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“Wellesley College acknowledges the result of the nonbinding student ballot initiative,” the college said in a statement. “Although there is no plan to revisit its mission as a women’s college or its admissions policy, the College will continue to engage all students, including transgender male and nonbinary students, in the important work of building an inclusive academic community where everyone feels they belong.”
Wellesley, whose alumna include former secretaries of state Hillary Clinton and Madeleine Albright, has since 2015 allowed transgender women to apply for admission. Several other women’s liberal arts colleges have similar policies, while also allowing transgender men who transition at university to graduate.
But it is much less common for such colleges to admit students who identify as male, though about 2.1 percent of Gen Z adults identify as transgender, according to a 2022 Gallup poll.
Some students said their divide with college administrators was generational.
“I will say, from my experience, there is a disconnect between the student body and the administration over what students want, particularly the board [of trustees], because a lot of them are older and it’s not a very diverse board,” said Wellesley college government president Alexandra Brooks, according to the Wellesley News.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
