Faculty Vote "Yes" On Gender-Inclusive Dorm

For the first time in the 21 years since the first transgender student was housed on campus, Phillips Exeter is working with Phillips Academy Andover to create a new housing policy that accepts students of all genders and sexual orientations. Though the new initiative is a collaboration, both schools are pursuing their own visions for the future of more inclusive housing. In the past 21 years, PEA has addressed the problems that transgender students face on a case-by-case basis without implementing any concrete change to the policy. Recently, however, a group of faculty and administrators have come together to propose a more general solution for students whose living situations don’t meet their needs: an all-gender dorm. Director of Student Activities Joanne Lembo said, “Our goal is to make sure students feel safe where they live,” and that an all-gender dorm would be truer to the school’s non-discrimination policy.

I think it should be an option available to students who need it

Depending on the number of students who are in need of a different housing situation, an existing dorm will be chosen to implement the proposal which will be ascertained by a survey sent out to the student body last week. The survey is intended to gather data on the number of students who would opt to live in this alternative dorm, how many students would support it but not choose to live in it and how many students openly oppose the proposal. The prospective students would be asked to fill out an application for living in the dorm and would be notified of any rule alterations—specifically the visitations policy, which could be unique to the dorm. Residents of the all-gender dorm would be offered programming to discuss issues of importance on campus with students and dorm advisors.

English Instructor Alex Myers, who served as one of the chief organizers of the project, explained that some have expressed concern that an all-gender dorm could increase the risk of sexual misconduct by letting heterosexual boys and girls live next door to each other, rather than in separate dorms. Although Exeter is legally liable when sexual misconduct or assault occurs, the school’s lawyers have determined that the risk does not increase by any significant degree because if two straight students of opposite genders intend to engage in sexual activity, residing in different dorms is not going to stop them. “The building separation is superficial,” said Myers.

Moving forward, many of the initiative’s guiding projects, like the all-gender dorm, if proven successful, could extend to other aspects of campus. For example, committee members hope to bring about an increased emphasis on using dorms as a space to cultivate important discussions. According to Myers, the mentality of dorm life now, in which each student is given a room and expected to build relationships with other students on their own, does not inspire upperclassmen to act as role-models for their younger dorm mates. There is no extra programming that ensures that upperclassmen will set the right standards for new members of the dorm, where many formative discussions often take place. “If you imagine a group of ninth and tenth grade boys who are listening to a group of eleventh and twelfth grade boys talk about a girl that they think is going to be an ‘easy score’, what are the younger kids being taught about [the treatment of] women [on] campus?” Myers asked.

Others have expressed concern about parental approval of this project. Throughout the Academy’s history, parents have often contacted the Dean of Students’ Office with various special requests. “Don’t let my kid off campus, don’t let them go into Boston, no visitations, I want them in their room at 7 p.m,” said Myers, listing off hypothetical requests that have been made. While some parents may feel uncomfortable with their child living in an all-gender dorm, others are in full support.

Director of Admissions William Leahy does not predict that negative responses to the all-gender housing will affect the numbers of future applicants in a negative way. In fact, he believes a more inclusive housing policy and support system may bolster future applicants.

Students, too, have been in support of the idea; lower Adrian Venzon, a cohead of GSA, said, “We don’t want this to be seen as just the ‘trans dorm’. We want to stress that this is open to everyone, but I think the proposal is a good idea.” In addressing that particular concern—that the dorm would isolate transgender students, Health Instructor Michelle Soucy explained that acceptance for residents of the dorm would be very deliberate. Administrators will work to ensure that the dorm has representation across all genders and sexual orientations (cisgender, transgender, homosexual, bisexual, etc).

Following the recent release of a survey on the all-gender dorm, many students responded to the proposal positively. In fact, the survey showed “overwhelmingly supportive results” according to Lembo. “I think it should be an option available to students who need it,” lower Tara Weil said, “And the application process will prevent people with ulterior motives from living in an all-gender dorm.” The faculty have since voted in favor of an all-gender dorm and will move forward with the proposal.

The goal of an all-gender dorm is to strengthen Exeter’s current culture, according to the project organizers. The new dorm’s conversations and programming, beginning with an emphasis on issues of gender, would educate students about creating an environment that doesn’t lead to unsafe situations. A new residential life policy, if extended to other dorms (all-gender or not), would extend the spirit of “non sibi” more universally across campus, further address sexual assault issues and create a fully inclusive Exeter environment.