View source for Organization:Mills College

{{short description|Women's liberal arts college in Oakland, California}}
{{Infobox university 
|name            = Mills College
|image           = Mills College seal.svg
|image_upright   = 0.6
|motto           = ''Una destinatio,<br />viae diversae.'' ([[Social:Latin|Latin]])
|mottoeng        = One destination,<br />many paths.
|established     = {{start date and age|1852}}<ref name=facts>{{cite web|title=Facts About Mills College|url=https://www.mills.edu/uniquely-mills/facts-about-mills.php|work=Mills College official website|access-date=June 29, 2019}}</ref>
|type            = Private women's liberal arts college
|endowment       = $187.3 million (2020)<ref>As of June 30, 2020. {{cite report |url=https://www.nacubo.org/-/media/Documents/Research/2020-NTSE-Public-Tables--Endowment-Market-Values--FINAL-FEBRUARY-19-2021.ashx |title=U.S. and Canadian Institutions Listed by Fiscal Year 2020 Endowment Market Value and Change in Endowment Market Value from FY19 to FY20 |publisher=National Association of College and University Business Officers and TIAA |date=February 19, 2021 |access-date=February 20, 2021}}</ref>
|president       = Elizabeth L. Hillman (past presidents)
|city            = Oakland, California
|country         = U.S.
|coor            = {{coord|37|46|50|N|122|10|59|W|region:US-CA_type:edu_source:dewiki|display=inline,title}}
|campus          = Urban, {{cvt|135|acre}}
|students        = 1,122
|undergrad       = 713<ref name=facts />
|postgrad        = 409<ref name=facts />
|faculty         = 181<ref name=facts />
|athletics_affiliations = NCAA Division III – C2C
|mascot          = Cyclones<ref>{{cite web|title=Mills College Cyclones website|url=http://www.millscyclones.com|publisher=Mills College Athletics & Recreation Department|access-date=March 31, 2018}}</ref> 
|academic_affiliations    = CLAC <br /> Oberlin Group <br /> CIC
|parent = [[Organization:Northeastern University|Northeastern University]]
|website         = {{url|www.mills.edu}}
|logo            = Mills College wordmark.svg
|logo_upright    = .7
}}
'''Mills College''' is a private women's liberal arts college in Oakland, California. Mills is an undergraduate women's college for women and [[History:Non-binary gender|gender non-binary]] students with graduate programs for students of all genders. Mills was founded as the '''Young Ladies Seminary''' in 1852 in Benicia, {{wipe|California}}; it was relocated to Oakland in 1871, and became the first women's college west of the Rockies. In 2014, Mills became the first single-sex college in the U.S. to adopt an admission policy explicitly welcoming transgender students.<ref>{{cite web|title=Calif. Women's College Makes Trans-Inclusive History|url=http://www.advocate.com/politics/transgender/2014/08/27/calif-womens-college-makes-trans-inclusive-history|date=August 27, 2014|website=Advocate.com|access-date=March 31, 2018}}</ref>

Mills College offers more than 45 undergraduate majors and minors<ref name="Mills College Majors & Minors">{{cite web|title=Mills College Majors & Minors|url=https://www.mills.edu/academics/program-finder/index.php?programType=pt_majors_minors|access-date=February 21, 2020|publisher=Mills College}}</ref> and over 30 graduate degrees, certificates, and credentials.<ref name="Mills College Graduate Programs">{{cite web|title=Mills College Graduate Programs|url=https://www.mills.edu/academics/program-finder/index.php?programType=pt_graduate_programs|access-date=February 21, 2020}}</ref> It is home to the Mills College School of Education and the Lorry I. Lokey School of Business & Public Policy.

In March 2021, citing financial concerns that were augmented by the pandemic, President Elizabeth L. Hillman announced that Mills College would begin transitioning away from being a degree-granting college in the fall of 2021, instead becoming Mills Institute. The announcement was made to the Mills College alumnae in a letter posted online.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Office of the President {{!}} Mills College|url=https://www.mills.edu/uniquely-mills/leadership-team/office-of-the-president/index.php|access-date=2021-09-25|website=www.mills.edu}}</ref><ref name=sfgate>{{cite news |first=Amy |last=Graff |url=https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Mills-College-is-closing-to-become-an-institute-16033462.php |title=Mills College in Oakland is closing to become an institute |website=sfgate (San Francisco Chronicle) |date=March 17, 2021 |access-date=March 17, 2021 }}</ref><ref>{{ cite news |first=Larry |last=Gordon |title=Mills College announces plan to close, triggering debate about other schools' futures |date=March 17, 2021 |url=https://edsource.org/2021/mills-college-announces-plan-to-close-triggering-debate-about-other-schools-futures/651489 |website=EdSource }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-03-17|title=COVID-19 casualty: Mills College in Oakland will end as 4-year school in 2023|url=https://www.mercurynews.com/2021/03/17/covid-19-casualty-mills-college-announces-end-as-four-year-school-in-2023|access-date=2021-09-25|website=The Mercury News|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=SFGATE|first=Amy Graff|date=2021-03-17|title=169-year-old Bay Area university steeped in history is closing|url=https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Mills-College-is-closing-to-become-an-institute-16033462.php|access-date=2021-09-25|website=SFGATE|language=en-US}}</ref>

In June 2021, following interest in merging with UC Berkeley by some Mills College alumnae, the college instead announced that it intended to merge with [[Organization:Northeastern University|Northeastern University]] (a once all-male college that admitted its first female students in 1943) to become Mills College at Northeastern University.<ref>{{Cite web|title=A New Possibility|url=https://www.ucmills.com/|access-date=2021-09-25|website=UC Mills|language=en-US}}</ref><ref name="merger">{{cite news |first1=Nanette |last1=Asimov |first2=Steve |last2=Rubenstein |url=https://www.sfchronicle.com/education/article/Mills-College-in-talks-with-Northeastern-16256198.php |title=Mills College in talks with Northeastern University to keep doors open, admit men as undergrads |newspaper=San Francisco Chronicle |date=June 17, 2021 |access-date=August 31, 2021 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Gordon|first=Larry|title=Mills College will merge with Northeastern University rather than close|url=https://edsource.org/2021/mills-college-will-merge-with-northeastern-university-rather-than-close/656656|date=June 18, 2021 |access-date=2021-06-20|website=EdSource }}</ref>

Despite a campaign by Mills College alumnae to stop the merger with Northeastern University and a temporary stay imposed by a judge, the merger was confirmed by the Mills College Board of Trustees on September 14, 2021.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-07-13|title=Snapp Shots: Alumnae fighting to save Oakland’s Mills College|url=https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2021/07/13/snapp-shots-alumnae-fighting-to-save-oaklands-mills-college|access-date=2021-09-25|website=East Bay Times|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Asimov|first=Nanette|date=2021-08-06|title=Controversial Mills College merger temporarily halted by judge|url=https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/Judge-issues-temporary-halt-to-historic-Mills-16370251.php|access-date=2021-09-25|website=San Francisco Chronicle|language=en-US}}</ref><ref name="confirmed">{{cite news|last=Asimov|first=Nanette|date=July 6, 2021|title=Mills College grads sue to block leaders from transforming historic women's school|newspaper=San Francisco Chronicle|url=https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/Mills-College-graduates-sue-to-block-leaders-from-16297157.php|access-date=September 15, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Vivian (Fain) Friedman, LA’46 {{!}} Alumni Relations {{!}} Northeastern University|url=https://voices.northeastern.edu/friedman/index.html#:~:text=In%201943,%20Vivian%20entered%20Northeastern,class%20to%20accept%20female%20students.|access-date=2021-09-25|website=voices.northeastern.edu}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Mills College to Merge with Northeastern University {{!}} Mills College|url=https://www.mills.edu/news/press-releases/mills-to-merge-with-northeastern-university.php|access-date=2021-09-25|website=www.mills.edu}}</ref>

Mills College alumnae pursued legal options for stopping the merger unsuccessfully.<ref>{{Cite web|title=For Generations Still Campaign: AAMC|url=https://www.aamc-mills.org/fgs|access-date=2021-09-25|website=Alumnae Association of Mills College|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Save Mills College Coalition|url=https://www.savemillscollege.org/|access-date=2021-09-25|website=Save Mills College Coalition|language=en-US}}</ref>


