Wisconsin colleges look at mixed-gendered housing

OSHKOSH - More University of Wisconsin System campuses are mixing genders in university housing. The most recent: UW-La Crosse.

So what are colleges in Northeast Wisconsin planning?

This past fall, UW-Oshkosh rolled out its new suite-style dorms for upper classmen.

"We wanted to allow students more privacy but for freshman we thought it might be too much,” said residence life director Tom Fojtik.

But now other college campuses are taking housing options a step further.

UW-La Crosse announced it will let male and female students live together in suite-style dorms.

In those dorms, each student gets his or her individual room, while sharing a common area.

It's only for those who specifically sign up for it in groups of four.

Other colleges like UW-Madison and UW-Milwaukee, and private Carroll College in Waukesha and Lawrence University in Appleton already have a similar policy.

“We are looking at that and seeing if it could be adapted to our campus. That'll have to be reviewed by students and the administration,” said Fojtik.

Fojtik says while students could choose to live off-campus, many students living in mix-gendered groups still want the amenities and community dorm life can offer.

Other colleges, like St. Norbert College in De Pere, told FOX 11 they won't be mixing genders.

St. Norbert College’s residence life director says the school will keep its policies of separate wings for men and women, as well as visiting hours, per student and parent wishes.

But on the UW-Oshkosh campus, most students don't feel neutral-gendered housing will be a big change.

"I do live in a house with three guys and two girls and it's not really a big deal, everything works out pretty fine,” said UW-Oshkosh junior Isaac Federspiel.

“I think that's fine. I know I was always interested in the dorms that had girls and guys scattered throughout, so I don't see a problem with that,” said Danielle Dallman, a junior.

The earliest UW-Oshkosh would implement gender-neutral housing would be fall of 2014.

UW-Green Bay says it's talked about having men and women room together, but is not actively pursuing it.