With doubles selection occurring this past Tuesday evening, housing selection for next year has officially concluded. With living arrangements for next year finalized, the LUCC Residence Life Committee has made a few changes affecting student housing both in dorms and in group housing.
Next school year, the gender-neutral policy will be officially implemented in both Hiett Hall and Small Executive Hall. During previous years, only two floors in Hiett were gender neutral, which was found to prohibit some options of living there.
This year, all floors of Hiett Hall were gender-neutral as part of a one-year trial process, but after re-evaluating the policy, the Residence Life Committee decided to make all floors of the residence hall gender-neutral.
In addition, Small Executive House will also adopt a completely gender-neutral policy and match its neighbor, Big Executive House, which already has this gender-neutral policy in place.
There have also been changes in which groups are occupying the Theme and Formal Group Houses. After losing its status as a Formal Group House last year and acting as a Theme House this year, Sinfonia regained its Formal Group House status for next year and will remain in the current house members live in now.
A Theme House in previous years, Spanish House was awarded a new spot as a Theme House after not existing on campus last year. Artistic Expression house also re-applied as a Theme House and was awarded its house back.
Gaming House, a Theme House, will move from its current house on Union Street to the house on the Quad that currently exists as Theatre House. Theatre House decided to apply as a Theme House this year instead of as a Formal Group House, like it had been in the past, but the group was not awarded its house back.
Delta Tau Delta, Beta Theta Pi, Sigma Phi Epsilon, Phi Kappa Tau, Greenfire, Swing, Outdoor Recreation Club, SLUG, GLOW and Co-Op will all maintain their Formal Group Houses next year.
Changes have also been made to the legislation for Theme Houses. Theme Houses have been required to do at least one beneficial activity for the Lawrence community or the greater Appleton community during each term.
With a representative from Theme Houses checking in the Residence Life Committee once a term, the Residence Life Committee found that Theme Houses were already doing a great deal of volunteer activities not only for the Lawrence community, but also for the greater Appleton community as well.
To support the volunteer culture and commitment to service present in the Lawrence community, the Residence Life Committee implemented a policy that Theme Houses must do one activity beneficial to the greater Appleton community in addition to their three other beneficial activities.
This activity will now be coordinated through the newly established LUCC Committee on Community Service and Engagement that will function as a liaison between students who want to volunteer and the Volunteer Center.
Suites, quads and triples selection, which took place on Monday, May 14, went very well according to senior Val Nelson, Chairperson of the Residence Life Committee. “There was only group that wasn’t allocated a quad, and I think that’s amazing,” said Nelson. “I don’t think that’s ever happened before. Last year, I know that there were several groups left over, at least six.”
According to Housing Coordinator Wendy Osero, any student who will be on campus all three terms next year and desired a single was able to select a single during single selection on Tuesday, May 25. Some study abroad students, who are given the last pick out of everyone, were also able to choose singles as well.
For those who may be unpleased with their housing for next year, or disappointed for not getting their top choice, Nelson finds that Lawrentians are still very lucky with having Lawrence as a residential college.
“We are not like at some larger schools where you have to take a bus 30 minutes to get to class, we have everything within a ten minute walking distance. [It’s important] to see the value in different housing options and pursue those different options, like whether it’s living in a formal group or a theme group house, or living in a different dorm that you may not have originally wanted,” said Nelson.
Osero also offered a similar sentiment. “All Lawrentians are guaranteed housing, and we try to meet their needs and requests for housing whenever feasible. Also, I would like to thank the students on the Residence Life Committee of LUCC. They work hard to pull together the housing process for all Lawrentians,” said Osero.