==History==
[[File:Eadweard Muybridge Photograph of Mills College.jpg|thumb|right|Eadweard Muybridge photograph of Mills College (Mills Seminary) circa 1873, featuring Mills Hall]]
Mills College was initially founded as the Young Ladies Seminary in the city of Benicia in 1852 under the leadership of Mary Atkins, a graduate of [[Organization:Oberlin College|Oberlin College]]. In 1865, Susan Tolman Mills, a graduate of [[Organization:Mount Holyoke College|Mount Holyoke College]] (then Mount Holyoke Female Seminary), and her husband, Cyrus Mills, bought the Young Ladies Seminary renaming it Mills Seminary. In 1871, the school was moved to its current location in Oakland, California. The school was [[Finance:Municipal corporation|incorporated]] in 1877 and was officially renamed Mills College in 1885. In 1890, after serving for decades as principal (under two presidents as well), Susan Mills became the president of the college and held the position for 19 years.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|url=https://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9125876?tocId=9125876 |title=Susan Lincoln Tolman Mills|encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Britannica Online}}</ref> Beginning in 1906 the seminary classes were progressively eliminated. In 1920, Mills added graduate programs for women and men, granting its first master's degrees the following year.

Other notable milestones in the college's history include the presidency of renowned educator and activist Aurelia Henry Reinhardt during World War I and II, the establishment of the first laboratory school west of the Mississippi for aspiring teachers (currently known as the Mills College Children's School) in 1926, and becoming the first women's college to offer a computer science major (1974).

[[File:Mills-College-Holmgren-Meadow.jpg|thumb|left|400px|Mills Hall viewed from across Holmgren Meadow on the Mills College campus]]
In 1990, Mills became the first and only women's college in the US to reverse a decision to go coed.<ref>{{cite news | first= Katherine| last= Bishop| url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/05/19/us/women-s-college-rescinds-its-decision-to-admit-men.html| title= Women's College Rescinds Its Decision to Admit Men | publisher=nytimes.com.com | date= 1990-05-19| access-date=2010-05-12}}</ref>  On May 3, 1990, Mills Trustees announced that they had voted to admit male undergraduate students to Mills.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/05/04/us/venerable-school-for-women-is-going-co-ed.html | title=Venerable School for Women Is Going Co-ed| publisher=nytimes.com.com | date= 1990-05-04}}</ref> This decision led to a two-week student and staff strike, accompanied by numerous displays of non-violent protests by the students.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C0CE6DE1738F936A35756C0A966958260 | title= Mills Students Protesting Admission of Men| work=The New York Times | date= 1990-05-05}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | first= Katherine| last= Bishop| url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/05/06/us/disbelieving-and-defiant-students-vow-no-men.html | title= Disbelieving and Defiant, Students Vow: No Men| work=The New York Times | date= 1990-05-06}}</ref> At one point, nearly 300 students blockaded the administrative offices and boycotted classes.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/05/08/us/protest-continues-at-college-over-decision-to-admit-men.html | title= Protest Continues at College Over Decision to Admit Men| work=The New York Times | date= 1990-05-08}}</ref> On May 18, the Trustees met again to reconsider the decision, leading to a reversal of the vote to go coed on the undergraduate level.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/05/12/us/college-to-reconsider-decision-to-admit-men.html | title= College to Reconsider Decision to Admit Men | work=The New York Times | date= 1990-05-12}}</ref>

In 2014, Mills became the first single-sex college in the U.S. to adopt an admission policy explicitly welcoming transgender students.<ref name="advocate.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.advocate.com/politics/transgender/2014/08/27/calif-womens-college-makes-trans-inclusive-history|title=Calif. Women's College Makes Trans-Inclusive History|date=August 27, 2014|website=Advocate.com|access-date=November 14, 2017}}</ref> The policy states that undergraduate students who were not [[Biology:Sex assignment#AFAB|assigned to the female sex at birth]], but who self-identify as women, are welcome to apply for admission. Undergraduates who were assigned to the female sex at birth, but identify as transgender or [[History:Genderqueer|gender fluid]], are also welcome to apply for admission. The policy further clarifies that undergraduate students assigned to the female sex at birth who have legally become male prior to applying are not eligible for admission to Mills. The policy ends with a statement that "once admitted, any student who completes the College's graduate requirements shall be awarded a degree," indicating that once admitted to Mills, an undergraduate female student who changes sex or gender to male will be allowed to complete their degree at the college.<ref name="Mills College">{{cite web|title=Mills College Undergraduate Admission Policy for Transgender or Gender-Questioning Applicants|url=https://www.mills.edu/admission-aid/undergraduate-admissions/how-to-apply/transgender-admission-policy.php|publisher=Mills College|access-date=February 21, 2020}}</ref>

In 2017, Mills declared a financial emergency because of declining enrollment and revenues, and laid off some tenured faculty.<ref name=sfgate/> That September, it became the first private college in California to implement a tuition reset, announcing a 36% reduction in its undergraduate tuition beginning in fall 2018, with a goal of making a Mills education more affordable.<ref name="Forbes">{{cite web|title=Tuition Resets & the Redistribution of Income | url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/richardvedder/2018/03/22/tuition-resets-and-the-redistribution-of-income/#40c2198f6ee1 |date=March 22, 2018 | work=Forbes | access-date=April 19, 2018}}</ref> Undergraduate tuition in the 2018–2019 academic year was $28,765 (reduced from $44,765); room and board costs were $13,448. Students are still able to receive merit scholarships and need-based financial aid in addition to the tuition reduction.<ref name="mills.edu">{{cite web|title=Mills Unveils Tuition Reset, Reducing Tuition by 36 Percent|url=https://www.mills.edu/news/press-releases/tuition-reduction.php|date=15 September 2018|publisher=Mills College|access-date=April 19, 2018}}</ref> For the 2019–2020 academic year, undergraduate tuition was $29,340; room and board costs were $13,883.<ref name="Mills Undergraduate Tuition & Fees">{{cite web|title=Mills Undergraduate Tuition & Fees|url=https://www.mills.edu/admission-aid/undergraduate-admissions/cost-aid/tuition-fees-undergraduate-students.php|publisher=Mills College|access-date=February 21, 2020}}</ref>

On March 17, 2021, Mills announced that starting in fall 2021 it would transition away from being a degree-granting college. It said it would graduate its last students in 2023 and become a research institute called the Mills Institute.<ref name=sfgate/><ref>{{cite news |first=Martha |last=Ross |url=https://www.mercurynews.com/2021/03/17/covid-19-casualty-mills-college-announces-end-as-four-year-school-in-2023/ |title=COVID-19 casualty: Mills College in Oakland will end as 4-year school in 2023 |date=March 18, 2021 |access-date=March 18, 2021 |publication-date=March 17, 2021 |publisher=Bay Area News Group |via=''Mercury News'' }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Hillman |first1=Elizabeth L. |title=Mills Announces New Path for the College |url=https://www.mills.edu/announcement/ |website=www.mills.edu |access-date=March 17, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210317195806/https://www.mills.edu/announcement/ |date=March 17, 2021 |archive-date=March 17, 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref> In June, the college announced a different plan, to merge with Northeastern University and become a coeducational institute on the Mills campus.<ref name=merger/> Following protests by many alumnae and in response to a lawsuit by two Mills College trustees, one of them president of the alumnae association, on August 17, 2021, an Alameda County Superior Court judge ruled that the merger must be postponed at minimum until September 3, 2021 and Mills must provide access to its financial statements to substantiate the need for the college to close.<ref name=stay>{{cite news |first=Nanette |last=Asimov |url=https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/New-delay-of-planned-Mills-College-merger-may-not-16393686.php |title=New delay of planned Mills College merger may not save historic Oakland women's school|newspaper=San Francisco Chronicle |date=August 17, 2021 |access-date=August 31, 2021 }}</ref> The stay was lifted on September 13, and the following day the trustees voted to confirm the merger.<ref name=confirmed/> In May 2022, days before Mills' final graduation and weeks before the transition was to take effect, some 800 students filed a class-action lawsuit accusing Mills of misleading them about their educational options, disrupting their education and costing them thousands of dollars. They said the college had encouraged students to remain enrolled by falsely claiming that diplomas would be awarded in 2023, only later disclosing that the last graduation would be in 2022 and that some degree programs such as a five-year education degree track would be eliminated.<ref name = Asimov>{{cite news|url=https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/Students-sue-Mills-College-saying-it-misled-them-17169370.php|title=Students sue Mills College, accusing school of misleading them about Northeastern takeover|last=Asimov|first=Nanette|date=May 12, 2020|work=San Francisco Chronicle|access-date=13 May 2022}}</ref>

