Kirkland Survey: the ’70s

From a survey of seniors (class of 1974):

What is most important to you about Kirkland now?

• The freedom it allowed me . . .to grow, to make mistakes, and to learn the way I felt I had to, in a very independent, personal way.
• The students with whom I’ll graduate, the deep friendships I have made, and the people I love here.
• The one-to-one academic atmosphere
• The lack of grade pressure

Do you now feel Kirkland was the right choice in terms of social satisfaction?

Initially my attitude was totally anti-fraternity and anti-Hamilton, but much to my surprise I found I enjoyed many of the Hamilton men I met and many of the fraternity social activities.  I’ve met some people whom I genuinely like as friends, although their attitudes may conflict with my own at points.

From a survey of all four classes:
What were your major reasons for selecting Kirkland over other colleges? (three answers allowed; selected responses)

Because it’s:

• a woman’s college: 5%
• Coordinate with Hamilton: 28.9%
• Evaluations instead of grades: 40.9%
• Innovative: 34.6%
• Non-traditional: 34.6%

[Editors’ note: More than 20 students who chose “because Kirkland is innovative” followed it with, “or so I thought.”]

When you decided to come here, how important was it to you that the social life was coed?

• Very important: 65.1
• Somewhat important: 26.6%

Do you believe the social life here is

• Very good: 4.3%
• Good: 20.6%
• Okay: 38.5%
• Bad: 24.3%
• Very bad: 9.6%

Do you believe that coordination promotes healthy or unhealthy relationships between the sexes?

• Very unhealthy: 6.0%
• Somewhat unhealthy: 25.9%
• Neutral: 20.9%

Do you think it would be a good idea to change Kirkland’s academic model to:

• A women’s independent college: 3.7%
• A coeducational independent college: 8.0%
• A merger with Hamilton: 8.0%
• A coed school, still coordinate, with an emphasis on women’s concerns: 22.2%
• Remain the same: 40.5%

Elisabeth Horwitt K73