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Originally published Oct. 9, 2000 on studentadvantage.com. This is the eighth in a series of articles and columns on the lives of women in college today.
As spring semester of my sophomore year at Harvard rolled around, I realized that I needed to do something about my mounting debts — and fast. Finding a mind-numbingly boring desk job at a library would be easy, but I couldn't bear the thought of spending my precious free time checking out books. I began my search for interesting and worthwhile employment, but amused and disillusioned friends told me not to hold my breath. One fateful day, a friend of mine told me she'd found me the perfect job. A visiting professor from New York University was writing a book about the media spin on the Dalai Lama, and was looking for an assistant through a program called Radcliffe Research Partnerships. She was right — this job sounded perfect. As the president of Students for a Free Tibet, I was actively involved in the national movement and had even met with the Dalai Lama.
An Invaluable ExperienceI knew nothing about Radcliffe Research Partnerships, but as I found out more about the program I grew more and more excited about the job. Radcliffe College, a small, female-only school under the Harvard University umbrella, founded the program in 1991 to offer female undergraduates the opportunity to work closely with Harvard and Radcliffe scholars. Researchers and professors act as mentors and role models, increasing confidence and fostering intellectual growth among female students. And my Radcliffe Research Partnership did just that. For the first time, I felt as if I had formed a real connection with a college professor — and with a female professor at that. As an economics concentrator, I could not expect the same from my department: Only 5 out of 61 econ professors were women, despite its status as one of Harvard's largest departments. The thought of getting one-on-one mentoring with these busy, influential, intimidating economists was almost a joke. So conducting academic research for a hip NYU anthropologist was an exciting and invaluable experience. I discussed my ideas and opinions with a woman at the top of her field, while gaining feedback and hearing her own ideas develop into a book she later wrote. The partnership opened my eyes to new career possibilities, and my "senior partner" offered advice that I could not have found elsewhere. At the risk of sounding cheesy, she was an inspiration to me: She encouraged me to make my voice heard.
Radcliffe's Role, Then and NowBecause Harvard Yard's gates opened to women relatively recently, Radcliffe provided a supportive atmosphere and an outlet for women in a competitive academic environment. Although Harvard remained responsible for the instruction of women and the day-to-day management of undergraduate life, women still received Radcliffe diplomas signed by both Harvard's and Radcliffe's presidents. Radcliffe also granted its own prizes and awards to deserving female scholars. Although it functioned mainly as a resource, Radcliffe held historical and symbolic importance as an institution advancing the higher education of women since 1879. Yet in October of 1999, over a hundred years after its inception, Radcliffe College officially merged with Harvard University. No longer a separate entity with its own endowment, Radcliffe was renamed the "Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study." The institute's mission focused on academic research alone, rather than undergraduate affairs. Although the post-merger Radcliffe looked very similar to its predecessor, key changes made certain that Radcliffe will never again play a central role in the lives of Harvard women. Indignant women, however, were relieved that the merger involved switching Radcliffe's insignia on their diplomas with a Harvard seal. After all, they felt, they worked just as hard as the Harvard men; don't they deserve a Harvard diploma? Few seemed disappointed by the loss of tradition and the end of their membership in an exclusive all-girls club that had for decardes battled the establishment to gain equality. But I was disturbed when I discovered that Radcliffe's prizes and awards would soon be open to all Harvard undergraduates, men included. Not only that, but this year men were for the first time allowed to participate in longtime Radcliffe traditions, including the "Senior Soiree" and "Strawberry Tea." Single-sex programs like the Research Partnerships and Traveling Fellowships were handed over to Harvard and opened to both men and women.
Loss of a Guiding HandAnyone arguing that women no longer need to make gains at Harvard should open their eyes. Female professors and administrators are still in short supply, discrimination is an ongoing problem and women face countless pressures in college that cannot be ignored. Every woman, along with the usual academic stresses, must worry about issues from date rape and sexual harassment to difficult and confusing career choices. Without Radcliffe's staff and resources, which had been so devoted to assisting and improving the situation of women at Harvard, the opportunities for the advancement of women here dwindle. Radcliffe's programs and awards gently nudged and encouraged women to move forward, and spoke for women that could not find a voice. Any woman unsure of how to get involved or make a difference on campus eventually made her way toward Radcliffe and found her place. Harvard does not offer much in terms of its support for or celebration of women; the merger of Radcliffe with Harvard was an unfortunate step backward. Love this column? Hate it? Tell us all about it. The
copyright to this column is held by Student Advantage, Inc. The Women in College series: The
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