On May 14, 2022, Mills held its final graduation ceremony as an independent institution. Diplomas were awarded to graduates of 2020, 2021, and 2022, since the COVID-19 pandemic had precluded any in-person ceremony in 2020 or 2021.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/Mills-graduation-marks-bittersweet-finale-for-17173563.php|title=Mills graduation marks bittersweet finale for venerable Oakland women’s college|last=Ho|first=Catherine|date=May 14, 2022|work=San Francisco Chronicle|access-date=15 May 2022}}</ref>

==Academics==
===Undergraduate academics===
====Admissions====
[[File:Students walk along tree-lined Richards Road near the entrance to Mills College.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Students walk along tree-lined Richards Road near the entrance to Mills College.]]
Admission to Mills is selective insofar as it does not admit every applicant<ref name="CollegeData.com">{{cite web|title=Understanding College Selectivity|url=https://www.collegedata.com/resources/the-facts-on-fit/understanding-college-selectivity|author=CollegeData.com|publisher=First Financial Bank, USA|access-date=15 April 2021}}</ref> but in recent years its acceptance rate hovered around 75%.<ref name="CollegeSimply">{{cite web|title=California Colleges Ranked by Lowest Acceptance Rate|url=https://www.collegesimply.com/colleges/rank/colleges/lowest-acceptance-rate/state/california/?start=60|author=CollegeSimply|access-date=15 April 2021}}</ref> It characterizes its process as holistic: the Mills admission application process is designed to allow students to share a complete picture of their experiences, passions, activities, and what they hope to achieve, in addition to their academic accomplishments.<ref name="How to Apply to Mills College Unde">{{cite web|title=How to Apply to Mills College (Undergraduates)|url=https://www.mills.edu/admission-aid/undergraduate-admissions/how-to-apply/index.php|publisher=Mills College|access-date=April 19, 2018}}</ref>
Admission to Mills is selective insofar as it does not admit every applicant<ref name="CollegeData.com"/> but in recent years its acceptance rate hovered around 75%.<ref name="CollegeSimply"/> It characterizes its process as holistic: the Mills admission application process is designed to allow students to share a complete picture of their experiences, passions, activities, and what they hope to achieve, in addition to their academic accomplishments.<ref name="How to Apply to Mills College Unde"/>
Most first-year students admitted to Mills have a B+ average and have followed a full college-preparatory course in their secondary school, including 4 years of English, 3 to 4 years of mathematics, 2 to 4 years of foreign languages, 2 to 4 years of social sciences, and 2 to 4 years of a laboratory science. Additional course work in fine arts is given positive consideration, as are special talents or interests. Course credit may be awarded for the College Board Advanced Placement tests and the International Baccalaureate program's higher-level examinations.<ref>{{cite web|title=First-Year Students: How to Apply to Mills (FAQs)|url=https://www.mills.edu/admission-aid/undergraduate-admissions/how-to-apply/first-year-students.php#Frequently%20Asked%20Questions|publisher=Mills College|access-date=April 19, 2018}}</ref> Mills is one of nearly 200 top-tier colleges in the U.S. that have made standardized test scores (SAT or ACT) optional in the admissions process.<ref>{{cite web|title=Mills College Test-Optional Policy & FAQs|url=https://www.mills.edu/admission-aid/undergraduate-admissions/how-to-apply/test-optional-policy-faqs.php|publisher=Mills College|access-date=November 26, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Mills College Announces New Admission Policy and College Pathway Partnership|url=https://inside.mills.edu/news/2016/pressrelease-01202016-NewAdmissionPolicyPartnership.php|date=January 20, 2016|publisher=Mills College|access-date=April 19, 2018}}</ref>

Mills accepts applications from transfer students and women who have delayed their entrance to college or who wish to continue work on their bachelor's degrees. The high school transcript requirement is waived if 24 or more transferable semester units have been completed.<ref>{{cite web|title=Transfer Students: How to Apply to Mills College|url=https://www.mills.edu/admission-aid/undergraduate-admissions/how-to-apply/transfer-students.php|publisher=Mills College|access-date=April 19, 2018}}</ref> For international students, TOEFL, IELTS, or ELS are required to satisfy English language proficiency requirements. Applications should be accompanied by transcripts, a letter of recommendation, and, for international students, language test scores.<ref>{{cite web|title=International Students: How to Apply to Mills College (Application Requirements)|url=https://www.mills.edu/admission-aid/undergraduate-admissions/how-to-apply/international-students.php#Requirements|publisher=Mills College|access-date=April 19, 2018}}</ref>

An interview, either on campus or online through Skype or FaceTime, is strongly recommended for all applicants.

In 2018–19, Mills enrolled students from 41 U.S. states and 15 countries. Of the 766 undergraduate students:

* 57% identified themselves as students of color
* 51% identified themselves as LGBTQ+
* 32% were first-generation college students
* 15% were resumer students (23 years of age or older)<ref name=facts>{{cite web|title=Facts About Mills College|url=https://www.mills.edu/uniquely-mills/facts-about-mills.php|work=Mills College official website|access-date=June 29, 2019}}</ref>

====Majors, minors, and accelerated degree programs====
Mills offers more than 60 undergraduate majors and minors across the arts and sciences.<ref name="Mills College Majors & Minors"/> As of the 2017–2018 academic year, the college's top 5 majors were: English, psychology, sociology, economics, and biology.<ref name=facts /> To earn a Mills bachelor's degree, students complete 120 semester credits (usually 15 credits each semester). Grading is traditional, and a pass-fail option is available outside the major.<ref>{{cite web|title=Academic Requirements - Mills College 2018-19 Undergraduate Catalog|url=https://catalog.mills.edu/undergraduate/academic-requirements/|publisher=Mills College|access-date=April 19, 2018}}</ref> Mills also offers ten bachelor's-to-master's accelerated degree programs that allow students to earn a bachelor's and a master's degree in less time with the goal of increasing their career options.<ref>{{cite web|title=Mills College Bachelor's-to-Master's Accelerated Degree Programs|url=https://www.mills.edu/academics/program-finder/index.php?programType=pt_bachelor-to-master_degrees|publisher=Mills College|access-date=March 31, 2018}}</ref>

====Core curriculum====
The core curriculum at Mills is designed to develop students' analytical, communication, and critical thinking skills; encourage thoughtful creativity and innovation; and create a deep-seated respect for diversity, inclusion, and social justice. The core curriculum consists of 10 specific knowledge and skill areas organized into three outcome categories:<ref>{{cite web|title=Mills College Core Curriculum|url=https://www.mills.edu/academics/undergraduate-programs/the-mills-core-curriculum.php|publisher=Mills College|access-date=April 19, 2018}}</ref>

* Foundational Skills — critical analysis, information literacy, written and oral communication, and quantitative literacy
* Modes of Inquiry — race, gender, and power; scientific inquiry; language other than English; and international perspectives
* Contributions to knowledge and society — community engaged learning and creativity, innovation, and experimentation

Students are able to tailor their completion of the core curriculum requirements to their interests by choosing from a wide range of courses that fulfill the 10 knowledge and skill areas.

====Accreditation====
Mills is accredited by the [[Organization:Western Association of Schools and Colleges|Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC)]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Statement of Accreditation Status: Mills College|url=https://www.wscuc.org/institutions/mills-college|publisher=WASC Senior College and University Commission|access-date=March 31, 2018}}</ref> The college runs on a semester system, with optional winter and summer sessions.

