University of Queensland college to admit women for first time

Within five years the college’s 317 male students could be divided 50 per cent male and 50 per cent female.

The college's decision on Monday to admit women students from 2020 means that of the 10 University of Queensland colleges, only one – Leo’s College – remains men-only from 2020.

The University of Queensland’s 10 colleges include three women’s only colleges; The Women’s College, Duchesne College and Grace College.

Six colleges will now be co-educational; International, Cromwell, St John’s, Union, Emmanuel and King's College, from 2020.

About 3000 Australian and international students stay at one of the university’s 10 colleges.

King's College Master Greg Eddy said the King's College Board understood it was time for the change.

“You would be surprised at the number of young woman who have told me over the years, I wished I could stay here,” Mr Eddy said.

“The reality is, to be contemporary today we need to reflect the community’s feelings about gender and gender equity."

“We feel it is time for us to reflect that."

Mr Eddy said King's College shift towards co-educational had been considered for 15 years.

“I was appointed here in 2005 and at that time the plan was to move to co-residency then,” he said.

“It was postponed at that time because it was felt that the college wasn’t ready to do it.”

In the past decade King’s College has expanded, facilities upgraded and much-improved.

“In the light of that work the College Council has been watching this – particularly in the last six months – and just felt it was time,” Mr Eddy said.

He said the biggest influence on the decision was the fast-growing student accommodation industry in Brisbane.

“There has been significant competition across Brisbane these days with the growth in the purpose-built student accommodation around Southbank and Toowong and almost everywhere around the city,” he said.

“That has impacted our numbers, but it has not been significant.

“Colleges are traditional and quite different to that offering.

“But we are watching it and there will be further growth in that space.”

“There will be further competition and from the Council’s point of view it was really about being prepared.

“We do have a couple of vacancies, but nothing major at this time.”

Women students will stay on their own floors of Kings College in the first years, Mr Eddy said.

“In the first year at least we are going to introduce woman on separate floors to men, not all mixed in together,” he said.

“We just feel this is a better way to introduce this at this stage so that women feel absolutely comfortable.”

Mr Eddy said the decision to have women students stay on different floors was a security issue, but said he did not expect any problems.

“We just want to make sure that they feel perfectly secure when they first stay here.”

He said the recent decision by Queensland’s Tattersall’s Club to admit women as members in January did not influence their decision.

“No, not all,” Mr Eddy said.

“We have not been part of that in any way, shape or form. It’s just been a decision about Kings College.”

President of the King’s College Students’ Club Maverick Ryan said the inclusion of women was unlikely to change much in the day-to-day life of the college.

“Women are here all the time anyway – for social events, to study in our tutoring groups, supporting our music and acting programs,” Mr Ryan said.

“We talk a lot at King’s about the culture we’ve created here through sport and academics and other things, and that’s not going to change because we go from being single-sex to co-residential," he said.

"In fact, it’s the chance for an exciting new chapter for the College.”