Union makes gains with BU officials to implement gender-neutral housing

Student Union received support from Boston University officials for a plan to implement gender-neutral housing, members said.

In the general assembly meeting Wednesday night, School of Management sophomore Caitlin Seele, the sub-committee chair for gender-neutral housing, said Residence Life Director David Zamojski gave his full support to the project.

”Last week he was in love with us and everyone that worked on it,” Seele said.

Sub-committee members are working on a five-year plan initiative for residences throughout campus.

The outreach committee has spent the last two weeks surveying students and asking for signatures to see if a significant portion of the student body supports this option.

Sixty-eight percent of students surveyed said they felt comfortable with same-sex housing, while, 32 percent of students felt uncomfortable with it. Thirty-eight percent of students were pro-gender-neutral housing.

Union President Howard Male, a School of Management and School of Hospitality senior, said the purpose of the survey is not to measure how many students would take part, but rather if they think the option would appeal to a significant number of students.

The judicial commission also reviewed the possibility of dissolving the chief of staff position in Student Union.

Chief of Staff Sophia Woyda, a College of Arts and Sciences junior, said while no action has been taken on the matter the decision stemmed from a lack of communication within Union.

“There was a lapse in communication between different bodies of the student union,” said Woyda. “We don’t know the steps of an old position being dissolved and a new one being created.”

Woyda said she hopes this issue will open more communication paths and that everyone should feel free to speak up.

A large amount of uncertainty exists surrounding personnel changes, Male said.

“It would be great if we worked with the judicial commission to create bylaws to make sure that no one will ever be removed without cause,” he said. “Putting it in writing would be good for the organization.”

Union also reviewed the proposed election timeline change that would move Union elections to fall 2012.

Members were expected to vote on the proposal in Wednesday’s meeting, but could not because a number of senators were not present. Union will put the proposal to a vote at the next meeting.

CORRECTION: The original article states that 62 percent of students were comfortable with gender neutral housing. The statistic was misleading to think 62 percent of students were pro gender-neutral housing, however, only 38 percent of students are pro gender-neutral housing. Additionally, 32 percent of students were uncomfortable with same-sex housing, meaning 68 percent were comfortable with it.