Spring Break
Gender-neutral housing option will be offered next year
by Reina Guerrero
Staff writer
News | 1/27/09
Posted online at 7:10 AM EST on 1/27/09
All non-first-year students will be afforded the opportunity to live in gender-neutral housing thanks to a new policy written by the Department of Residence Life, according to interim Co-Director of Residence Life Jeremy Leiferman.
Gender-neutral housing will apply to "all multiple-occupancy rooms on mixed-gender floors in East [Quad] and the Village, double rooms in suites in the Castle and Rosenthal [Quad] and efficiency apartments in 567 South St. and the Charles River Apartments," according to the ResLife Web site.
The gender-neutral housing policy will not affect students who want to live in single-gender halls. According to the ResLife Web site, "These options will not impact the number of single-gender housing options available." In an e-mail to the Justice, Leiferman wrote, "There are two single-gender floors in the Village. Students have the ability to select suites and apartments on their own, therefore determining the gender designations of the space is up to them."
Students who choose to live in gender-neutral rooms will go through the same room- selection process as students who decide to live in single-gender rooms, explained Leiferman. "The only difference is that it is a guy and girl selecting the [same] room," he said.
"For the time being, [ResLife is] not including incoming first-year students in the group that can participate in gender-neutral housing. Gender-neutral housing is based upon a mutual agreement that two students make as they are selecting that room. First-year students don't necessarily have the opportunity to mutually agree to live in that type of space together under the current structure," Leiferman said; however, "First-year students who want a gender-neutral space should contact [ResLife], and an appropriate housing assignment will be made," according to the ResLife Web site. This means that [ResLife] will work with students who have specific requests. This has been our policy for a number of years, and [it] will continue to be in place," Leiferman wrote in an e-mail to the Justice.
Gender-neutral housing will apply to "all multiple-occupancy rooms on mixed-gender floors in East [Quad] and the Village, double rooms in suites in the Castle and Rosenthal [Quad] and efficiency apartments in 567 South St. and the Charles River Apartments," according to the ResLife Web site.
The gender-neutral housing policy will not affect students who want to live in single-gender halls. According to the ResLife Web site, "These options will not impact the number of single-gender housing options available." In an e-mail to the Justice, Leiferman wrote, "There are two single-gender floors in the Village. Students have the ability to select suites and apartments on their own, therefore determining the gender designations of the space is up to them."
Students who choose to live in gender-neutral rooms will go through the same room- selection process as students who decide to live in single-gender rooms, explained Leiferman. "The only difference is that it is a guy and girl selecting the [same] room," he said.
"For the time being, [ResLife is] not including incoming first-year students in the group that can participate in gender-neutral housing. Gender-neutral housing is based upon a mutual agreement that two students make as they are selecting that room. First-year students don't necessarily have the opportunity to mutually agree to live in that type of space together under the current structure," Leiferman said; however, "First-year students who want a gender-neutral space should contact [ResLife], and an appropriate housing assignment will be made," according to the ResLife Web site. This means that [ResLife] will work with students who have specific requests. This has been our policy for a number of years, and [it] will continue to be in place," Leiferman wrote in an e-mail to the Justice.
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