Student Union members outlined their plan for gender-neutral housing before Boston University students at a panel Tuesday night, seeking suggestions to help implement the proposal within the next year.
A group of panelists presented the gender-neutral housing proposal to more than 20 students. By soliciting student responses, members said they aimed to engage students in the conversation in raise awareness.
The proposal for gender-neutral housing passed through Union in late March, but it had not been formally presented to students.
School of Management freshman Jonathan Reyes, SMG sophomore Caitlin Seele, SMG freshman D.A. Whatley and College of Arts and Sciences senior Ariana Katz led the panel, pitching their five-year plan.
Subcommittee members said they aim to implement the proposal by housing selection in the Spring 2013 semester. Members noted a positive response from students in the online survey introduced earlier in the semester that measured support for the proposal.
“We got over 2,000 student responses and around 410 signatures,” Reyes, a senator representing the West Campus Residence Hall Association, said.
Seele, chairwoman of the gender-neutral housing subcommittee, said of the 2,000 surveyed, 491 indicated they would live in gender-neutral housing.
“This meeting is falling right before [the proposal] reaches President Brown,” she said. “It’s at the point where it’s happening. It’s just kind of a waiting game right now.”
She said administration had demonstrated they were open to the proposal.
“It’s very student driven,” Seele said. “That’s definitely helped us when we approached members of the administration. It helps to have a strong undergraduate proposal.”
Outreach Committee Chair Alyssa Sarkis, a sophomore in the School of Education, said Assistant Dean of Students and Director of Residence Life David Zamojski gave his seal of approval to the proposal.
Union’s proposal would make gender-neutral housing available as a specialty housing option.
The five-year plan suggests gender-neutral housing be made available first in Student Village I and StuVi II and in certain rooms of South Campus residences.
The plan would expand the option to East Campus apartments and brownstones in the second year, all South Campus, StuVi and East Campus residences in the third year and Myles Standish Hall, Shelton Hall and 1019 Commonwealth Ave. in the fourth year. Gender-neutral housing would become available to all BU residences in the fifth year.
“If it seems appropriate to add Warren [Towers] or West [Campus] to the third or fourth stage, then we’ll do so,” Seele said.
Gender-neutral housing is designed to provide an alternative for students who do not feel comfortable living in same-sex housing.
“A huge part of this is providing resources for LGBTQ students,” Seele said. “People said they moved off campus because of their sexuality. That shouldn’t be an issue.”
Members of the Be Unleashed slate running for election attended and expressed support of gender-neutral housing.
“I think that every person deserves to live in an environment where they feel comfortable,” said Dexter McCoy, a College of Fine Arts sophomore who is running for Union president with Be Unleashed. “That’s a major passion and concern of mine, students’ comfort on campus.”
CAS sophomore Lauren LaVelle, a member of the advocacy committee, said BU lags behind its peers in housing options.
“My job was researching our peer schools – NYU, Northeastern,” she said. “Most of our peers have gender-neutral housing, and we do not. That was my motivation to push this through.”
Whatley, advocacy committee chairman, said gender-neutral housing could provide a learning experience for students.
“If you can demonstrate the fact that you can live with someone of the opposite sex, then I don’t think that will be an issue,” Whatley, who is running as vice president of financial affairs under Be Unleashed, said.
Union members noted student involvement in the gender-neutral housing appeal was crucial, as it may determine in part the proposal’s chances of going into effect.
“We’re trying to ensure that the student voice is heard,” Whatley said. “We want to make sure that the administration is listening to student voices.”
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Can someone tell Be Unleashed they’re running -unopposed- and that they can stop asking the freep to promote them?
I’m voting for the imaginary slate that Emily Overholt made up last Monday.
I asked about this my freshmen year (now 5 years ago). Went straight to the office of res life and met with a higher up. He laughed in my face and told me other schools were trying it and that it was a disaster. How wrong he was…
Hi TL, I’m a journalism student at BU and I’m doing another story on gender neutral housing, but I am going more in-depth as to what BU students have to say about it (good and bad), and was wondering if I could interview you for it? I know you are an alum but even a phone interview would work great. I’m not sure how this thing works, but if you see this message could you e-mail me at jardila@bu.edu? Thanks!