Boston University’s Student Union Guest Policy Committee presented a proposal to President Robert Brown in a meeting Monday afternoon that aims to change the current Guest Policy.
Committee co-Chairman Anuj Patel said he felt positive about the way the meeting was conducted and how Brown responded to their concerns and requests.
“I think we’re all optimistic based on how accommodating they were to us in the meeting,” the College of Arts and Sciences senior said.
Student Union President Jon Marker said Brown understands how prevalent the Guest Policy issue is to the students.
“He has an understanding that this is something the students are concerned about and it’s something we should work on,” the CAS junior said.
Guest Policy Committee co-Chairman Cory Kalanick said he, along with other Union members, created a list of potential changes to the current policy.
“A group of about 60 people put together this proposal last year,” the CAS junior said.
Kalanick said the committee compiled concerns from various campus groups while writing the proposal.
“It was important to balance the opinions not only of the students,” he said, “but also of the security guards, or professors who live in residences.”
Brown proposed the creation of a committee to increase the university representation in the Guest Policy proposal.
“President Brown really wants to increase the amount of people involved in the process,” Marker said. “He’s setting up a committee of faculty, students and administration to look at the proposal the Union put forward.
“I think he’s going to bring people to the table who have never been to the table before,” he continued.
During the meeting, Marker said the Union hopes to eliminate the co-host policy, which requires a visitor of the opposite sex to be co-hosted by a student of the same sex.
The proposal calls for the elimination of co-hosts on the grounds that it could be potentially dangerous for a guest to stay with someone they do not know.
While the elimination of the co-host system caused some concern, Marker said this does not mean any ideas have been rejected.
“There is nothing that is off the table at this point,” he said.
These ideas include changing of the hours a student can swipe in to a dorm other than their own to 7 a.m. to 12 a.m. From midnight to 7 a.m., students would have to sign in. This part of the proposal would eliminate the need for study extensions.
The proposal also suggested that off-campus students have the ability to swipe into a dormitory with dining facilities from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. From 8 p.m. to 12 a.m., the student would have to leave an identification card in order to enter the building.
While much of the proposal calls for the elimination of certain regulations, Guest Policy Committee co-Chairman Tyler Ramaker said the Union still cares for the students’ safety.
“When we were talking about the Guest Policy, I was the one who was for eliminating some of the rules,” the CAS junior said. “But I was talking to a freshman and she expressed how safe she felt on campus and I think we need to keep that in mind.”
Marker said the Union focused on the Guest Policy issue because its leaders know how important it is to BU students.
“I think this is the most unified concern of the student body,” he said. “It’s one of those issues you deal with from the start. “Because it’s so universal,” he continued, “we put it at the forefront.”
Brown said he had no comment concerning the Guest Policy.
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