Per the Post-Standard, "Gender-Neutral" housing is the latest trend on college campuses. Cornell, Colgate, and Ithaca are considering it.
The term "gender neutral" comes from advocates for students who are transgender who don't consider themselves completely male or female. That applies to just a few students who might be uncomfortable being required to live with someone of the same sex.It's hard enough to leave home and go to college to master the academics while dealing with new people at a volatile time in one's life. Shoving sex under everyone's nose only complicates things further.
But the result is that if rooms or suites are designated as gender neutral, it takes coed living to a level not seen yet on Central New York campuses: Men and women could be roommates. [emphasis supplied]
Is it any wonder why college graduates these days seem to know so little, and why this country is not self-sufficient in the more academically "difficult" professions such as medicine or engineering.
4 comments:
Hopefully there will be a backlash against this reproach, and we'll go back to all-boys or all-girls' schools. Those kinds of schools are extremely effective for learning-- real learning.
Parents are sooooo stupid, shelling out so much money when they have NO idea what's going on in colleges (or public schools, either).
Hmmm. I don't know....a lot of students live off campus with roommates of different sexes, so there isn't much difference there. At least when they are living in a dorm, there are more people around to keep an eye on what's going on. Personally, way back when I was in college, I never lived in a dorm...I always lived off campus, but I did go visit a friend of mine who was attending one of the SUNY schools, and, wow...that place was nuts. She lived in the dorm, had a female roommate, but that roommate always either had her boyfriend spend the night or she was spending the night with the boyfriend. It really annoyed my friend! However, my friend ended up moving off campus and living with some friends...friends only, who were male. There was never a problem, the relationships were purely platonic.
Colleges are desperately trying to think of ways to compete with one another in ways that have nothing to do with educational practices, and this is just another example. I think universities are running out of ideas and focusing on "amenities" (I guess having a member of the opposite sex in the next bed is considered one of those). You might be interested in this post about the state of college accommodations today.
http://groovygreen.com/groove/?p=1884
I don't think anyone is talking about requiring students to live with a member of the opposite sex, however. It would probably be made available as an option to upperclassmen in dorms.
The state of college accommodations? These kids are getting spoiled . . .
When I was in college, having an immersion heater and instant coffee was a big deal!
Ever reheat cold pizza on your desk lamp?
Yow!
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