Some Colleges Allow Co-ed Dorm Rooms

[garland]

But again-- no one is suggesting assigning opposite sex roommates, anywhere!

[cptofthehouse]

You know, Garland, when they first had coed floors, at my alma mater, it was stressed that there would always be an all female option (no mention of all male but with the lopsided ratio, it might have been understood). Now there isn't. I remember when "Three's Company" was considered so novel because of the mixed sexes sharing apartments. Now this is commonplace. Not knocking it; I haven't seen more problems, maybe different ones, but not more. But at this point, I think even uni apts are assigned to one sex or another; no mixes. But coed bathrooms and floors often cannot be avoided. I know that there are some of us who would prefer not to share bathrooms with the opposite sex. But things moved this direction.

[garland]

yes, they did, but I think it's unlikely that a "slippery slope" effect will ever lead to enforced unisex rooms.

And, Wolfe aside, most kids I know deal with co-ed bathrooms and floors with maturity and discretion--I really think we don't give them enough credit!

But then, I adore college kids; I work with them, I teach them, I've owned a couple of my own , and I think that overall, they're pretty great. so I guess I really have high expectations for them.

[Weskid]

But coed bathrooms and floors often cannot be avoided.

I'm not sure this is as true as you think. Even at Wesleyan, there are ways to avoid these things if you want--we do have a singl sex halls, and in a majority of the dorms (including both all-freshmen dorms), there are single sex and/or one person bathrooms avalible along with the co-ed bathrooms. If someone isn't comfortable with co-ed bathrooms, all they'd have to do is a little bit of research into the dorms and they'd be fine. At some of the less liberal schools my friends go to, there are still some single sex dorms as such.

[historymom]

I am pretty sure that my alma mater was one of the first who pioneered co ed floors and bathrooms with Guys and Girls as next door neighbors. I had grown up with 1 bathroom shared by our family of 5. I really didn't see it as any different than sharing with my brothers. They offered an all female floor in my dorm then and now 24 years later as my DDs are entertaining the idea of applying there, there is still an option for single sex living.

It's all about choice. Offering more choices is a good thing and if some transgender student has a better college experience because they aren't compelled into single sex living I really can't help but think it's positive.

[JaneyPT]

I don't know if this is such a hot idea.

[mini]

It might be a very "hot" idea.

[WesDad]

There is an ongoing discussion on this issue: One boy, one girl -- one dorm room

[emeraldkity4]

My oldest has attended private schools from K through college graduation.
Lots of overnight school trips , many in rustic sleeping arrangements ( tents- in downpours) & sleepovers usually co-ed sleeping arrangements including parent chaperones. ( not to say that one dad of one family- sleeps with mom of another family, although that is what one boy offered when my D wanted me to stay overnight on a trip and I wasn't prepared to stay)
Not a problem, they are family style.
We don't sit around naked, we shut the door when we use the bathroom, and we are dressed when in shared areas. How is this so difficult?

[cptofthehouse]

Much if not most of the world has coed bathrooms and sleeping arrangements. Anyone who has ever mountain trekked can tell you that about those accomodations in Europe.

I find it interesting though that the schools are now opening the doors to cohabitation. If the boy and girl are "involved" , they can still share a dorm room. This sounds like an interesting development to me.

I like young people, too, Garland, but don't always hold high standards for them, as many of them do have trouble achieving them. The standards are there, but I fully know the stumbling blocks to getting there. Many will get there after stumblling a number of times.

I have athlete sons, so have been around a lot of those jocks. I don't think I'd want to share the bathroom with some of those guys. In fact, I don't.

[garland]

We've got one full bathroom in our house. Sharing with the opposite sex is mandatory here, even if it's one in the room at the time (and sometimes it isn't; there's the occasional--don't come out of the shower, i need to brush my teeth moments when you don't have a lot of space.)

[historymom]

We were talking about this at lunch. One of my colleagues has a son at Pomona who next year will be living in a single room in a suite of three rooms. The other two will be occupied by four young women. His take is that his son while a sweet, kind and respectful young man is not so great at picking up after himself and that they girls...all his buddies may decide that the novelty of living with a guy may not be worth the mess his son is likely to generate.

[mini]

There may be other benefits that outweigh...

[cptofthehouse]

Mini, you are a rascal!!!

[teriwtt]

the novelty of living with a guy may not be worth the mess his son is likely to generate.

As the mother of an extremely messy/disorganized daughter, I wouldn't be so sure on that one