The Class of 2005: Navigating New Territory

A Bold and Necessary Decision

Emmanuel was founded by the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur in 1919 to provide rigorous Catholic higher education to women in Boston. But by the late 1990s, the landscape had shifted. Fewer students were interested in single-sex colleges. Internal and national data showed that only 2% to 4% of high school seniors would even consider applying to one. In response and after extensive study and research, then-President Sister Janet Eisner, SNDdeN, and the Board of Trustees made a bold, forward-thinking move: Emmanuel would become coeducational. The Board voted unanimously.

“The wisdom of the Sisters of Notre Dame who founded Emmanuel is reflected in their intention for their College to respond to the needs of each generation of students,” said Sister Janet in 2000. “In that spirit Emmanuel welcomed resident students in the 1950s, adult women and men in the mid-1970s, international students in the 1990s, and students from the Colleges of the Fenway since 1996. In 2000 the decision to become fully coeducational continues the founding tradition of responsiveness and innovation.” 

The move was not only visionary, but necessary—enrollment had become a pressing concern, and the future of the College depended on bold action.

That founding spirit of adaptation and innovation resonated with campus leaders as they prepared for the shift. 

“I supported the decision because I had tremendous faith in the Board of Trustees, in Sister Janet Eisner, and in Sister Anne Mary Donovan,” said Dr. Patricia Rissmeyer, then Dean of Students. “I trusted the community to engage in thoughtful planning. We had the space to grow, and I believed we could fill the empty ‘desks and beds’ with smart, caring students. But I also knew the transition would be a process—one that required empathy, affirmation, and patience.”

The Announcement and Its Aftermath

At a packed meeting in fall 2000, the College’s leaders announced the move, framing it as essential for Emmanuel’s survival.

Nicole Samson ’02, who was already enrolled when the announcement came, remembered the moment as bittersweet. “Many were surprised by how quickly the change happened,” she said. “But I respected the decision. Emmanuel needed to evolve to thrive. And I loved my experience—I wanted others, women and men, to have the same opportunity.”

It was an emotional moment for students and faculty alike.

“I remember being in the Auditorium when the announcement was made to the student body,” said Dr. Tom Wall, Professor of Philosophy. “There was an immediate and enthusiastic approval by the students: wild applause. When it finally sunk in, some students—a few—could be seen leaving the Auditorium in tears.”

Dr. Melanie Murphy, Associate Professor of History, remembered that some faculty were worried about what might be announced. “I felt the atmosphere in the room was excited and did not expect bad news,” she said. “I was surprised, but not upset.”

A Simmons graduate herself, Dr. Murphy understood the value of single-sex education—but saw Emmanuel’s decision as an evolution, not a loss. “Especially if the alternative to coeducation would be closing the College—which was not said in so many words, but enrollment numbers were an issue—then coeducation was definitely desirable. We remained committed to students learning and growing together with respect for all.”

A College in Transition

While students processed the news, the College was pressing forward with broader institutional changes. Even as plans for coeducation took shape, the College forged a groundbreaking partnership with Merck & Co. to build a life sciences research building on a portion of the campus. The collaboration—the first of its kind between a global pharmaceutical company and a liberal arts college—paved the way for the transformation of the College’s enrollment, programs, faculty, and campus resources. 

By 2004, the long-awaited‑ Jean Yawkey Student Center opened, and the student body was thriving—with campus buildings and residence halls nearing capacity. In fact, traditional undergraduate enrollment increased by nearly 160% in the decade after Emmanuel went coeducational.

The shift touched every part of campus life. Residence halls were reconfigured. Men’s athletic teams were added and clubs expanded. Additional male faculty and staff were hired to further ensure a smooth, inclusive transition. While there was some initial uncertainty, the community quickly adapted.

For many students, the experience bore the same hallmarks that had long defined an Emmanuel education: close faculty relationships, meaningful mentorship, and a strong sense of community.

