Changes to the Boston University Guest Policy allowing easier access to dormitories for BU residents, more overnight guests per semester and emergency passes for immediate family members will go into effect on Jan. 13, 2003.
Instead of being allowed to sign in guests from 8 a.m. to midnight every day, all on-campus Boston University students will now be allowed to swipe in to any large residence hall from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. and be allowed to enter from 8 p.m. to midnight as long as the student declares a reason. Students must then leave the building by 1 a.m. on weeknights or 2:30 a.m. on weekends and sign themselves out before leaving.
Additionally, the hours guests can enter the large dormitories were extended for Friday and Saturday nights. Guests will be able to be signed in from midnight to 1 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday mornings next semester.
Study extensions, of which there were 60,000 during the last academic year, according to the report, will remain a part of the Guest Policy. Students can sign the extension form in the Office of Residence Life before midnight and then be allowed to sign a guest in at any point during the night. The guest must leave the residence by 8 a.m. the following day.
“Over the years, I don’t think we’ve had over 10 violations where people are separated from their residence hall,” said Associate Dean of Students Herbert Ross. “The community standards have been established and we’re comfortable with that.”
However, students who live off-campus do not receive many of the new luxuries. The ability to swipe into a large dormitory only is accessible to those living in Boston University housing; therefore, any students living off-campus will need to be signed in under the same procedure as they have in the past.
The second recommendation calls for students to be allotted two additional overnight guest passes per semester, bringing the total of overnight guests a student can have to seven per semester. However, overnight guests are still not allowed in the first two weeks of the semester or during the reading and exam periods.
The second recommendation also involves the inclusion of “emergency overnight guest passes” for immediate family members. The report said “parents and siblings — regardless of sex” would be able to stay in the room with the permission of all involved roommates without the 24-hour notice currently needed to allow a guest to spend the night.
“We accommodate it now, but immediate family members would have the opportunity to get emergency guest passes,” Ross said. “If someone did come up, your roommates need to agree — we’re not going to say that unless your roommate blesses it.”
The final recommendation, separate from the “University Perspectives” project the Union published, involved access to study lounges where students could study 24 hours a day. The report listed the first floor lounge at 575 Commonwealth Ave. as a place where students could study at any hour of any day
The committee ruled that a 24-hour study area was not immediately necessary, but wrote they thought, “more information is required in order to provide a meaningful recommendation.”
Ross said he thought the committee made changes because of the work the Union did in presenting the issue.
“The way the proposal was put together … reached beyond emotional outburst and said ‘Here’s supporting evidence,’ Ross said. “That made them say it was worthy of change.”
A committee, chaired by Executive Vice President Joe Mercurio, began examining the policy and the proposed changes during September, according to a report issued by the “Committee to Consider Revisions of Boston University’s Visitor and Overnight Guest Policy,” although Ross said the committee was formed in April. Other members of the committee included Dean of Students W. Norman Johnson, VP of Enrollment Ann Shea, Provost Dennis Berkey and Director of Residence Life John Weldon, Ross said.
According to Ross, the committee gave recommendations to Chancellor John Silber more than two weeks ago, and Silber then presented them to the Board of Trustees last week. Ross said he believed the Trustees were widely accepting of the three recommendations, which were all passed.
Mercurio said it was a long process, but reiterated the members of the committee felt, that in the end, they had made the right decision.
“The committee spent a lot of time reviewing the document that was prepared by the student government group and we discussed all the recommendations and suggestions and findings,” Mercurio said. “There was a lot of dialogue regarding the merits of each one of those suggestions.”
However, Mercurio said the dialogue would remain open between the students and administrators, but further changes were not guaranteed.
“Just because they didn’t get everything doesn’t mean they wouldn’t get concessions in the future, but just because we’re willing to enter into a dialogue doesn’t mean we’re willing to agree with every issue either,” he said.
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