Posted: 01/24/07

New leadership
St. Michael's College considers a female president

Emma Long | copy editor
elong@smcvt.edu

St. Michael’s College has never had a female president. This year, with the announced retirement of current president Marc A. vanderHeyden, 70 candidates applied for the position. Last week, the three final candidates were on campus to participate in a series of meetings. Among these finalists is Christine Wiseman, a leader with an extensive background in aspects such as teaching, administration, Catholic higher education, and law.

Would a female president change the St. Michael's atmosphere?

Prior to 1970, St. Michael’s was an all-male institution, and it wasn't until 1972 that the first group of female students – mostly sophomore transfers from Vermont College in Montpelier – earned degrees from St. Michael’s.

"It was a huge decision to make the school co-ed, and in hindsight a very good decision," Jerry Flanagan, vice president of admissions at St. Michael’s, and class of ’71, says. Since then, “we’ve seen tremendous benefits," he says. “It has enriched the campus in classrooms and beyond.”

Jerry Flanagan, vice president of admissions. (Echo archive)

“Every president brings to the college his or her own personal vision,” Flanagan says. During the last 10 years, St. Michael's has focused on improving aspects like the arts and Residential Life, under the direction of vanderHeyden, who finds those things important, Flanagan says. Before vanderHeyden's time, President Paul Reiss concentrated heavily on academic quality. Regardless of the president's gender, Flanagan says, “the college will see some change –- and hopefully in the right direction, one that will allow the institution to thrive.”

A woman's perspective

“Christine Wiseman seems to be a very talented, dynamic, interesting person,” Jacqueline Murphy, director of admissions, says. She believes, however, that regardless of gender, the right person for the job will ultimately be hired. Murphy was in the first group of women to attend St. Michael's after it turned co-ed in 1970. Things have changed tremendously since then. Still, if Wiseman is hired, Murphy says, the standards may be set higher by some, and she may be scrutinized more closely by the public - simply because she is a woman.

For Wiseman, who has held positions of power before, “this would probably not be the first time in her life she's experienced this,” Murphy says.

"We're seeing so many more role models. Even in my lifetime, things have changed so dramatically." - Jacqueline Murphy, director of admissions

Murphy recalled her own high school career - at a large regional Catholic high school in Massachusetts - during which a female could not run for president of the student council. Women could, however, run for positions like vice president or secretary.

“At St. Michael's, there was a huge hullabaloo when the first female SA president was elected, and it was huge when the Michaelman had its first female editor,” Murphy says. “How bizarre it is to think of that now.”

It is no longer unusual to see powerful women in positions of authority, Murphy says. Such women as Madeleine Albright, Condoleezza Rice, and Hillary Clinton are examples of this.

“We're seeing so many more role models. Even in my lifetime, things have changed so dramatically," Murphy says.

Opinions from the gender studies department and Society of St. Edmund

Anthropology and Gender Studies professor Patricia Delaney says she feels confident that having a woman at the helm would make St. Michael's a different, exciting place. Much in the way Republicans and Democrats alike welcomed Nancy Pelosi's appointment to speaker of the house, “I feel confident that students, faculty, men, and women at St. Michael's will embrace the first female president if she were to become that,” Delaney said.

If Wiseman were to be elected, Delaney adds, “I think it would be a really revolutionary thing at St. Michael's.”

Father Mike Cronogue, S.S.E., says that for him, and most on the committee, gender was surprisingly not a big factor.

Father Mike Cronogue, S.S.E. (Echo archive)

“We look at the candidate we feel would best meet the needs of St. Michael’s. [Wiseman] has a good track record and shows an interest in St. Michael’s. Her experience as a lawyer, her experience in Catholic higher education, and her experience as a mother [were all qualities] I found important,” Cronogue says.

“A woman offers a different lens, a different perspective, and different life experiences," he adds.

What do students think?

Vincenzo Marzelli, a senior, supports having a female president at St. Michael’s.

“As a Catholic, and abroad in Italy, I’ve noticed the complete lack of female power in Italy and the complete lack of female dominance in the Catholic church,” Marzelli says. “Considering we go to a Catholic school, I am more curious to see how the church responds to it.” Marzelli believes having a female president would have the same benefits as a male president, and could potentially bring in new possibilities, ideas, and achievements for the school.

Leslie Pomponi, a junior Women’s Studies minor, believes that leadership qualities of males and females are different.

“Our society is realizing that female leaders are just as capable as males,” Pomponi says. “As far as qualities go, a female leader could bring something to the college that male leaders could not, because of how women are socialized.”

The possibility of change

“There is quite a lot of excitement generating about this,” Flanagan says. St. Michael’s would be among the first small Catholic colleges to hire a female president. Flanagan says he’s overheard students in discussions about the issue, and that the general opinion appears to be positive.

“Regardless of the person’s gender, each candidate would put his or her own mark on the college,” Flanagan says.