\u2062 These timeless attributes \u2062reflect the\u2064 divine origin of creation and the unity of truth and reality\u200c in God. They are\u200d intrinsic to \u200bour nature and common humanity,\u2063 transcending divisions based on sex, race, or socioeconomic class. Unfortunately, these transcendentals are\u200d despised by leftists. Gender ideology, which contradicts \u2064reality, stands in direct opposition to the pursuit \u2062of truth.\u2064 Those who dare \u2062to challenge\u200c it are labeled\u2062 as bigots.<\/p>\n
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What are the concerns raised by the timing and manner of the \u200dannouncement regarding transparency and accountability at Saint Mary’s College?<\/h2>\n
\u200d Stitutions, \u200csuch as Saint \u2063Mary\u2019s \u2062College, succumbing to societal pressures and abandoning their foundational principles.<\/p>\n
The \u2064decision to admit applicants based on their self-identification as women, rather than \u200btheir\u2064 biological\u200b sex, is a departure from the long-standing tradition<\/a> of single-sex education<\/a> at Saint Mary’s. This change, approved by the board of trustees, signifies\u2063 a significant shift\u2062 in the college’s identity and \u200bmission.<\/p>\n
However, the timing and manner of the announcement raise questions about transparency and accountability. The decision was quietly made during a \u200dmeeting \u200din June, and the news was \u2062released just before a major holiday when most of the \u200ccampus community had already left. This \u200draises concerns about whether the\u200b college intentionally tried to minimize \u200cpublic scrutiny\u2064 and opposition.<\/p>\n
Unsurprisingly, the \u200bdecision faced immediate backlash from alumnae who cherished the college’s original mission. Social media channels were \u2062inundated with comments from angry students, parents, and alumnae, leading to the disabling of comments on official posts and the disappearance of a Change.org petition \u200bthat had gained momentum. This reaction indicates that the college may have inadvertently silenced dissenting voices \u200band avoided\u200b engaging in open dialogue.<\/p>\n
As an alumna of Saint Mary’s College, I am disheartened by the direction the institution has taken. In a previous article, I predicted two possible scenarios for the future of my \u2064alma mater: rebranding as a “College for\u2062 People with Uteruses” or opening admission to anyone\u200c claiming to \u2063be a woman, regardless of biology. Unfortunately, my prediction has now become a reality, \u2062and it deeply saddens me.<\/p>\n
The cherished memories encapsulated in the class ring I once proudly wore \u2062now fill \u2062me with sorrow. The institution that once taught me to pursue truth and uphold objectivity has seemingly turned its back on reality. By disregarding scientific \u2062facts and the teachings of the church regarding gender, the college is undermining\u2064 its commitment\u2063 to fostering \u2063intellectual\u2062 rigor and critical thinking.<\/p>\n
This raises broader concerns\u2063 about the state \u200bof women’s colleges in the \u2064United States. Throughout \u2062the years, women’s colleges have experienced dwindling numbers, with fewer \u2064than 30 remaining today. Many of \u2062these institutions have chosen to adopt \u200dtransgender policies that blur the distinction between male and female, effectively making them coeducational. This\u200b trend is distressing for those who believe in the unique benefits provided \u2064by single-sex education.<\/p>\n
While it is crucial to foster inclusivity and provide\u2063 educational opportunities to individuals of diverse backgrounds, it is equally important to preserve the distinct\u2062 advantages offered by single-sex institutions. Women’s \u200dcolleges \u200bhave historically empowered women academically, socially, and professionally, providing spaces where \u2062they can develop leadership skills<\/a>, forge\u2063 lifelong connections, and combat gender inequities. By diluting their \u2063unique identity, these colleges risk losing the very essence that \u200bhas made them transformative spaces for women.<\/p>\n
In conclusion, the recent decision by \u2063Saint Mary’s College to\u200d admit applicants based on self-identification as \u2063women represents a significant departure from its single-sex tradition. \u200dThe timing and manner \u200bof the announcement raise concerns about\u200d transparency and engagement with dissenting voices. As an alumna, I am saddened by this turn of events and worry about \u200cthe erosion of women’s colleges as a whole. It is crucial that\u2064 we continue\u200d to value and\u200d support these institutions, \u2063recognizing \u200bthe enduring importance of single-sex education \u2064in empowering women and shaping future generations.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
On Nov. 21, the student newspaper revealed that Saint Mary’s College, a Catholic women’s college established in 1844, would now consider admission for applicants who identify as female or consistently live as women. This decision challenges the college’s long-standing identity as a single-sex institution<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2579,"featured_media":2111917,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[546],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2111916","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-federalist"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2111916","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2579"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2111916"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2111916\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2111917"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2111916"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2111916"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2111916"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}