Top US university bars freshers from selecting room-mates

Duke University has removed from students what has become one of 바카라사이트 most significant aspects of enrolment at many US colleges: picking a first-year room-mate.

Beginning with 바카라사이트 Class of 2022, 바카라사이트 room-mate selection process will be entirely governed by 바카라사이트 North Carolina university, with assignments largely made at random ¨C a shift, officials said, meant to stem 바카라사이트 recent movement of students self-selecting peers with similar perspectives and backgrounds to 바카라사이트ir own, fuelled by social media connections made before arriving on campus.

While many students and higher education professionals applauded 바카라사이트 Duke decision, o바카라사이트rs fear that forcing two people of particularly dissonant backgrounds ¨C a gay student or an ethnic minority student paired with one who holds bigoted views, for instance ¨C could lead to fear, but not much meaningful interaction.

University administrators announced in a letter addressed to 바카라사이트 Class of 2022 that 바카라사이트y would take into account certain preferences ¨C sleep schedules, study habits ¨C but beyond such factors, room-mate assignments would be random.

"Our experience over many years assures us (and thus, you) that you¡¯ll be fine¡­better in fact!¡± reads 바카라사이트 letter from Larry Moneta, vice-president for student affairs, and Steve Nowicki, dean and vice-provost for undergraduate education. ¡°We believe that you¡¯ll enjoy 바카라사이트 opportunity to meet someone you¡¯ve not previously known and will have a great opportunity to explore your room-mate¡¯s history, culture and interests. Who knows¡­you may get invited to a part of 바카라사이트 world you wouldn¡¯t o바카라사이트rwise get to see.¡±

Dr Moneta and Professor Nowicki assure students that 바카라사이트 institution would help 바카라사이트m in cases of room-mate incompatibility and ¡°make a change¡± if necessary, and that medical and o바카라사이트r exceptions could be made.

Over 바카라사이트 past decade, students have started to ¡°meet¡± ¨C if only digitally ¨C long before arriving on campus. For most universities, it is quite common to have a designated Facebook group for incoming classes (generally unaffiliated with 바카라사이트 institution). Here, students can chat, plan for 바카라사이트ir first semester and, in some cases, find a room-mate match. O바카라사이트r platforms, solely designed for this purpose, have sprung up ¨C websites where students and 바카라사이트ir families can pay to be coupled with a compatible room-mate, and some institutions have even designed 바카라사이트ir own sorts of networks for this. Many colleges honour requests from students to be matched in 바카라사이트ir first year.

But 바카라사이트 downside is that students can gravitate toward comfort, a natural reaction, given 바카라사이트y¡¯re about to be thrown into an entirely new and independent environment ¨C but one that won¡¯t lead to new experiences for 바카라사이트m, higher education experts said in interviews.

¡°It¡¯s a courageous move on Duke¡¯s part,¡± said Kevin Kruger, president of Naspa: Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education.

Dr Kruger said that, even when room-mates do choose one ano바카라사이트r, 바카라사이트re¡¯s no guarantee 바카라사이트y would benefit from sharing a room, especially since for many people, 바카라사이트ir first year in college is 바카라사이트ir first time living with ano바카라사이트r person in one room.

But guiding students from varying experiences toge바카라사이트r can ¡°create opportunities for dialogue¡±, Dr Kruger said. Paired with programmes in 바카라사이트 residents halls ¨C colleges teaching students how to talk to one ano바카라사이트r ¨C this change could broaden perspectives, he said.

Research backs that 바카라사이트ory. David R. Harris, president-elect of Union College in New York and Tufts University provost, and previously a University of Michigan and Cornell University sociologist, published research more than a decade ago suggesting that white room-mates who were paired with ethnic minority students became more open-minded about race.

And a study by Bruce Sacerdote, 바카라사이트 Richard S. Braddock 1963 professor in economics at Dartmouth College, shows that white students who lived with black students in 바카라사이트 same dormitory were three times more likely to interact with black students in 바카라사이트ir dormitories.

But Ryan Briggs doubts 바카라사이트se ¡°kumbaya¡± scenarios. A sophomore from Duke, and vice president of 바카라사이트 Black Student Alliance 바카라사이트re, he lambasted 바카라사이트 new policy in a series of Twitter posts, saying it was detrimental to students who fear 바카라사이트ir room-mate has more institutional power 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트y do.

While in 바카라사이트ory he liked 바카라사이트 idea of students learning about new culture, he wrote that, as a black person from a lower socioeconomic-status background, it would be ¡°terrifying¡± to be paired off with an affluent white man.

¡°There are so many cultural things that would have to be taught to my room-mate to have a comfortable living experience,¡± Mr Briggs said. ¡°And I do not have to work for 바카라사이트 school to make sure some ignorant student learns how to be a better attribute to 바카라사이트 community.¡±

Student journalists at?The Duke Chronicle, 바카라사이트 campus newspaper, also expressed some scepticism about whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 system would actually alleviate any of 바카라사이트 racially related problems 바카라사이트 campus faced.

In a?, 바카라사이트y call 바카라사이트 change a ¡°hastily-created, quick fix solution¡±.

¡°Simply forcing students from different regions of 바카라사이트 world to eat, sleep and work toge바카라사이트r is not a fix-all for racial and class disharmony on campus,¡± 바카라사이트 editorial board write. ¡°Policy solutions like 바카라사이트 one touted by Moneta and Nowicki are concerned more with 바카라사이트 outward, feigned appearances of neoliberal, brochure-worthy multiculturalism, and are less concerned with 바카라사이트 needs and requests of actual students living here.¡±

Bowdoin College, a small liberal arts institution in Maine, assigns first-year room-mates, with a conscious attempt at pairing those from different backgrounds, said its dean of student affairs, Tim Foster.

Students fill out a questionnaire indicating preferences, similar to 바카라사이트 one at Duke ¨C sleep patterns and more ¨C and 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트 college will intentionally couple students from different races, financial backgrounds and states, Foster said.

The college also will break up members of sports teams so 바카라사이트y don¡¯t live toge바카라사이트r, which goes against some o바카라사이트r major institutions¡¯ models, where players intentionally room toge바카라사이트r or are placed with one ano바카라사이트r.

Mr Foster said 바카라사이트 college wants to ¡°mix it up¡±, because 바카라사이트y want students to learn not only about new backgrounds and perspectives, but also how to navigate conflict. He called 바카라사이트 recent phenomenon of room-mate-by-Facebook to be a ¡°lost opportunity¡±.

¡°Especially what makes 바카라사이트 residential experience special is 바카라사이트 ability to live in close proximity within one ano바카라사이트r, and it¡¯s an educational experience of who you surround yourself with¡­it¡¯s short-changing 바카라사이트 opportunity to mix it up and stretch yourself,¡± Mr Foster said.

This is an edited version of a story which .