In an interview with The Crimson this week, Dr. Faust suggested that problems with sexual assault and alcohol were related to the privileged, all-male environment that thrives outside of the university’s control. But her chief concern seemed to be the elitist atmosphere that the clubs foster as the college admits “individuals from much more diverse economic backgrounds.” She added, “To have certain groups that can dispense privilege and advantage in very significant ways that exclude individuals from membership is very troubling.”

The debate over the clubs has roiled the campus and prompted vituperative online discussions. One commenter in The Crimson maintained that dealing with exclusivity was “a natural and important part of growing up.” That person also took Dr. Faust to task for blaming the clubs for alcohol abuse: “Final clubs don’t cause drinking to happen, college kids do.”

When two seniors wrote a scathing op-ed article in The Crimson in April saying the clubs “foster de facto sexual violence, racism and class domination,” they provoked a particularly virulent outpouring. Many readers pointed out that The Crimson itself had a highly selective hiring process, and that Harvard also had five women-only final clubs, although they did not have the social clout of the male clubs.

The Spee decision comes just as Hasty Pudding Theatricals at Harvard, the nation’s oldest theater company, said it was discussing whether to allow women to perform onstage; women already work behind the scenes on the group’s prestigious theatrical productions, but since 1844, only men have been allowed to perform onstage.

But several undergraduate women said this week that they intended to audition this weekend for upcoming productions. (The comedian Amy Poehler, who was honored by Hasty Pudding in January, poked fun at the male-only tradition, noting: “You know it’s time for a change when the Augusta National Golf Club has lapped you in terms of being progressive.”)

“I think it’s no coincidence at all that this is happening at the same time,” said Olivia Miller, a senior who, with Tess Davison, led the charge for the women to audition. “I feel like there’s this buzz on campus this year for change and for expansion and for inclusivity.”

The final clubs offer members not only a strong alumni network but also hold parties, offering a social outlet on a campus where Greek life plays only a small role. Some nights, loud music spills from the windows of the Spee into Harvard Square as students in party attire file in and out.