Mills College will close university, open institute

Mills College in Oakland will no longer enroll first-year students after this fall, according to a message from President Elizabeth L. Hillman, posted to its website today.

The private liberal arts and sciences college has seen declining enrollment in recent years. That, paired with economic hardships brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic, resulted in the decision to shift away from being a degree-granting college.

Instead, school officials plan to establish an institute on the campus that will foster women’s leadership, advance gender and racial equity, and cultivate innovative pedagogy, research, and critical thinking, Hillman said .

“Since it began as a small seminary in Benicia, California, Mills has brought learning and inspiration to those who might not otherwise have found it,” Hillman said. “The next chapter in Mills’ history will do likewise, serving Mills’ educational mission and sustaining its commitment to equity. We will need everyone’s help to navigate a successful transition and write that next chapter.”

Mills College was founded as the Young Ladies Seminary in 1852 in Benicia. It moved to Oakland in 1858 as an all-woman’s college.

The college, which enrolls only women as undergraduates and offers a co-educational graduate program, suffered some losses during the
pandemic and previous years.  Its overall enrollment declined 14% from 1,122 in fall 2019 to 961 fall 2020.  The loss of tuition and revenues
from residential halls particularly hurt, officials said.

The university is expected to graduate its last class of students in 2023, although its board has yet to vote on the matter.

The school will develop plans for each degree program that will enable existing students to earn a Mills degree or transfer to another university, according to Hillman. Admissions staff will help students who wish to transfer to other schools.