===Graduate academics===
Mills College offers 34 degrees, credentials, and certifications through their graduate programs, including the Mills College School of Education and the Lorry I. Lokey School of Business and Public Policy.<ref name="Mills College Graduate Programs"/> As of the 2018–2019 academic year, the college's top 5 graduate programs are: education, pre-medical, MBA, English, and music.<ref name=facts />

====Master's degrees====
Master's degree options at Mills include an [[Social:Master of Business Administration|MBA]]; MFAs in studio art, book art, creative writing, and music; MAs in dance, education, English language and literatures, infant mental health, interdisciplinary computer science, and music; a master of applied economics; a [[Social:Master of Management|master of management]]; and a master of public policy (MPP).<ref name="Mills College Graduate Programs"/>

====Joint degrees, doctorate degrees and credentials====
Mills also offers a joint MPP/MBA degree and a joint MBA/MA in educational leadership degree. The joint MPP/MBA provides graduates with the training to handle the evolving demand of professionals with cross-sector competencies who are trained in the logic of government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and social or business enterprises, as well as the intersection of these sectors.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mills.edu/academics/graduate-programs/business-public-policy/public-policy/mpp-mba-joint-degree.php|title=Mills College Joint MPP/MBA Degree Program|publisher=Mills College|access-date=November 26, 2018}}</ref> The joint MBA/MA in educational leadership is specifically designed to prepare educational leaders and managers for success by giving them knowledge of the educational process and dynamics, and strategic business and management skills, to help them confront the complex challenges of the rapidly changing educational landscape.<ref>{{cite web|title=Mills College Joint MBA/MA in Educational Leadership|url=https://catalog.mills.edu/graduate/joint-degree-programs/joint-mbama-educational-leadership/|publisher=Mills College|access-date=November 14, 2017}}</ref>

The Mills College School of Education offers a [[Social:Doctor of Education|doctorate program in educational leadership]] and preparation for multiple- and single-subject [[Social:Teaching credential|teaching credential]]s, administrative services credentials, and other state-issued credentials in the field of education.<ref>{{cite web|title=Mills College School of Education|url=https://www.mills.edu/academics/graduate-programs/education/|access-date=April 2, 2018}}</ref>

====Post-baccalaureate certificates====
The college also offers [[Social:Postbaccalaureate program|post-baccalaureate]] certificate programs in pre-med, biochemistry, and computer science. These programs are designed for students who previously have earned a bachelor's degree, but are now interested in pursuing degrees or careers in fields not covered by their undergraduate degree. Graduates of Mills' Post-Baccalaureate Pre-Medical Program have an 80%+ acceptance rate to medical schools (compared to the national average of 50%).<ref>{{cite web|title=Medical School Acceptance Rates of Mills Post-Bac Pre-Med Graduates|url=https://www.mills.edu/academics/graduate-programs/pre-med/medical-schools.php|publisher=Mills College|access-date=April 2, 2018}}</ref> Students who complete the Post-Bac Pre-Med Program and are interested in pursuing laboratory science instead of medical school can complete the biochemistry and molecular biology certificate with one additional year of course work.<ref>{{cite web|title=Mills Post-Bac Pre-Med and Biochemistry/Molecular Biology Certificates|url=https://www.mills.edu/academics/graduate-programs/pre-med/post-bac-pre-medical-certificate.php|publisher=Mills College|access-date=April 2, 2018}}</ref> The Post-Baccalaureate Computer Science Certificate Program has no programming or math prerequisites, allowing students to continue on to the MA in interdisciplinary computer science with an undergraduate background in a non-computer science related field.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mills.edu/academics/graduate-programs/computer-science/post-bac-computer-science-certificates.php|title=Mills Post-Bac Computer Science Certificates|publisher=Mills College|access-date=November 26, 2018}}</ref>

Mills graduate students have access to on-campus housing and the same campus facilities as undergraduate students, including the Betty Irene Moore Natural Sciences Building, Center for Contemporary Music, the Heller Rare Books Room, Lorry I. Lokey School of Business & Public Policy building, and the Mills College Children's School.

===Faculty===
Notable Mills faculty include renowned book artists Kathy Walkup and Julie Chen; choreographer and performer Molissa Fenley; experimental musicians/composers/performers Maggi Payne, Chris Brown, Fred Frith, Roscoe Mitchell; Y.A. author Kathryn Reiss; poet and editor Juliana Spahr; computer scientist [[Biography:Ellen Spertus|Ellen Spertus]]; and artist/photographer Catherine Wagner.<ref>{{cite web|title=Mills College Faculty Roster|url=https://www.mills.edu/academics/faculty-roster.php|publisher=Mills College|access-date=April 19, 2018}}</ref> Nearly 75% of Mills faculty hold the highest degrees in their field; approximately 70% are women, and over one-third are faculty of color.<ref name="ReferenceA">{{cite web|url=https://www.mills.edu/uniquely-mills/facts-about-mills.php|title=Facts About Mills|publisher=Mills College|access-date=November 26, 2018}}</ref> Mills faculty from all areas of study work closely with undergraduate and graduate students, collaborating on scientific research, art preservation, academic papers, and journal articles.<ref>{{cite web|title=Mills Student & Faculty Collaborations|url=https://www.mills.edu/uniquely-mills/students-faculty/student-faculty-collaborations/index.php|publisher=Mills College|access-date=April 19, 2018}}</ref>

===Financial aid===
In the 2018–2019 academic year, more than 80 percent of incoming Mills students received some form of financial aid.<ref name=facts /> For undergraduates, the college offers a variety of merit- and need-based scholarships that can total up to $10,000 for first-year students and transfer students. Additional aid is available through federal and state grants, private scholarships, loans, and work-study opportunities.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mills.edu/admission-aid/undergraduate-admissions/cost-aid/index.php|title=Undergraduate Cost & Aid (Mills College)|publisher=Mills College|access-date=November 26, 2018}}</ref> For graduate students, Mills offers scholarships, assistantships, and fellowships customized to each graduate program. The college also offers access to low-interest graduate student loans from the federal government.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mills.edu/admission-aid/graduate-admissions/graduate-programs-cost-aid/index.php|title=Graduate School Costs & Financial Aid (Mills College)|publisher=Mills College|access-date=November 26, 2018}}</ref>

To be considered for government aid and need-based Mills scholarships, students must file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by the appropriate deadline. California residents must also file the Cal Grant GPA Verification Form to be considered for a Cal Grant.

====Tuition reduction for undergraduate students====
In September 2017, Mills became the first private college in California to implement a tuition reset, substantially reducing the cost of its undergraduate education. The college reduced its undergraduate tuition by 36% (beginning in fall 2018) with a goal of making a Mills education more affordable for more students.<ref name="Forbes"/> Undergraduate tuition in the 2018–2019 academic year was $28,765 (reduced from $44,765); room and board costs were $13,448. Students are still able to receive merit scholarships and need-based financial aid in addition to the tuition reduction.<ref name="mills.edu"/> For the 2019–2020 academic year, undergraduate tuition was $29,340; room and board costs were $13,883.<ref name="Mills Undergraduate Tuition & Fees"/>

==Rankings==
{{Infobox US university ranking
| Forbes = 343
| THE_WSJ = 
| USNWR_REG = 5
| Wamo_MASTERSU = 6
}}

For 2021, ''U.S. News & World Report'' ranked Mills in the following "Best Regional Universities West" categories:<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/mills-college-1238/overall-rankings |title=Mills College Rankings by U.S. News & World Report|work=U.S. News & World Report |access-date=December 8, 2020}}</ref>
* No. 1 in Best Value Schools
* No. 1 in Best Undergraduate Teaching
* No. 8 in Most Innovative Schools (tied)
* No. 12 in Regional Universities West
* No. 13 in Top Performers on Social Mobility (tied)

For 2021, The Princeton Review included Mills in the following lists and ranked Mills in the following categories:<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.princetonreview.com/college/mills-college-1023221|title=Mills College Rankings by The Princeton Review |work=The Princeton Review|access-date=December 8, 2020}}</ref>
* The Best 386 Colleges
* Best Western (regional colleges)
* Green Colleges
* No. 9 for Administrators Get Low Marks
* No. 13 Most Liberal Students
* No. 14 LGBTQ-Friendly
* No. 15 for Stone-Cold Sober Students
* No. 20 for Least Religious Students

In 2020, ''Washington Monthly'' ranked Mills sixth out of 614 schools on its Master's Universities list, based on its contribution to the public good as measured by social mobility, research, and promoting public service.<ref>{{cite web |title=2020 Master's University Rankings |url=https://washingtonmonthly.com/2020college-guide/masters |work=Washington Monthly |access-date=September 2, 2020}}</ref>

