Annual Report from the Westhampton College Director of Admissions and Placement

Annual Report from the Westhampton College Director of Admissions and Placement

This is the Annual Report on Westhampton College from the Director of Admissions and Placement, Mary-Allen Anderson, for the 1970-1971 academic year. Anderson began the report by explaining Westhampton College's recruiting efforts from the fall which included visiting thirty-two "Traditional College Day Programs of selected Virginia High Schools" (and two Maryland high schools). However, there was a decline in attendance to these admissions events by students and their parents compared to previous years. Anderson and the other admissions officers believed that interest would rise again once "the racially integrated school population becomes more stabilized." There had been an increase of out-of-state visitors, however many of the people interested in the University wanted to make sure it didn't have a "girls school atmosphere" because many had the desire to mix with men both socially and educationally. Westhampton College students had pointed out their desire to have better racial and socioeconomic diversity, so a dozen Westhampton College students took it upon themselves to return to their high schools to recruit black students. Some students even asked if they could travel with admissions officers. Anderson was "sympathetic" to their efforts but didn't want it to "jeopardize their own academic programs." The students even organized a "Black Day" on April 27, 1971, with the intentions of having eighty black high school students visit campus for the day.

Westhampton College accepted 1,884 students and 121 accepted their offer. Among that 121 were a black applicant and a Greek applicant who requested additional time to accept the offer to sort out their finances. Employment opportunities were less than sufficient that year as many students were forced to settle for part-time work. She ended the report by expressing her gratitude for her and her co-workers' time working for the Westhampton College Office of Admissions. She did so because faculty had voted to combine the admissions offices of Westhampton and Richmond College into one overarching department. That year, they enrolled 33 out-of-state and 88 Virginia women in the freshman class. Nine black women applied, three were offered admission, and one accepted the offer. The majority of applicants were Baptist. 7 Jewish women applied, however, only 2 were accepted and enrolled. SAT scores and school rank numbers were also included.

Annual Report from Director of Admissions and Placement, Westhampton College, 26 April 1971, RG 6.2.4. Box 16 Folder 15, University Archives, Virginia Baptist Historical Society.

1971-04-26

English

UA6.2.4.16.15-19710426.pdf

Richmond (Va.)