“When I was a freshman, all the dorms except for St. Joe’s were rented to nearby colleges,” said Nimit Nathwani ’05, now a member of Emmanuel’s Board of Trustees. “By senior year, all the dorms were occupied with Emmanuel students. The Jean Yawkey student center was also added on during my time at Emmanuel. One could see the expansion and transformation that took place with the transition.” 

Classroom culture evolved, too. “Coeducation added to the growing conversation about inclusion on campus,” said Dr. Murphy. “LGBTQ+ student groups became more visible, and the dialogue felt more expansive. Emmanuel aimed to be welcoming and inclusive, to share insights and knowledge.”

 Moments of Tension—and Grace

Dr. Rissmeyer and the Student Affairs team understood the challenges ahead and prepared thoughtfully. “As a doctoral student, I studied college transition, so I knew that the transition to coeducation was not an ‘event’ but a ‘process’ that might take years,” she said. “I knew the Emmanuel transition would be challenging and perhaps painful—particularly for the women’s classes who would be mourning the loss of the identity of the College they loved.”

She and her team committed themselves to open communication and empathy. “My staff and I were prepared to have ‘open doors’ and ‘listening ears,’ to hold open meetings and forums, and to show empathy, affirmation, and patience,” she recalled. “We prayed that we would honor students in the Classes of 2002, 2003 and 2004 and their predecessors—and the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur—by maintaining the core values and traditions of the College.”

She remembers the energy of that first year. “Having more students on campus certainly brought a louder volume of conversation, laughing in social spaces, and increased play on the quad,” she said. 

During that time, Student Affairs remained present, proactive and ready. “Some students felt they were under a microscope,” she said. “And I know that was very challenging. But I will always be grateful for the openness, tolerance, and kindness of the students in the Classes of 2002, 2003 and 2004. Emmanuel would not have been successful without them.”

Serghino Rene ’05 experienced some of those early growing pains firsthand. “My freshman year, I was on the all-male second floor of Saint Joe’s,” he said. “The dorm staff stumbled over how to keep men and women separated after a certain hour. I think there was a 10:00 p.m. curfew by floor—but by junior year, it was a comical memory.”

Despite the awkward beginnings, Rene sensed something bigger taking shape. “Among the first few classes, there was this unspoken air of being part of something bigger than us,” he said. “Coeducation clearly sparked growth. Emmanuel was becoming one of the fastest-growing colleges in New England.” 

One of Dr. Rissmeyer’s fondest memories came at a Student Government meeting in 2002. Senior officers from the all-women’s Class of 2002 requested funding for their final Senior Week. First-year officers from the coed Class of 2005 suggested increasing the budget—and the motion passed.

“Afterward, one of the senior women looked down the table and mouthed, ‘We love you guys,’” Dr. Rissmeyer recalled. “It was a moment of mutual respect. I will always remember our trailblazer men and women bringing high energy, creative ideas, joyful perspectives, and great pride in being the Inaugural coed class.”

A Legacy Still Unfolding

Two decades later, members of the Class of 2005 reflect on their time at Emmanuel with gratitude—and a sense of purpose.

“We knew this wasn’t just a policy change—it was a cultural shift,” said Eccles. “Watching the College continue to grow fills me with pride.”

Justin Prairie ’04, who became one of the first male Student Government presidents, said the significance of the transition didn’t fully register until later. “Looking back, I wish I had been more empathetic to how difficult that change must have been for the women who had chosen Emmanuel as a women’s college. I do think it was the right decision for the College, and many of them must have thought so too, since they stayed. But I understand now how difficult it must have been.”

In the years since, the College has expanded academic programs, deepened ties to the city, and remained committed to the values that first drew students to it: intellectual rigor, community, and care.

"Emmanuel has always been alive to the signs of the times,” said President Beth Ross, who arrived at the College as Registrar just prior to the coeducation announcement. “In fact, the story of Emmanuel is one of openness to change, of a willingness to adapt and reinvent in tune with shifting external realities. Certainly that was on full display in our transition to coeducation a quarter-century ago. Today, we continue to examine ways to advance the College’s impact in a complex world while holding true to who we are. We’re always agile—and always Emmanuel.”