In 2019, ''{{wipe|Forbes}}'' included Mills as one of the 650 best schools in the United States out of a possible 4,300 degree-granting postsecondary institutions.<ref>{{cite web |title=America's Top Colleges 2019 |url=https://www.forbes.com/top-colleges/#176af3aa1987 |work=Forbes |access-date=December 8, 2020}}</ref> Forbes ranked Mills as follows:
*No. 343 in Top Colleges 2019
*No. 227 in Private Colleges
*No. 70 in the West<ref>{{cite web |title=Mills College Profile on Forbes.com |url=https://www.forbes.com/colleges/mills-college/?sh=14d9a55a164b |work=Forbes |access-date=December 8, 2020}}</ref>

==Student life==
===Student body demographics===
[[File:View-Mills-College-Campus.jpg|thumb|right|400px|Holmgren Meadow and Rothwell Center on the Mills College campus]]
For the 2018–19 academic year, Mills student body included 1,255 students, with 766 undergraduate women and 489 graduate students of all genders. Forty-one states are represented in the student body, and international students from 15 countries attend the college. The average class size at Mills is 16 students, with a student:faculty ratio of 11:1. The average class size at Mills is small, with 76% of Mills classes having 20 students or less.<ref name="facts" />

Fifty-six percent of the undergraduate students self-identify as students of color or multi-racial. Sixteen percent of the undergraduate population are "Resumer" students who are 23 years or older and returning to college. Over half of Mills Undergraduates live on-campus in any of the twelve housing options offered by the college.<ref name=facts />

Forty-one percent of the graduate students self-identify as students of color or multi-racial. Of the graduate student body, eighty-six percent are full-time students. Over three-quarters of Graduate students commute to campus with only thirteen percent opting to live on-campus.<ref name=facts />

===Student clubs and organizations===
There are more than 50 student organizations at Mills run by both undergraduate and graduate students. These groups host campus-wide art exhibitions, dance performances, concerts, and lectures, as well as annual events such as Black & White Ball, Earth Day Fair, and Spring Fling.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mills.edu/student-life/student-activities/index.php|title=Student Activities|website=mills.edu|publisher=Mills College|access-date=August 22, 2017}}</ref>

Students also participate in the Associated Students of Mills College (ASMC), an executive board of elected and appointed positions. Under the governance of a student-drafted Constitution, the board manages and disburses an annual budget that supports more than 50 student organizations, student publications, campus-wide events, and various student initiatives. ASMC is the voice of the student body to the college administration.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mills.edu/student-life/student-activities/student-government.php|title=Student Government|website=mills.edu|publisher=Mills College|access-date=August 22, 2017}}</ref>

Mills' undergraduate student publications include the ''Campanil'', an award-winning campus newspaper and the voice of Mills students. It has won the top journalism award in its division for general newspaper excellence from the California College Media Association and has also been honored in editorial, news, entertainment and photography categories. The ''Crest'' is the Mills College yearbook which has run for 95 years. In 2010 Mills published the first annual ''Mills Academic Research Journal'' (MARJ) which focuses on research on the Mills College campus. The college also supports ''The Walrus Literary Journal'' an annual publication which includes "wonderful, whacky, weird, witty, and whimsical poetry, prose, and art from the Bay Area and beyond. Another annual literary journal on-campus is the ''Womanist, A Women of Color Journal'' which features prose, poetry, and artwork by students, alumnae, faculty, and staff of color. The publication is compiled and edited by a group of Mills students.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mills.edu/student-life/student-activities/student-publications.php|title=Student Publications|website=mills.edu|publisher=Mills College|access-date=August 22, 2017}}</ref>

Graduate students also create the ''580 Split'', an annual journal of arts and literature, publishes innovative and experimental prose, poetry, and art and was founded specifically for graduate students to participate and hone skills in editing, publishing, and creative writing. The journal has expanded its presence in the Bay Area and can be found in such well-known bookstores as City Lights. It is also one of the few literary journals carried by the Oakland Public Library.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mills.edu/student-life/student-activities/student-publications.php|title=Student Publications|website=mills.edu|publisher=Mills College}}</ref>

==Athletics==
Mills athletic teams are the Cyclones. The college is a member of the Division III level of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), primarily competing in the Coast to Coast Athletic Conference ('''C2C'''; formerly known as the '''Capital Athletic Conference''' until after the 2019–20 school year) since the 2020–21 academic year.<ref name="ncaa">{{cite web|url=http://web1.ncaa.org/onlineDir/exec/divisionListing?sortOrder=0&division=3|title=NCAA Members by Division|access-date=2012-02-29|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090331203151/http://web1.ncaa.org/onlineDir/exec/divisionListing?sortOrder=0&division=3|archive-date=2009-03-31|url-status=dead}}</ref> The Cyclones previously competed as a member of the short-lived American Collegiate Athletic Association (ACAA) from 2017–18 to 2019–20, as well as a member of the defunct Great South Athletic Conference (GSAC) from 2013–14 to 2015–16, and as an Independent when it began its transition to D-III from 2011–12 to 2012–13 (and again during the 2016–17 school year). Prior to joining to the NCAA and D-III, the Cyclones were a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), primarily competing in the California Pacific Conference (Cal Pac) from 1999–2000 to 2010–11.

Mills competes in six intercollegiate varsity sports. Women's sports include cross country, rowing, soccer, swimming, tennis and volleyball. All students are welcome to join the sports teams.

===Swimming===
The Mills swim team was awarded the Scholar All-America Team award for swimming and diving teams who have achieved a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://inside.mills.edu/news/2015/newsstory-07232015-SwimmersHighestGPAAmongNCAATeams.php|title=Mills College Cyclones Earn Highest GPA Among College Swimming Coaches Association of America Teams|website=mills.edu/news|publisher=Mills College|access-date=August 22, 2017}}</ref> The athletics, physical education, and recreation facilities are housed within Haas Pavilion.

===Facilities===
The Trefethan Aquatics Center features an Olympic-size outdoor swimming pool.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mills.edu/student-life/athletics-physical-education-recreation/trefethen-aquatic-center.php|title=Trefethan Aquatics Center|website=mills.edu|publisher=Mills College}}</ref> Trefethen is accessible to students, faculty, staff, and immediate family free of charge, and is also open for public use at a small fee.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://inside.mills.edu/campus_life/athletics_and_recreation/aquatics_pool_schedule.php#fees|title=Pool Schedule and Policies|website=mills.edu|publisher=Mills College|access-date=August 22, 2017}}</ref>

Mills' Tennis Center features six lighted courts and is used for recreation, events, and competitions. The tennis team also hosts a Family Day every year to promote interaction with the community.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.millscyclones.com/facilities/tennis_courts|title=Tennis Center|website=mills.edu|publisher=Mills.edu|access-date=September 21, 2015}}</ref>

The campus houses a Fitness Center, inside Haas Pavilion, for student, faculty and staff use.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.millscyclones.com/facilities/fitness_center|title=Fitness Center|website=mills.edu|publisher=Mills College|access-date=September 21, 2015}}</ref> Athletics also maintains the Hellman Soccer Field and track, as well as Pine Top Trail which runs the circumference of campus.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.millscyclones.com/facilities/soccer_field|title=Soccer Field|website=mills.edu|publisher=Mills College}}</ref>

==Campus==
The {{convert|135|acre|km2|adj=on}} Mills College campus is located in the foothills of Oakland, California, on the eastern shore of the San Francisco Bay.

