Wells College has been an all-female school for 136 years, but because of dwindling enrollment and financial difficulties, the board of trustees has decided a change in recruitment techniques is needed.

As a result, more than 170 female Wells College students – roughly one third of the 400-member student body – are protesting the college’s decision to admit male students next fall. After Wells’ board of trustees passed the landmark decision on Saturday, female students have continuously slept in the lobby of the administration building, camped out on its front lawn and papered hallways with signs that read, “Coeducation silences women.”

The actions of these students are misguided. Protesting this decision creates a double standard for women and damages the efforts women have made in the pursuit of equal rights.

Since 1960, the number of all-female colleges has dropped from 298 to 66. Many of these colleges were founded as sister schools to complement colleges that at one time were exclusively male. Thankfully, times have changed, and most of these colleges have either merged or become coed. Today, single-sex colleges are the exception rather than the rule.

It’s true that many female students at Wells College might have enrolled because of the single-sex environment. Therefore, the admission of men should be a gradual process. Current students should have the option to continue their studies in single-sex classes, and residence halls should remain single-sex for the time being. Coed classes also might be gradually introduced. Finally, Wells College should continue to admit students based on merit rather than on gender quotas.

However, the notion that men in the classroom will silence women is unlikely in this case. If anything, men who are admitted to Wells College will be intimidated by the atmosphere and traditions of an all-female college. Educators likely will be self-conscious of the need to make sure participation in the classroom is equal and fair.

Furthermore, those who argue that the all-female student body should be maintained out of respect for tradition are missing the point. Just because something is old or traditional doesn’t make it any better or more valid.

Ultimately, for women to be seen as equals, Wells College cannot be wholly female. What message does it send when women demand that all-male military academies open their doors but request that the doors to all-female colleges remain shut?

If women want equality, they can’t discriminate against men. The protests at Wells College go against the very nature of what women have fought to achieve.