Editing Amherst College (section)

=== Development and academic reform ===

Academic hoods in the United States are traditionally lined with the official colors of the school, in theory so watchers can tell where the hood wearer earned his or her degree. Amherst's hoods are purple (Williams' official color) with a white stripe or chevron, said to signify that Amherst was born of Williams. Amherst records one of the first uses of [[Latin honors]] of any American college, dating back to 1881.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.amherst.edu/system/files/media/0450/ChairsUpdateWebReady5-29-07.pdf |title=Annual Fund Update |date=May 29, 2007 |access-date=August 15, 2013 |website=Amherst College |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140413124931/https://www.amherst.edu/system/files/media/0450/ChairsUpdateWebReady5-29-07.pdf |archive-date=April 13, 2014 }}</ref> The college was an all-male school until the late 1960s, when a few female students from nearby schools in the Four-College Consortium (Amherst, Mount Holyoke, Smith, UMass) attended on an experimental basis. In October 1974, the faculty voted in favor of coeducation and in November 1974, the board of trustees voted to admit female students starting in the 1975–1976 school year. This was done while [[John William Ward (professor)|John William Ward]] served as president.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Coeducation: 25 years {{!}} Exhibitions and Blog {{!}} Amherst College|url=https://www.amherst.edu/library/archives/exhibitions/coed25|access-date=2021-04-27|website=www.amherst.edu|archive-date=November 6, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131106021814/https://www.amherst.edu/library/archives/exhibitions/coed25|url-status=live}}</ref> In 1975, nine women who were already attending classes as part of an inter-college exchange program were admitted as transfer students. In June 1976, they became the first female graduates of the college.<ref>[https://www.amherst.edu/library/archives/exhibitions/coed25 Coeducation: 25 years | Amherst College] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131106021814/https://www.amherst.edu/library/archives/exhibitions/coed25 |date=November 6, 2013 }}. Amherst.edu. Retrieved on April 12, 2014.</ref>

The college established the Black Studies Department in 1969. In 1973, it launched the nation's first undergraduate neuroscience program. In 1983, it established a Department of Asian Languages and Literatures, which was later to become the Department of Asian Languages and Civilizations.<ref name="amherst.edu">{{cite web|url = https://www.amherst.edu/aboutamherst/facts/history/timeline|title = An Amherst Timeline|website = Amherst College|access-date = August 28, 2015|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150813192329/https://www.amherst.edu/aboutamherst/facts/history/timeline|archive-date = August 13, 2015|df = mdy-all}}</ref> 
 
In 1984, on-campus fraternities were abolished. The former fraternity buildings, which were owned by the college, were converted into residence halls.<ref name="amherst.edu" /> The Department of Women's and Gender Studies, which later became the Department of Sexuality, Women's, and Gender Studies, was established in 1987, and the Department of Law, Jurisprudence, and Social Thought in 1993.<ref name="amherst.edu" />

In March 2013, the faculty adopted an [[open-access policy]].<ref name="open access">{{cite journal |url= http://roarmap.eprints.org/445/ |title= Amherst College |journal= ROARMAP: Registry of Open Access Repository Mandates and Policies |date= December 15, 2014 |publisher= [[University of Southampton]] |location= UK |access-date= July 23, 2018 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170710074110/http://roarmap.eprints.org/445/ |archive-date= July 10, 2017 |url-status= live }}</ref> Eight years later, the college ended its practice of [[Legacy preferences|legacy admissions]] and increased [[Student financial aid (United States)|financial aid]] to increase access to low and middle-income students and diversify the college.<ref name="legacy">{{Cite web|date=October 2021|title=Amherst College to End Legacy Preference and Expand Financial Aid Investment to $71 Million|url=https://www.amherst.edu/news/news_releases/2021/10-2021/amherst-college-to-end-legacy-preference-and-expand-financial-aid-investment-to-71-million|access-date=October 23, 2021|website=Amherst|archive-date=October 23, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211023131338/https://www.amherst.edu/news/news_releases/2021/10-2021/amherst-college-to-end-legacy-preference-and-expand-financial-aid-investment-to-71-million|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Martin|first=Carolyn|date=October 20, 2021|title=Statement to the Community About Financial Aid, Legacy Announcement|url=https://www.amherst.edu/amherst-story/president/statements/node/815241|access-date=October 23, 2021|website=Amherst|archive-date=October 23, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211023135736/https://www.amherst.edu/amherst-story/president/statements/node/815241|url-status=live}}</ref>