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September 1981 Spelman Spotlight Page S 1! DIMENSIONS TO SPELMAN j |, ■W ■ ilia ; ■ill/ - ; »e i !f wief t ::4) ® ' : i( [. «'?u father «y ■ :ioft. j : w s s iMy ■Ml 3 I J tC 2 (rtoidtj t Dr. Stewart: Yes. This center will be right on campus with an office in Giles and the first project of the center is to put into place a women’s studies minor so along with an international studies minor, we will have a women's studies minor. Spotlight: This minor will not be specifically Black women’s studies? Dr. Stewart: Well, it’s women’s studies, but it’s certainly going to be very much oriented to the Black woman. Spotlight: These sure sound like great plans! Stewart: Well, it’s reality. They’re working on it right now. Spotlight: Dr. Stewart, this next question refers to the interest that you had back in 76 during all the turmoil surrounding your appointment about the relationship that existed between Black males and Black females. I think you felt some concerns about these turmoils and why it was that way. I'm trying to connect this to Spelman’s relationship to Morehouse if there is a connec tion and I’m curious as to what the president of Spelman thinks about the relationship between Spelman and Morehouse. Dr. Stewart: A very complicated relationship! Spotlight: Do you think it’s a healthy relationship or typical of Black female and Black male relationships in general? Dr. Stewart: Well, I don't know if it’s typical because the relationship of the two schools is so unique. There's nothing typical about Spelman or Morehouse. They’re two unique institutions. The relationship, though, I find a fascinating one, because, clearly there is tremen dous good feeling and repoire and caring between the men of Morehouse and the women of Spelman. But, there's a great deal of competitiveness and in some instances, almost a love/hate relationship. But, we're just so tied there very closely. It is clear to me that Spelman women are setting a good, strong pace for Morehouse men both academically and socially and that’s good. But I do feel a sense of the one hand of closeness and on the other hand-competition. Spotlight: I was wondering if something of that nature on the personal level concerning the two schools was apparent to the administration. Dr. Stewart: Oh, I feel very strongly about that. Spotlight: Next, I'd like to discuss with you your view of Spelman as it functions in today’s society. As Spelman enters into its 101st year of existence, in reflection, do you think Spelman hasdonewell in adapting to a changing en vironment and maintaining itself in the current society while keeping its tradition? Dr. Stewart: I think for the most part, yes... but at the same time, change around us is so rapid, that we need to do some catching up. I think we need to do some catching up academically for example in the new areas of communications, new areas of computer science, and the new areas of physics. Spelman is now creating a whole new series of new minor programs. A new program in organizational management is one such minor. There are now far more oppor tunities for Black women in corporate work and the business world. As far as the intellectual arena, we want to keep the college a very strong liberal arts college. We don’t want to lean too far the other way. This new manage ment program would be within the economics curriculum and would be focused on very much preparing Black women for senior level career opportunities in the business world. Most of the students who take the minor will hopefully go on, if not immediately, very soon to an MBA program. Spotlight: So, Spelman is keep ing its Liberal Arts base and maintaining its uniqueness in that sense, yet the minors would allow Spelman to compete with other universities and colleges. Dr. Stewart: Exactly. And we’re hoping to create a new minor in communications. It will not be just a carbon copy of, for exam ple, the Clark program. It will be very much based on the liberal arts-political science, drama, English .... Spelman women are setting a good, strong pace for Morehouse Men... Spotlight: My last question to you, Dr. Stewart, is what projec tions do you have for Spelman? Where do you see her headed as an institution? Dr. Stewart: I see Spelman in the next five years or so emerging as one of the strongest liberal arts colleges in America. I really mean that. But in this period of time we need to make our mark academically through symbols. By that I mean we need to establish, for example, a Phi Beta Kappa. This is sort of a sore point, for me anyway. It’s unfortunate that Morehouse got a Phi Beta Kappa Chapter and Spelman didn't. Of course, there's a lot of history there, but we should ]have moved when Morehouse moved. If we push hard, it’s certainly not too late . . . we’re building up the number of Phi Beta Kappa members on our faculty. One of the vehicles for preparing for this too is the creation of a senior honors society which we started and is two years old. These are the “symbols” of Spelman’s academic aspirations and stan dards. So, the emphasis my first five years, frankly, has been shoring up the college’s financial base. The emphasis the next few years, or the next part of my ad ministration, will be shoring up the academic, because in the final analysis, Black women in this society will only be able to achieve if and only in they are able to compete for jobs, places in medical schools, etc. with graduates from the best schools 1 in the country. And that is my mission. Spotlight: Many Spelmanites have done well thus far. Dr. Stewart: Yes, Spelmanites have done well. They’ve done very well. Interview by: Bridgett M. Davis Photography by: Whitney Young