An amendment to the freshman visitation policy, which will lift the current ban of limiting opposite-sex guest privileges for first-year students, is awaiting approval by the administration.
The proposal is the result of a collaborative effort between former SGA president and marketing junior Sarah Cooper and a student focus group.
According to section six of the student handbook for Residential Life, the current visitation policy states that freshman residents may have opposite-sex guests between 10 a.m. and midnight Sunday through Thursday, and between 10 a.m. and 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday.
According to Cooper, the new freshman visitation rights stemmed from researching other universities’ first-year policies.
After speaking with first-year students, Cooper said students’ concerns arose from all of the limitations posed on them.
“Many freshmen said their bedtime is usually after midnight, and because freshmen are required to live on campus, some students felt there should be some sort of leniency in the visitation considering they cannot go elsewhere,” Cooper said.
The new visitation policy would require freshmen to abide by the current policy for only their first semester on campus.
For the second semester, they will acquire the same visitation privileges as upperclassmen, who have no restrictions on visitation.
“With the increase of first years that must live on campus, it would be fair to give them a semester to adjust to the new college life, and prepare them for the changes in the second semester,” Cooper said.
Cooper said in the second semester, though, the freshmen will still be under the eye of their resident assistant who is more specialized in handling first-year issues.
Samantha Lee, business freshman and college president of business, said she is excited about the change.
“I think having the same policy for one semester will allow freshmen to become acclimated with studying and their new environment, and after the semester is over, freshmen will be given the same rights as the rest of the school, like making their own decisions and choices,” Lee said.
“Frankly, everyone who is in college is an adult and we should be able to choose who is in our living spaces and who is not,” Lee said.
Interim Director of Residential Life, Craig Beebe, said he is glad students are voicing their opinions about the change.
“If this is what the students want and if it abides by the Jesuit values, I will support the implementation of the policy,” he said.
“We want students to be happy and successful.”
Beebe said he will back the change if it is approved by administration.
“Since the change will affect literature such as the student handbook and code of conduct, approval must be consented by committees, and ultimately the president of the university,” Beebe said.
Charmaine Jackson can be reached at [email protected]
