Co-ed Dorm Rooms Offered In American Universities

A growing trend on university campuses is the introduction of co-ed dorm rooms as a housing option. The AP reports at least 2 dozen universities are currently offering students the chance to share the same room with members of the opposite sex. That number is expected to grow.

Parents are a little uncomfortable about this, coed dormitories were only introduced in the 1970s and that idea was cutting edge. This seems to be the newest walk toward what one student called, “gender neutral” living.

Students interviewed in the article who are participating in these programs stress practicality over sexuality as being the main reason for rooming with opposite gender friends. Universities do report couples do move in together (something called “roomcest”) but this doesn’t seem to be a big problem.

«Brown explicitly discourages couples from living together on campus, be they gay or straight. But the University of California, Riverside has never had a problem with a roommate couple breaking up midyear, said James C. Smith, assistant director for residence life.»

Full article HERE.

The article also says the number of people participating in this program is relatively low. In one university, out of 10,400 students only 120 chose this new option. I suspect once more universities offer this choice and more students pioneer its practice, more issues with couples living together will rise.

I am all for gender neutral housing if it’s for strictly practical purposes, but I think the more risky choice is couples that opt to room together. I can’t imagine having to live with some one I broke up with for the rest of a semester in a shoe box dorm room. What if the person I broke up with wants to bring some one home with them?

Ick.

And it’s a bit reckless for universities to have to cater to couples who don’t want to live together anymore. That isn’t an issue now, but only time will tell how this turns out.

I can totally see this premise being explored in a lot of teen romantic comedies in the future a la Amanda Bynes & Channing Tatum (YUM YUM YUUUUUM) in “She’s the Man” minus the whole cross dressing thing.