===Campus facilities===
====Betty Irene Moore Natural Sciences Building====
[[File:Betty-Irene-Moore-Natural-Sciences-Building.jpg|thumb|right|400px|After class, students exit the Betty Irene Moore Natural Sciences Building on the Mills College campus.]]
Completed in 2007, the Natural Sciences Building was the first [[Engineering:Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design|Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design]] (LEED) "green" building at Mills. The facility met the most rigorous standards for materials selection, energy consumption, and water usage and was awarded platinum certification. Specifically designed to bring together the fields of biology, chemistry, physics, and psychology, Moore Natural Sciences Building encourages collaboration and research across disciplines. The building features state of the art equipment including: the Scheffler Bio-Imaging Center which contains a transilluminating fluorescence microscope with digital camera and imaging software, walk-in warm and cold rooms, and a marine culture system. The building's instrumentation includes: an atomic absorption spectrophotometer, a Fourier transform infrared spectrometer, a Fourier transform nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer, ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometers, an electrochemistry apparatus, high-performance liquid chromatographs, gas-liquid chromatographs, and standard low-speed and high-speed ultracentrifuges as well as numerous smaller instruments<ref>{{cite web|title=Pre-Med Facilities|url=https://www.mills.edu/academics/graduate-programs/pre-med/post-bac-pre-medical-certificate.php|website=mills.edu|publisher=Mills College|access-date=August 22, 2017}}</ref>

The science facility offers a wide variety of classroom, laboratory, and research space equipped with up-to-date instrumentation, special outdoor teaching courtyards, and is located adjacent to the William Joseph McInnes Botanic Garden for hands-on research and study.<ref>{{cite web|title=Natural Sciences Facilities|url=https://www.mills.edu/academics/graduate-programs/pre-med/post-bac-pre-medical-certificate.php|website=mills.edu|publisher=Mills College|access-date=August 22, 2017}}</ref>

====Center for Contemporary Music====
The San Francisco Tape Music Center moved to Mills Campus in 1966, became the Mills Tape Music Center, and was later renamed the Center for Contemporary Music (CCM). The CCM's archives contains over 50 years of collected recordings made at the San Francisco Tape Music Center and at Mills.<ref>{{cite web|title=Center for Contemporary Music Archives|url=https://inside.mills.edu/campus_life/center_for_contemporary_music/archives.php|website=mills.edu|publisher=Mills College|access-date=August 22, 2017}}</ref> CCM internationally renowned as a leading center for innovation in music, and functions as an important resource center for Bay Area composers and artists.<ref>{{cite web|title=Center for Contemporary Music Index|url=https://www.mills.edu/academics/graduate-programs/music/center-contemporary-music.php|website=mills.edu|publisher=Mills College|access-date=August 22, 2017}}</ref> Its facilities feature a 24-track recording studio, hybrid computer music studio, electronic music studio, dubbing and editing studio, technical and project development lab, Studio V, and the musicianship lab.<ref>{{cite web|title=Center for Contemporary Music Facilities|url=https://www.mills.edu/academics/graduate-programs/music/center-contemporary-music/facilities.php|website=mills.edu|publisher=Mills College|access-date=December 8, 2020}}</ref>

Housed within the Mills Music Building since 1966, CCM has emphasized experimental methods in contemporary music and its allied arts and sciences. CCM maintains a variety of electronic equipment, instruments and studios, provides instruction and technical assistance, and archives audio recordings. The center also performs a wide variety of community services in the arts, including public concerts and lecture series, informational and technical assistance, and artist residencies. Maggi Payne and Chris Brown are presently co-directors of CCM. Payne is a composer, performer, interdisciplinary artist, and recording engineer. Brown is an instrument builder, a pianist, and a composer.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ILkquoGXEq0C&pg=PA192 |page=192 |title=Electronic and experimental music: pioneers in technology and composition |last1=Holmes |first1=Thomas B. |last2=Holmes |first2=Thom |publisher=Psychology Press |year=2002 |isbn=0-415-93644-6 |edition=2}}</ref>

The music program at Mills is noted for being at the forefront of experimental music study and composition. Well-known composer Luciano Berio was on the music faculty of Mills in 1962–1964, and in 1966 Pauline Oliveros became the first director of the Tape Music Center (later the Center for Contemporary Music),<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-uSNYnr3VWIC&pg=PA34 |page=34 |title=The San Francisco Tape Music Center: 1960s counterculture and the avant-garde |last=Bernstein |first=David W. |publisher=University of California Press |year=2008 |isbn=978-0-520-24892-2}}</ref> where she composed her electronic works "Alien Bog" and "Beautiful Soop". Morton Subotnick, later a member of the faculty, received his master's degree from Mills, studying composition with Leon Kirchner and Darius Milhaud. Laurie Anderson, Dave Brubeck, Joanna Newsom, Phil Lesh, Noah Georgeson, Holly Herndon, and Steve Reich attended the program, as well as the famous synthesizer designer Don Buchla. Terry Riley taught at Mills starting in the early 1970s. Avant-garde jazz pioneer Anthony Braxton has taught at Mills on an intermittent basis since the 1970s. Lou Harrison, Pandit Pran Nath, Iannis Xenakis, Alvin Curran, Gordon Mumma, Maggi Payne, Pauline Oliveros, Frederic Rzewski, Zeena Parkins, Fred Frith, and many others have all taught music at Mills.

====F.W. Olin Library====
[[File:FW-Olin-Library-Mills-College.jpg|thumb|right|400px|The F.W. Olin Library is centrally located on the Mills College campus and is home to the Heller Rare Book Room, Special Collections, and the Center for the Book.]]
The F.W. Olin Library houses a collection of over 240,000 volumes and other media, with special emphasis on literature, history, women's studies, art and music. It also offers access to more than 60 online databases including: Academic Search, LexisNexis, PsycINFO, Sociological Abstracts, MEDLINE, ERIC, MLA Bibliography, Contemporary Women's Issues, Britannica Online, Biography Resource Center, and Science Direct, and many more. The library includes 280 study and workstations, a listening-viewing room with fully equipped audio-visual stations, and a seminar room. Open 88.5 hours a week, the library's online catalog, MINERVA, is accessible throughout the library and via the internet.<ref>{{cite web|title=F.W. Olin Library at Mills College|url=https://www.mills.edu/academics/library.php|publisher=Mills College|access-date=April 2, 2018}}</ref>

The Special Collections is housed within the library in the Heller Rare Book Room and includes printed books from the 15th century to the present, as well as the Mills College Collection. Containing 12,000 volumes and 10,000 manuscripts, Special Collections features a leaf from a Gutenberg Bible and a Florentine edition of Dante's ''La divina commedia''. It is also home to the Mills Center for the Book, a forum for cultural, literary, and aesthetic heritage of the book.<ref>{{cite web|title=Special Collections and Archives|url=https://inside.mills.edu/academic-resources/library/special-collections/index.php |publisher=Mills College|access-date=November 18, 2020}}</ref> In October 2020 the college sold its copy of Shakespeare's First Folio from 1623 for $9.9 million to make up for revenue shortfalls.<ref>{{cite web|title=Shakespeare First Folio Sells for Just Under $10 Million|url=https://www.finebooksmagazine.com/blog/shakespeare-first-folio-sells-just-under-10-million|author=Rebecca Rego Barry|access-date=April 15, 2021|publisher=Fine Books and Collections: Current Events and Trends}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=First collection of Shakespeare's plays sells for almost $10 million|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/books-shakespeare-idINKBN26Z2BY|first=Jill|last=Serjeant|access-date=April 15, 2021|publisher=Reuters}}</ref>

Mills is also home to the Center for the Book which was established in 1989 to promote the cultural, literary, and aesthetic heritage of the book. Programs and projects encompass contemporary and historical concerns, and include the book arts, literacy, and local history. The Center for the Book involves both Mills College and the local communities, acknowledging the extraordinarily rich resources of the Bay Area.<ref>{{cite web|title=Center for the Book|url=https://inside.mills.edu/academic-resources/library/center-book.php|publisher=Mills College|access-date=November 18, 2020}}</ref>

====Lorry I. Lokey Graduate of Business and Public Policy Building====
Completed in 2010, the Graduate School of Business building is a Gold LEED certified building. The Lokey School's focus on social responsibility leads to the cultivation of an integrative perspective across disciplines and functional areas of business and to build partnerships with organizations that share similar values.

