Tufts Bans Sex in Roommate's Presence - Page 2

lioness1120 · 10-03-2009, 01:38 PM

From what I understand (I'm a freshman this year so I don't know the whole story), the policy last year was that on your first alcohol offense you got a warning and then on your second offense you got put on pro-one. This year, there is no warning at all, you get put on pro-one your first time. Also, if you didn't do your alcohol education course over the summer you got put on pro-one instead of just having stricter punishment if you did get caught drinking. So a lot of people are really upset over it.

hebrewhammer · 10-03-2009, 01:51 PM

The issue that most people have with the policy change is that getting TEMSed (being treated by Tufts EMS for alcohol) counts as a violation, so there are now repercussions for getting someone help when they've drank too much.

MichaelNKat · 10-04-2009, 01:25 PM

I graduated from Tufts in 1975. Back then, the "issues" of how to handle sexual activity in a dorm room were really no different than they are today, at least in terms of the dynamics of student behavior and room mate relationships. Hell, my dorm floor was coed and it often seemed that regardless of gender, there were hot and cold running students in various states of dress or undress at all hours of the night, particularly on weekends. Were there at times excesses in behavior or frictions between room mates that had to be sorted out due to one party being inconsiderate - sure. However, room mates generally worked out between themselves how to approach having private time in their rooms and accommodating each other's sensitivities, students in general took responsibility for their guests and in 3 years of living in the dorms, I never heard of a problem elevating to the point where the admin got involved, either in a particular incident or by way of an enforced policy. So what has changed? Whether you want to call it acting in loco parentis, caving to political correctness, a trend towards "zero tolerance" born out of fear of parent complaints, litigation or bad publicity and criticism, schools all over more and more are meddling in the minutia of students' personal lives. The result is that college students are often treated like infants. Why in the world is a rule necessary to prohibit sex in a dorm room when a room mate is present? Shouldn't it be enough to say that students are expected to work out adult issues with mutual consideration and respect and that the admin will get involved on a case by case basis to impose a solution only where the students are unable to figure one out themselves?

BTW, this issue has been picked up by the media not only about Tufts but about colleges in general. In this morning's issue of the Philadelphia Inquirer, major article on sex in the dorms and how a variety of Philadelphia and Pennsylvania colleges handle the issues. Of course, Tufts was discussed and was conspicuous as the only school mentioned with a formal policy specifically addressing sex.

As to the alcohol policy, that's even more disturbing. The new policy, quite simply, poses a threat to the safety and health of students. You can "legislate" all you want; underage student drinking is never going to go away. The goal should be to educate and promote safe and responsible drinking decisions. The school's primary focus should be from a health and safety perspective, not a "police" perspective. Now students who need help will be fearful of making the call to EMS. Brilliant.

CountingDown · 10-04-2009, 03:33 PM

I also have a big problem with the "disincentive" for calling EMS for a help if a student drinks too much. Does someone have to die or sue before someone higher up realizes this is a DUMB idea?

Acceptd · 10-06-2009, 09:42 PM

^ STRONGLY agree with this. someone needs to look up what "harmful reduction" before someone seriously gets hurt.

fordprefect · 10-07-2009, 11:40 AM

So, with that precious information, what would Tufts policy be if I had consensual sex WITH my roommate?

fordprefect · 10-07-2009, 11:42 AM

Ooh! I just thought of a way to answer Optional Question 2 "Are we alone?"

CountingDown · 10-08-2009, 03:01 PM

^^^if it has to do with the subject of this thread...oy vey.

MichaelNKat · 10-11-2009, 08:06 AM

Can someone point to where this policy is posted on Tufts' website?

hebrewhammer · 10-11-2009, 02:25 PM

Page 38 of "Habitats" http://ase.tufts.edu/reslife/documents/Habitats.pdf

fordprefect · 10-11-2009, 03:01 PM

That's a long manual.

Was relieved to find this--

Bodily Fluids in Student Rooms – Due to the serious health risks of blood borne
pathogens, vomiting, defecating, and urinating in student rooms is strictly prohibited.

smoda61 · 10-11-2009, 09:29 PM

1) Son is now a Tufts graduate. His freshman year his room was small enough that the bed's had to be bunked. He had to put up with waking up in the middle of the night to the bed shaking from his roommate and whomever he brought back that night. He also got a wonderful demonstration of gravity one night when the roommate drank too much and could not make it from his bed before vomiting. Point is not all roommates are considerate.

2) Not all RA's a great. Again freshman year, roommate allowed others into the room who enjoyed damaging son's personal property. S went to RA about the problem. His answer was that he had no proof. By the end of freshman year he had lost 15 pounds because he would not leave the room to eat, only to go to class.

3) Yolanda King can be useful. Sophomore year son had a problem with the micro-fridge people (can't remember the group name anymore) honoring the contract they made with him. After repeated calls to them, they would not return son's call. One call to Yolanda King and those micro fridge people could not solve his problem fast enough.

As for the original topic, I don't know if an actual rule has to be created especially if there is not going to be anyone that follows though and enforce the policy. On the other side, it could be possible that a tool like this could have been useful in dealing with roommate #1.

fordprefect · 10-11-2009, 10:19 PM

"I don't know if an actual rule has to be created especially if there is not going to be anyone that follows though and enforce the policy."

smoda61: You have summed it up perfectly. That is the reason why the specific rules are so easy to mock. Only a compete d-bag would bang a girl while your son was sleeping in the bunk above. Even an animal won't vomit, pee or dump where it sleeps.
These are unenforceable rules because they defy sober common sense.

And just for the sake of fact checking - this is from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory website:

The following body fluids are not expected to be infectious sources of blood borne pathogens unless they are visibly contaminated with blood:

urine
feces
vomit
tears
sweat
sputum
nasal secretions