Critics see hope in a coed Regis

Regis College's decision to admit men for the first time in its nearly 80-year history has both town and gown hoping that the decision will secure the Weston school's survival.

Neighbors and some town officials hope that going co ed will provide the college enough financial stability that it won't need to undertake an ambitious expansion project that includes a controversial 365-unit retirement village. Regis, however, maintains that the project remains essential to the college's future.

``If we want to be strong in our majors, we have to grow," said the president of Regis, Mary Jane England.

Coupled with the announcement about accepting men, Regis said it would establish a separate School for Nursing and Health Professions , elevating the standing and expanding the offerings of its most popular program.

England said that Regis aims to have 1,200 undergraduates within a few years, with a third of the students pursuing health-related studies. Regis now enrolls 640 undergraduates.

The college hopes to enroll 85 men next year. Its graduate and nontraditional student programs already include males.

As the college nears its undergraduate enrollment goal, England said, it would probably build another residence hall.

With a larger enrollment, Regis will be able to offer a greater depth and breadth of majors, the president said, adding that the planned Regis East retirement village and educational complex is integral to the college's mission.

Regis East is planned for undeveloped land the college owns across Wellesley Street from the main campus. It would consist of a 767,000-square-foot cluster of residential and classroom buildings, some up to 11 stories high.

The town has so far blocked the plan, with Regis appealing in state Land Court. Residents argue that the project is out of scale with the neighborhood and would crowd already congested roads.

Town and Regis officials have been in third-party mediation since early this year. The next meeting is planned for the end of this month, England said.

Selectman Michael Harrity said he was pleased to hear that the college was exploring options to keep it in operation that weren't dependent on Regis East.

``I hope this . . . actually lessens the need for such a dense development as they've proposed on their campus," said Harrity.

Like Harrity, residents who formed a group to fight Regis East hope that by going coed , the college will back down on its plans.

``We're hoping they will abandon that plan that is so dramatically out of scope for a town like Weston and become a good neighbor again," said Charles Abrams , an organizer of Stop Regis Overdevelopment .

Lasell College in Newton saw serious clashes with its neighbors after it began admitting men in 1998 and tripled its student body to 1,000. Nearby residents complained of increased traffic, loud parties, and new building.

Regis has a larger campus, affording more buffer room for neighboring homes. Abrams said his group would accept modest on-campus growth to accommodate a larger enrollment and the enhanced nursing program, ``as long as it's a well-thought-out, controlled plan."

Several students interviewed on campus said they accept the need to go co ed.

Ruth Ducrepin , a junior in the undergraduate nursing program, said that she had been ``a little iffy" about attending Regis because it was all-female, but grew to love the supportive environment it provides. As long as the school maintains the values that attracted its female students, she said, she could support the shift.

Ducrepin was sitting in the student union building with her sister Kethia , also a nursing major. They said their mother probably won't like the change, feeling that her daughters would be safer at an all-female school.

Melissa Bonomi will graduate as part of the last all-female class in May.

``It's given me the chance to really speak out and come out of my shell. It was a nice comfort zone for me," Bonomi said. ``Having men in the classroom creates a different experience. There are a lot of girls who struggle with self-esteem issues. They're afraid the boys are going to laugh at them."

Bonomi said the school's Weston location may make it harder to attract men. The quiet community, which does not allow alcohol sales, offers few spots for off-campus socializing.

She predicted attracting the first men will be particularly tough. ``They're going to be in the minority, and some people don't like that."

England said the college will spend $600,000 to prepare for its first coed class. Among the first expenditures will be hiring a men's basketball coach; soccer and water sports will be added later. Its promotional materials will be rewritten to make them gender-neutral.

In the residence halls, maintenance staff will be raising the showerheads and increasing water pressure -- as recommended, England said, by other women's colleges that had decided to admit males. But one bathroom fixture will remain exactly the same.

``No urinals, no, no, no!" England said. The facilities will remain as they are now, with commodes in separate stalls. ``Just like your own house. I think men like privacy as much as women."

Erica Noonan contributed to this story. Stephanie V. Siek can be reached at ssiek@globe.com.