The school's first student-run policy journal, ''The Policy Forum at Mills'', was successfully launched in 2013, and provides a forum for policy solutions and analysis to its students, as well as allowing for discourse on published issues.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://millspolicyforum.wordpress.com/|title=The Policy Forum|website=The Policy Forum|access-date=November 14, 2017}}</ref>

====Mills College Art Museum====
Open to the public, the Mills College Art Museum is home to a collection of more than 8,000 works of art—the largest permanent collection of any liberal arts college on the West Coast. The collection includes old masters and modern American and European prints and drawings; Asian textiles; Japanese, Ancient American, and modern ceramics; and California regionalist paintings.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://mcam.mills.edu/about/|title=About Mills College Art Museum: Mission & History|access-date=November 26, 2018}}</ref>

Works from the permanent collection—including pieces by Pablo Picasso, Diego Rivera, Winslow Homer, Rembrandt van Rijn, Henri Matisse, and Auguste Renoir—are displayed with an ever-changing series of special exhibitions that are designed to provoke, inspire, and even amuse. Mills students have an opportunity to get involved in every aspect of the museum's work, including archival research, editing, photography, design, and installations. Undergraduates train to become curators, putting together exhibitions with art from the collection.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://mcam.mills.edu/students/|title=Work-Study Opportunities at the Mills College Art Museum for Mills Students|access-date=November 26, 2019}}</ref> Every year art students also take on the management of the Senior and MFA exhibitions.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://mcam.mills.edu/press/press_releases/2016-17/OpenDissonancePR.pdf|title=2017 Mills College Senior Thesis Exhibition Press Release|date=February 23, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://mcam.mills.edu/press/press_releases/2016-17/2017MillsMFAExhibitionPressRelease.pdf|title=12 Degrees: 2017 Mills College MFA Exhibition|date=March 22, 2017}}</ref>

====Mills College Children's School====
[[File:Mills-College-School-of-Education.jpg|thumb|right|400px|One of two graduate schools at Mills College, the School of Education includes programs in early childhood education, teacher preparation, and educational leadership.]]
Founded in 1926 on the Mills campus, the Children's School is the oldest laboratory school west of the Mississippi River. From its inception, the Children's School has had the dual mission of providing quality education for both children and adults. A member of the East Bay Independent Schools Association, the Children's School is open to the children of Mills students, faculty, and staff as well as the general public.

Since 2000 the Children's School has been housed in the Education Complex on campus. The facility includes generous spaces for an infant/toddler program, two preschool programs, and a kindergarten through fifth grade elementary school, each with age-appropriate playgrounds and structures.

Undergraduate students majoring or minoring in child development, as well as graduate education students, have the unique opportunity of using the classroom for research and study under the guidance of master teachers with graduate degrees, professional credentials, and years of experience.

====Mills College School of Education====
The School of Education houses the Mills College Children's School which opened in 1926 to provide students with opportunities to learn about child behavior and cognitive development. It was the first laboratory school on the West Coast. Today, the school offers programs for infants through fifth graders, and provides Mills students with the opportunity to study progressive educational practices that focus on the whole child. In the Children's School classrooms, Mills students observe developmentally, culturally, and linguistically responsive teaching, as well as a constructivist model of classroom learning and the integration of theory and practice. The Children's School has a dual mission of providing high-quality education to the approximately 135 students in its infant, preschool, and K–5 programs, as well as offering a collaborative research setting for undergraduate and graduate education students.<ref>{{cite web|title=Mills College Children's School|url=https://www.mills.edu/academics/graduate-programs/education/mills-college-childrens-school.php|website=mills.edu|publisher=Mills College|access-date=February 21, 2020}}</ref>

Programs in early childhood education, educational leadership, and teacher education are housed in the School of Education and utilize the Children's School.<ref>{{cite web|title=Mills College Graduate Education Programs|url=https://www.mills.edu/academics/graduate-programs/education/index.php|website=mills.edu|publisher=Mills College|access-date=February 21, 2020}}</ref>

==Campus housing==
Ten on-campus living options are available at Mills, including traditional residence halls, a housing cooperative, family housing, and apartment living. Traditional-age, first-year students are introduced to the Mills community through a Themed Housing Community that is organized around a shared interest. Over the course of the fall term, faculty, students, and a specially assigned member of the Division of Student Life may attend lectures, films, museum exhibitions, or other extracurricular activities related to the central theme of their community. Transfer, resumer, graduate, and continuing Mills students reside in one of the six historic Mediterranean-inspired Residence Halls or three Craftsman-style apartment complexes.<ref>{{cite web|title=Mills College Housing|url=https://www.mills.edu/student-life/living-on-campus/housing.php|access-date=February 21, 2020}}</ref>

===Warren Olney Hall===
Named for Oakland Mayor and Mills College Trustee (1886–1921) Warren Olney,<ref>{{cite web|title=Warren Olney|url=https://localwiki.org/oakland/Warren_Olney|website=localwiki.org|access-date=September 22, 2015}}</ref> Warren Olney Hall houses students of all academic levels. Built by Bakewell and Brown, a well-known architectural firm in the early 1900s, they designed the structure in a Beaux Arts Mediterranean style. The building is three-stories, wood frame, stucco exterior with a Spanish tile roof.<ref>{{cite web|title=Earthquake Retrofit Program |url=http://www.earthquakeretrofit.org/details.php?id=1316 |website=Earthquakeretrofit.org|publisher=Earthquake Engineering Research Institute|access-date=September 22, 2015}}</ref> All of the rooms are either Single or Double rooms with hardwood floors and a sink, some of which feature California sleeping porches. The residence hall contains multiple common rooms, a computer lab, and full disability access.<ref>{{cite web|title=Mills College Residential Optiona|url=https://www.mills.edu/student-life/living-on-campus/housing.php|website=mills.edu|publisher=Mills College|access-date=August 22, 2017}}</ref>

===Orchard Meadow Hall===
Built at the turn of the century,<ref>{{cite web|title=Guide to the Aurelia Henry Reinhardt Papers, 1877-1948|url=http://www.oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/tf0d5n97q6/entire_text/|website=oac.cdlib.org|publisher=California Digital Library|access-date=September 22, 2015}}</ref> Orchard Meadow residence hall houses mostly first-year students and consists of two separate wings, all students are housed in either Single or Double rooms with hardwood floors or carpets and a sink. Connected by a large living room with paneled oak walls and tile floors, the wings share a meeting room and a computer lab. Orchard Meadow also features multiple rooms with sleeping porches. This building also features two libraries with antique furniture and disability access. The residence hall shares a courtyard with a small reflecting pond and brick barbeque with Warren Olney.<ref name="Mills College Residential Options">{{cite web|title=Mills College Residential Options|url=https://www.mills.edu/student-life/living-on-campus/housing.php|website=mills.edu|publisher=Mills College|access-date=August 22, 2017}}</ref>

===Ethel Moore Hall===
Designed in a Mediterranean-style with red tile roof and blue trim, Ethel Moore Hall—which houses juniors, seniors, and graduate students. Located atop Prospect Hill, Ethel Moore was built in the late-1920s/early-1930s by Walter H Ratcliffe Jr.<ref>{{cite web|title=Maps of Mills Campus|url=http://djjr-courses.wikidot.com/soc128:project13-mills-campus|website=djjr-courses.wikidot.com|access-date=September 22, 2015}}</ref> The flagstone entrance to Ethel Moore Hall connects to a downhill path into the center of campus. Ethel Moore also opens onto the Rhododendron Courtyard which is shared with Mary Morse and accessed through the building or through a garden gate. The newly renovated Olive Courtyard is accessed through the lobby. The building contains Single and Double rooms with hardwood floors and a sink, a computer lab, and antique furnishings in the common spaces.<ref name="Mills College Residential Options"/>

===Mary Morse Hall===
Also built by Walter H Ratcliffe Jr. in 1935,<ref>{{cite web|title=Berkeley Daily Gazette Dec 5, 1934|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1970&dat=19341205&id=fyMxAAAAIBAJ&pg=717,3108904&hl=en|website=Google Books|publisher=Berkeley Daily Gazette|access-date=September 22, 2015}}</ref> Mary Morse offers housing to both undergraduate and graduate students. From its location atop Prospect Hill, students look out upon the Rhododendron Courtyard shared with Ethel Moore. The building is seporated into two wings and features single or double rooms with hardwood or carpeted floors and a sink, a large stone fireplace in the living room, a community sun room, antique furnishings in the common areas, and a computer lab.<ref name="Mills College Residential Options"/>

