Coed dorm rooms, often referred to as “gender neutral” or “gender blind” rooms, are becoming increasingly more prevalent across American universities. CU, however, is not embracing the idea.
“At this point it’s not in our plans,” said CU spokesperson Bronson Hilliard. “It might be a trend in other places but we have no need or demand for it here.”
The growing trend of coed dorm rooms can be seen in major universities across the country including Brown University, the University of Pennsylvania, Oberlin College, Clark University, and the California Institute of Technology.
Latarsha R. Gatlin, a public affairs officer at Dartmouth College, said while other notable colleges offer “coed dorm housing”, Dartmouth is not one of them. Instead, the school offers suites and apartments where each student has their own bedroom.
“Dartmouth College has gender-neutral housing available to its upper class students and on a limited basis,” Gatlin said.
The other gender-neutral housing option available to Dartmouth students is a floor at a dorm named McLane Hall. This floor is called the Gender Neutral Program Floor and is considered a living and learning environment where speakers, discussions, films and community dinners are offered.
Students are not assigned to live in these arrangements randomly; in fact, they must sign up collectively with their future roommates in order to live in gender-neutral housing.
Gatlin says that 50 students are currently living in this situation.
More students are demanding that this option be offered to them as well, particularly at Harvard and Stanford universities.
As for CU, Hilliard said he hasn’t seen any messages from students that coed rooms are even desired.
CU freshmen seem to support this statement, showing a lack of interest in the idea of coed dorm rooms.
Elizabeth Boyle, a 19-year-old freshman open option major, says she is ambivalent toward the idea.
“I don’t have a problem with it,” Boyle said. “I think it’s subjective to the person.”
Students have mixed opinions on whether or not they would seize the opportunity if the option to room with a member of the opposite sex was presented on CU campus.
“Probably not because of privacy,” Boyle said. “I would feel awkward changing in front of a guy.”
Spencer Pedigo, a 19-year-old sophomore open option major, says he feels differently.
“Yeah, sure,” Pedigo said. “I think college students are responsible enough for two people of the opposite sex to live together and nothing bad would happen.”
Students who live with a roommate of the opposite gender claim practicality over sexuality; many of the roommates are friends from high school. When couples do move in together in the dorms it is referred to as “roomcest.”
CU students say they disagree with the misconceptions that coed dorm rooms are all about sex.
“I have female friends and I don’t want to jump their bones every day,” Pedigo said.
Universities additionally claim that they are trying to accommodate for homosexual students, some of whom feel more comfortable rooming with members of the opposite sex, and transgender students who don’t identify with either sex.
With mixed feelings and an overwhelming lack of interest from CU students, coed rooms will be very unlikely to be seen on campus in the future.
“We would need to see large scale demand from students and parents before we would even consider it,” Hilliard said.
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Emily Zarka at emily.zarka@colorado.edu.
