HSU is a national leading example of a supportive, socially just, on-campus housing community. It made leaps and bounds above most of the universities in the nation, and became the high standard that other university housing staffs look to meet.
Gender-neutral housing is not to be confused with coed living. Coed dorms allow you to stay in the same building with the opposite sex, but not in the same room.
In gender-neutral housing, you can stay in a room with the opposite sex. It is designed to be a safe space on campus where students won’t feel threatened or judged by their gender or sexuality. There is no specific gender that must room with a specific gender, and no established bathroom codes; only a small and loving community of students that encourage and support each other.
Erin Sandvold, and incoming transfer student from Southern California, said, “I’m absolutely thrilled about coming to HSU with its openness and supportive campus community. Having things like gender-neutral housing is something unique and special about this school, and is part of what attracted me to want to transfer.”
Already in its third year of creation and establishment, gender-neutral housing only gets larger and in more demand. Across the nation, more and more universities are attempting to provide a safe space on campus for incoming freshman and returning students alike to explore and feel comfortable with their sexuality, while achieving their higher education.
In California, HSU stands at the top of the list of innovative universities with a “gender-blind” living community, along with UC Riverside and UC Santa Cruz with their introduction of coed bathrooms in on campus housing.
Nick Sweeton, head organizer of gender-neutral housing said, “We can only hope that this area keeps expanding, and that more of the universities will follow suit. We have discovered that a mixed-gender environment is better for the community on campus, and creates a more well-rounded student. We are ecstatic to have so much interest in this community, and to have it be so well supported and encouraged.”
Sweeton also said that housing had plans for unisex bathrooms in some of the dormitories, however, because of California state law, the cost was too much of a burden on the housing budget. Housing and dining services plan to find other ways of integrating a non-judgmental supportive attitude throughout on-campus housing and into the entire university campus.
This year, housing was faced with competing priorities. Large numbers of both incoming students and returning students requested to live in gender-neutral housing. The area has a specific application process. According to housing, you must provide an essay explaining to them why you want to live there, and how you will benefit and contribute to the gender-neutral community.
For this past year, housing set aside two suites in Cypress (the equivalent of 24 people) for gender-neutral housing. With the new demand on this special living area, however, housing maneuvered arrangements by adding a Creekview suite and an extra Cypress suite to allow twice as many students to live gender-neutral in the upcoming year.
Nathaniel Grey, the Living Group adviser for the upcoming year (2009-2010) said, “I hope to provide the community with the support it needs. I’m excited about the large amount of interest in the community and hope that the incoming residents are just as excited.”
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