===Lynn Townsend White Hall===
Named for former Mills College President [[Biography:Lynn Townsend White Jr.|Lynn T. White, Jr.]],<ref>{{cite web|title=Lynn White|url=http://www.michaelpnelson.com/Publications_files/Nelson_LynnWhite.pdf|website=michaelpnelson.com|access-date=September 22, 2015}}</ref> this residence hall offers housing to both undergraduate and graduate students. The building has three wings, with an open design with modern-style furnishings and a spacious recreation room. Students have the option of living in single or double rooms (some in suites featuring one double and two single rooms) or two-bedroom suites with private bathrooms and shared kitchenette, living room, and bathroom. Each wing has its own common space in addition to the recreation room, and a computer lab is also located in the building.<ref name="Mills College Residential Options"/>

==Campus history==
===Mills Hall===
{{Infobox NRHP
| name = Mills Hall
| nrhp_type = 
| image =  Mills-Hall-Mills-College-Oakland.jpg
| coordinates = {{coord|37.7797|-122.1822|region:US-CA_type:edu|display=inline}}
| built = 1871
| architect= S. C. Bugbee & Son
| architecture=
| refnum= 71000132<ref name="nris">{{NRISref |refnum=71000132 |2009a |mdy |access-date=September 14, 2012}}</ref>
| added = October 14, 1971
| designated_other1 = California
| designated_other1_number = 849<ref name=CHL/>
| designated_other1_date = 1971<ref name=CHL/>
}}

Designed in 1869 by S. C. Bugbee & Son,<ref name=daily-planet>{{cite news | last = Thompson | first = Daniella | title = East Bay Then and Now: This West Berkeley Landmark Is a Proud Survivor | work = The Berkeley Daily Planet | date = 2006-11-17 | url = http://www.berkeleydailyplanet.com/issue/2006-11-17/article/25667 | access-date = 2008-02-27}}</ref> Mills Hall became the college's new home when it moved from Benicia to Oakland in 1871. Mills Hall is "a long, four-story building with a high central observatory. The mansarded structure, which provided homes for faculty and students as well as classrooms and dining halls, long was considered the most beautiful educational building in the state".<ref name=cal-ceres>{{cite web | title = CERES: State Historical Landmarks for Alameda County | url = http://ceres.ca.gov/geo_area/counties/Alameda/landmarks.html | access-date = 2008-02-28}}</ref> Mills Hall is a California Historical Landmark<ref name=CHL>{{cite ohp |id=849 |name=Mills Hall |access-date=2012-03-30}}</ref> and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.<ref name=cal-ceres />

===Julia Morgan Buildings===
In 1904, Mills president Susan Mills became interested in architect Julia Morgan because she wished to further the career of a female architect, and because Morgan, just beginning her career, charged less than her male counterparts.<ref name=morgan-ito>{{cite news | last = Ito | first = Susan | title = Julia Morgan at Mills | work = Mills Quarterly | pages = 14 | date = Winter 2004 | url=http://issuu.com/millsquarterly/docs/2004winter?mode=window&backgroundColor=%23222222 | publisher = Mills College | access-date = 2008-02-27|format=PDF}}</ref> Morgan designed six buildings for the Mills campus, including El Campanil, believed to be the first freestanding bell tower on a United States college campus.<ref name="morgan-ito" /> El Campanil consists of 72 feet of reinforced concrete in a Spanish Mission-style and resides in front of Seminary Hall.<ref name=":02">{{Cite journal|last=McNeill|first=Karen|date=2012|title="WOMEN WHO BUILD": Julia Morgan & Women's Institutions|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/23215875|journal=California History|volume=89|issue=3|pages=41–74|doi=10.2307/23215875|issn=0162-2897}}</ref> The bell tower has a low pitched red tile roof and seven arched openings for the ten bells. The nails and lock of the large wooden door to El Campanil come from an old Spanish church in Mexico.<ref name=":02"/> Morgan's reputation grew when the tower was unscathed by the 1906 San Francisco earthquake.<ref name="morgan-ito" /> The bells in the tower "were cast for the World's Columbian Exposition (Chicago-1893), and given to Mills by a trustee".<ref name="handbook">{{cite book | title = Mills College 2007/2008 Undergraduate Student Handbook | year = 2007 | publisher = School Datebooks | url = https://inside.mills.edu/handbook.pdf | access-date = 2008-02-27}}</ref> The ten bells were name after the graces of the spirit to emphasize the school's commitment to the Christian mission; Faith, Hope, Peace, Joy, Love, Meekness, Gentleness, Self Control, Longing, Suffering.<ref name=":02"/> Surrounding the structure are southern California flora adorn earthenware jars that Morgan designed in the style of those at the Alhambra.<ref name=":02" />

The Margaret Carnegie Library (1906), which was named after Andrew Carnegie's daughter.<ref name="morgan-ito" /> The Ming Quong Home for Chinese girls, built in 1924 and purchased by Mills in 1936, which was renamed Alderwood Hall<ref name=handbook /> and now houses the Julia Morgan School for Girls<ref name="morgan-ito" /> (independent of the college). She designed the Student Union in 1916.<ref name="morgan-ito" /> Kapiolani Cottage, which has served as an infirmary, faculty housing, and administration offices.<ref name="morgan-ito" /><ref name=handbook /> And finally, Mills's original gymnasium and pool, which have been replaced by the Tea Shop and Suzanne Adams Plaza.<ref name="morgan-ito" />

===Art museum===
Open to the public, the Mills College Art Museum is home to a collection of more than 8,000 works of art—the largest permanent collection of any liberal arts college on the West Coast. The collection includes old masters and modern American and European prints and drawings; Asian textiles; Japanese, Ancient American, and modern ceramics; and California regionalist paintings. In 2005, Dr. William K. Ehrenfeld donated a collection of more than 800 pieces of African art, primarily from [[Place:West Africa|West Africa]] with an emphasis on art of the Yoruba.

Works from the permanent collection—including pieces by Pablo Picasso, Diego Rivera, Winslow Homer, Rembrandt van Rijn, Henri Matisse, and Auguste Renoir—are displayed with an ever-changing series of special exhibitions that are designed to provoke, inspire, and even amuse. Students have an opportunity to get involved in every aspect of the museum's work: archival research, editing, photography, design, and installations. Undergraduates train to become curators and put together over six exhibitions with art from the collection. Every year art students also take on the management of the Senior and MFA exhibitions.

===Natural Sciences Building===
In spring 2007, Mills will open its new {{convert|26000|ft2|m2|adj=on}} Natural Sciences Building. The facility features four new teaching laboratories, five new classrooms, a computer room for students, and centralized science faculty offices. Up-to-date instrumentation and leading-edge computing resources will support the academic programs. The addition will become the first building on the Mills campus to meet rigorous national standards as a [[Engineering:Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design|Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design]] (LEED) "green building."

===Children's School===
Founded in 1926 on the Mills College campus, the Children's School is the oldest laboratory school west of the Mississippi River. From its inception, the School has had the dual mission of providing quality education for both children and adults. A member of the East Bay Independent Schools Association, the Children's School is open to the children of Mills students, faculty, and staff as well as the general public.

Since 2000 the Children's School has been housed in the Education Complex of the campus. The state-of-the-art facility includes an infant/toddler program, two preschool programs offering several scheduling options, and a kindergarten through fifth grade elementary school, each with age-appropriate playgrounds and structures.

Undergraduate students majoring or minoring in child development, as well as graduate education students, have the unique opportunity of using the classroom for research and study under the guidance of master teachers with graduate degrees, professional credentials, and years of experience.

Also housed on campus are the English First International Language School, a Greek theatre, and many other attractions. Its main route of entry, Richards Road, is included in ''The 100 Most Beautiful Streets of America''.

==Notable people==

==See also==
*List of Mills College honorary degree recipients
*William Joseph McInnes Botanic Garden and Campus Arboretum
*Women's colleges in the United States#20th-century history

==References==
* Horowitz, Helen Lefkowitz. ''Alma Mater: Design and Experience in the Women's Colleges from Their Nineteenth-Century Beginnings to the 1930s''. Amherst: University of Massachusetts Press, 1993 (2nd edition).

==Footnotes==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.millscyclones.com/ Official athletics website]
* [http://www.oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/tf1199p11s/ Photographs of Mills College, ca. 1940], The Bancroft Library



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[[Category:Private universities and colleges in California]]

{{Sourceattribution|Mills College|1}}