When filling out the application for on-campus housing, students at Grand Valley State University are not given to option to choose the gender of their potential roommate. In the hopes of changing this policy, a student-run Gender Neutral Housing Coalition has created a petition to make a gender neutral housing option available on the GVSU campuses.

“Gender neutral housing allows for students to choose who they decide to live with,” said senior Ben Pohl, a member of the GNH Coalition. “It would replace the gender segregated housing currently in place. We believe that students should have the right to choose who they want to live with.”

Pohl said he believes providing a gender neutral housing option is necessary for upholding the university’s commitment to inclusion and equity, which details that GVSU will provide equal opportunity in the use of all of its facilities. The coalition believes that because the Housing Facilities are being segregated by gender, it is not meeting this standard.

“Gender neutral housing would create an environment that is inclusive to all,” Pohl said. “Just like some individuals do not feel comfortable living with a different gender, other individuals would not feel comfortable living with the same gender. Having gender neutral housing recognizes that GVSU has and encourages having a diverse student body on campus.”

The GNH Coalition plans to present to petition to the administration and at the Student Senate meeting today at 4:30 p.m. in Pere Marquette in Kirkhof. Pohl said they need about 300 more signatures before presenting it.

Andy Beachnau, director of Housing, said GVSU is not considering creating a gender neutral housing option because students are not required to live on campus. Students can choose to live on or off campus, but gender is currently used as a criteria for selecting roommates.

Beachnau added that he has not yet received the petition from the coalition and has limited knowledge of its contents, but that future policy change would depend on the content and scope of the proposed change and how it would impact current student assignment processes.

“The university would review any suggestions that are submitted by student leadership for consideration,” Beachnau said.

The coalition acknowledged that living off campus is an option, but Pohl said this policy is still unfair to those who would prefer to live on campus.

“Housing studies have shown that those who live on campus on average have a higher GPA than those who live off of campus,” Pohl said. “This can be attributed to the resources readily available to those on campus.”

Those who are most strongly affected by gender neutral housing options, however, are members of the LGBT community, Pohl said.

“During fall semester, a Rutgers University student committed suicide in response to the actions of a homophobic roommate,” said Colette Seguin Beighley, director of the GVSU LGBT Resource Center.

Seguin Beighley said although President Thomas J. Haas’ response to the youth suicides earlier this year was a starting point for reaffirming the university’s policy of inclusion, there are more avenues for the university to explore.

“One of the ways that Rutgers University responded to the tragedy on their campus was to implement a Gender Neutral Housing policy. Given GVSU’s history of support for the LGBTQ community, I believe the university will continue to give the issue of Gender Neutral Housing the thoughtful consideration it deserves.”

The Gender Neutral Housing Coalition will be tabling in Kirkhof today from 3 to 6 p.m. and Friday from to 5 p.m., collecting signatures. Pohl said the petition can also be signed online by “liking” the Facebook group, Bring Gender Neutral Housing to GVSU, or by following the link on Facebook to the petition at www.petitiononline.com.

“It should not be up to the university to infringe on students rights by restricting roommate selection,” Pohl said. “When selecting a roommate, we feel that individual, not the institution, is best capable of making the choice of a living arrangement.”

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