The school will offer gender inclusive housing (GIH) in all dorms across campus starting in the fall 2018 semester, which will allow students to select their suitemate without any gender constrictions.
In the past, GIH was only offered to students living in the apartment complexes, but the Office of Residence Life has decided to open up the application process to all students and residential areas.
“We knew that put a boundary on students that wanted to be in gender inclusive housing that were not juniors or seniors who were eligible for apartments,” said AJ Primavera, customer service specialist for res life.
Music major Richard Cardile is not necessarily personally interested, but he is happy that others are given this opportunity
“I don’t know if it’s for me, but I think it’s a great option to have on campus for those who feel more comfortable living in gender inclusive housing,” Cardile said.
However, other students, like biology major Dana Burke, believe that this arrangement could possibly cause problems.
“It’s just going to open the door for disaster,” Burke said.
Biology major Victoria Jimenez thinks this new housing would be taken advantage of.
“People are just going to end up rooming with their significant others, and there’s going to be plenty of issues regarding bathrooms,” Jimenez said.
Theater studies major Joshua Trembley disagrees that this change will cause issues, and instead believes that it will solely benefit the campus community.
“I think that it is a really good idea,” Trembley said. “Since this campus has a majority of females, it’ll reduce issues with finding students places to stay.”
Erin Gaydos, a freshman majoring in theater studies, believed that GIH can be either a good thing or a bad thing for the community depending on the circumstances.
“It’s a good idea because you can live with your friend of another sex,” Gaydos said, “but if they’re sharing a bathroom with a suite that is also gender inclusive, then problems can arise.”
In order to apply and be considered for this living opportunity, students must pay their housing deposit, stop by the res life office to obtain mandatory information and complete a living agreement by March 12 at 4 p.m.
