News

UB introduces coed dorms

blog by S.J. Velasquez • June 07, 2012 @ 4:35pm

When fall semester rolls around, UB students will have the option to live with other college kids of the opposite sex.

These gender-neutral living arrangements will be available in certain residence halls. According to the UB Reporter, the “program will set aside two floors in a residence hall in the Ellicott Complex as gender neutral, in addition to several apartments in Hadley and Creekside villages.”

The co-ed spaces will be available to all students, including incoming freshman. This is a unique opportunity for students not keen on the same-sex housing arrangements made mandatory by most other colleges. UB claims to be the first Western New York campus to allow such a living arrangement, even though other campuses across the country have adopted the model. It’s unclear if Rochester-area campuses offer gender-neutral housing options.

“The role of the university is not to determine with whom students may or may not live, but rather to empower its students to make their own decisions responsibly,” Andrea Costantino, director of campus living at UB, told the UB Reporter. “In today’s society, there is no reason why someone should not be living with whom he or she feels most comfortable.”

Photo courtesy of Flickr / borman818.

TAGGED: campus housing, colleges, dorms, gender neutral, residence halls, ub

Comments

Caile Morris June 08, 2012 @ 4:11pm

To answer your question about Rochester-area schools, SUNY Geneseo has had a successful gender-neutral program in the Genesee Residence Hall for two full years already. It’s great that UB is getting on board with this initiative as well!
S.J. Velasquez June 09, 2012 @ 9:34am

Callie, thanks for that information! I wasn’t sure that it’s an accurate statement to say UB is the only WNY campus with such housing arrangements.