Estimated read time: 1-2 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
Students at Oxford University's last all-women college have come out in favour of admitting men for the first time, according to poll results released Monday.
Some 55 percent of undergraduates at St Hilda's voted to allow male students in -- a move which would herald the college's most radical change since it was set up in 1893.
Significantly, with the question of funding for women-only lectureships a major issue, 77 percent of students voted to admit men as fellows.
But the poll, conducted last week by the Junior Common Room, the college's undergraduate student body, is not binding, because the final say rests with St Hilda's trustees, who act as its governing body.
"The outcome is important but will not in itself determine the future of the college," said St Hilda's principal Lady Judith English, adding that no date for a vote by trustees -- who rejected such a move in 2003 -- has been set.
St Hilda's, founded by Dorothea Beale, a celebrated Victorian advocate of women's education, has enjoyed a unique status since 1992 when Somerville College -- whose famous old girls include former prime minister Margaret Thatcher -- ended a century-old tradition and announced it would admit men.
Oxford's last all-male college, Oriel, opened its doors to women in 1984.
rom/pvh
Britain-education-Oxford-men
AFP 280001 GMT 02 06
COPYRIGHT 2004 Agence France-Presse. All rights reserved.
