Despite a drop in participation, officials said Ohio University remains committed to maintaining the gender-neutral housing program.
The university launched its pilot program three years ago. Smith House is currently home to 12 students who desired to remove the boundaries of sex, gender, gender identity/expression or sexual orientation in their roommate choice.
“It affirms to students that the university is committed to diversity and inclusivity,” said Delfin Bautista, director of OU’s LGBT Center.
Bautista added OU remains one of 55 colleges that offer the option and that diversity policies should extend beyond the classroom to student’s everyday lives.
Peter Trentacoste, executive director of residential housing, said the feedback for the program has been resoundingly positive.
“This is a very important option for us,” he said. “The community itself had some very strong (members). … (The group) connects very well.”
Amanda Hobson, residential coordinator for the floor, said the number of students opting in has decreased compared to its first two years. Members of the floor are upperclassmen, and all the students currently in the program have lived there before or were brought in by students who had lived in the group.
“In part when you choose to live in such a specialized living community, whatever reasons you have allow that tight-knittedness,” said Hobson. “Everyone really cares about each other.”
Not all universities have this option. Most recently, a gender-neutral housing program in its beginning stages was struck down at the University of North Carolina. The Board of Governors voted to only allow students at all campuses of different sexes to live together if they are siblings or married.
“I think there’s some misunderstanding about what the program is and is not,” said Trentacoste.
Hobson, who is also the residential coordinator for Atkinson, Armbruster, Smith and True, said the decline in participation could be from lack of knowledge that the program exists — more students knew about the program in previous years due to discussion surrounding the program’s start.
Now, she said, the goal is to advertise the option. Although, she added, housing makes clear during the application process gender-neutral housing is available.
“Students who are involved are actually recruiting for the floor,” Hobson said. “My goal is to continue to see it present, but also to grow and see a full house.”
eb104010@ohiou.edu
@EmilyMBamforth
