Following a meeting with MSU President Lou Anna K. Simon in November 2011, the Residence Halls Association, or RHA, plans to talk with more university officials in the coming months to hash out a plan to institute gender-neutral housing at MSU.
RHA President Sarah Pomeroy met with Simon in November 2011 about the chance of moving forward with the policy, which would allow students in residence halls to live with members of the opposite sex.
Pomeroy said ideally if the policy were implemented, it would begin in fall 2013, but dates still are tentative.
Residential and Hospitality Services Chief Marketing Communications Officer Tony Frewen said the gender-neutral housing issue has raised opinions both supporting and opposing the idea.
He said the discussions of the alternative housing option have been so frequent in recent years, it can’t be ignored.
“The administration has to approve it for sure,” he said.
Pomeroy said her conversations with the administration have been “very positive.”
Although many students share RHA’s favorable view of the policy, not all would take advantage of it.
Actuarial science junior Stephen Hohs said he has nothing against the policy, but would not utilize it if it were implemented.
Hohs said students in relationships could take advantage of the policy but might break up or have relationship problems.
“They might go in happy but have problems later,” he said.
Frewen said Gore could not comment on the implementation process as no negotiations have yet taken place, but Pomeroy said a “definite” opt-in system would be created for students to have a choice of rooming with the same or opposite sex if gender-neutral were to begin.
International relations junior Nicole Prybula said students are old enough to decide to live with whomever they want.
“It’s their own decision, but I wouldn’t do it,” she said.
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