APPROVED AS TO FORM AND LEGALITY
_________________________
CITY ATTORNEY’S OFFICE
OAKLAND CITY COUNCIL
RESOLUTION NO. _______________ C.M.S.
INTRODUCED BY VICE MAYOR KAPLAN & COUNCIL PRO TEMPORE THAO
RESOLUTION CELEBRATING THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF MILLS
COLLEGE TO THE CITY OF OAKLAND AND BEYOND, AND CALLING
ON THE CALIFORNIA BUREAU OF PRIVATE AND POST-SECONDARY
EDUCATION AND THE US DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO
CONDUCT AN INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION INTO THE
CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE MER GER BETWEEN MILLS COLLEGE
AND NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY
WHEREAS, since its opening in 1872, Mills College - the oldest undergrad uate college for women in the West – has empowered women and removed barrier s to women’s advancement and opportunity; and
WHEREAS, Mills College, located in East Oakland, is an integral part of the city’s culture and its student body is reflectiv e of the region’s diversity. W ithin the 2021-2022 Mills student population, about 44% are first-g eneration undergraduate studen ts and about 66% of undergraduate students are students of color; and
WHEREAS, a provenance of women’s rights, Mills College was the first women’s college to offer a computer science major in 1974, and in 2014, Mills w as the first women’s to openly welcome transgender students; and
WHEREAS, after 170 years of operation, Mi lls College abruptly notified s tudents and staff on March 17, 2021, of its impending closure, citing financial hardship as the motivating factor for closing the college; and
WHEREAS, subsequently, in June 2021, Mills College announced a forthcomi ng acquisition of the college to Northeastern University – a Boston-based coed university; and
WHEREAS, in response to these actions taken by the college, current stud ents, faculty, and alumni organized to form groups such as Save Mills College Coalition and All in for Mills, dedicating themselves over the past year to stop Northeastern’s acquisition of Mills, and to restore Mills as an independent women’s college under new leadership; and
WHEREAS, at a time when students of color, the LGBTQ+ community, and wom en’s rights are under attack, from perpetrators ranging from the “Proud Boys,” to the Supreme Court, we must listen to impacted communities, alumni, and students wh en they advocate for transparency at such an important community institution; and
WHEREAS, community members, students, faculty, and alumni have shared significant concerns about a lack of transp arency and allegations of dissem inating false information by the college – specifically in regards to the school’s financial hea lth that Mills college leadership provided as justification for the merger of the school with Nor theastern, and the college’s commitment to allow current students to complete their intended programs after the acquisition of the school; and
WHEREAS, given these allegations of misconduct and misinformation, these issues must be fully reviewed to ensure that community needs are respected, truth is pursued, and that the important work of Mills in serving vital needs can be continued, now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED: The Oakland City Council hereby calls upon the California Burea u of Private and Post Secondary Education and the US Department of E ducation to conduct an independent investigation into the circumstances of the merger of Mills College with Northeastern University.
IN COUNCIL, OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA,
PASSED BY THE FOLLOWING VOTE:
AYES – FIFE, GALLO, KALB, KAPLAN, REID, TAYLOR, THAO,
PRESIDENT FORTUNATO BAS
NOES –
ABSENT –
ABSTENTION –
ATTEST:
ASHA REED
City Clerk and Clerk of the Council of the
City of Oakland, California