Collegiate Times

The University of Chicago recently took the first steps to implement a program known as "open housing," a concept that allows students of both genders to occupy the same room upon request.

The University of Chicago recently took the first steps to implement a program known as "open housing," a concept that allows students of both genders to occupy the same room upon request.  

This is a relatively new approach to housing on college campuses, and while Virginia Tech has coed dorm buildings, coed dorm rooms are somewhat of a rarity at such intuitions.

The program, which was led by a student initiative according to university officials, also goes by the name of gender-neutral housing. The school will not assign anyone to an opposite-sex roommate unless they request such a living arrangement. The policy will begin as a pilot program this month, with full implementation expected in the fall of 2009.

"In 2007, the Inter-House Council (the student governing body for the House System at the school) completed a resolution requesting the implementation of a policy that would permit students to select a roommate of any gender," said University of Chicago spokeswoman Julia Morse. "There are some students for whom traditional, same-sex room assignments are not ideal or appropriate, and we believe it is important that housing policies evolve to meet the needs of students to create an inclusive, welcoming environment."

In order to develop the open housing option, a committee of students and staff met to study the possible implementation of such a program. It was determined that the option be made available to second-, third- and fourth-year students. It will also be available to first-year students, but on an individual basis. The vice president and dean of students approved it in November.

At Oregon State University, coed housing is an option as well. OSU follows the same policy that coed housing is only available in upper-classmen dorms.

The University of Chicago stresses that the program is not intended for couples, though no questions will be asked. Also, students are never required to live with a member of the opposing gender.

"We respect and honor the privacy of our students. Current open housing procedures do not require students to disclose the reason for their roommate requests," Morse said. "The university also offers single-sex housing, and that option remains available. Open housing will not be implemented in locations where single-sex occupancy is an option."

The new policy has brought considerable controversy from individuals who are more traditional, including parents. Under the program, students are encouraged to maintain an open dialogue with their families. Students over the legal age of 18 are able to make decisions about their own housing contracts. However, students under 18 should discuss housing plans with their families, as they must provide parental consent, per University of Chicago policy.  

It is expected that between 2 percent and 4 percent of student rooms at the university will be designated as "gender-neutral" locations.

Chicago is not the first university to implement open housing, however. Brown University, Dartmouth College, New York University and Princeton are included on the list of schools that have seen success with such living arrangements.

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