The University Council unanimously approved a new Guest Policy proposal from the dean of students yesterday, marking the first step in a process to enact the relaxed policy the dean says is likely to go into effect next semester.
Kenneth Elmore’s proposal calls for eliminating the co-host policy and extending hours during which on-campus students can swipe into Boston University residence halls. Elmore presented his ideas at a Feb. 28 Student Union General Assembly meeting and has gained support from nearly all of its elected members.
Since the meeting, Elmore said he has sought more feedback from students and staff, resulting in minor changes to the policy’s language he made before submitting it to the Council, a group of faculty and administrators.
Elmore said he is confident his proposal will pass all necessary stages, the next being the judgment of deans and vice presidents in the University Leadership Group who will discuss how it can be efficiently enacted next semester. If passed, the policy will be sent to President Robert Brown for final approval.
The University Leadership Group will mainly discuss how to train residence hall staff to work under a new Guest Policy that would change many social interactions that have been standard at BU since fall 1989, when the current policy was installed, Elmore said.
“This is the community’s policy,” Elmore said. “It is important to remember the faculty, staff and students have all had some conversation about it, which is why I think we have a unanimous agreement here.”
Many elected members of the Union General Assembly showed their support for the policy by signing a letter given to Council members yesterday.
“They signed the letter saying their constituency endorses the proposed changes and challenged the University Council to pass it for 2007, which they did,” said Union President Brooke Feldman.