The Office of Residential Life prematurely announced a new policy allowing residents to have overnight guests of the opposite gender beginning in the spring semester. 

Upon the return to campus after the winter break, residents were informed of changes made to the guest policy, allowing for guests of a different gender to stay overnight beginning Jan. 19. However, it was later announced by the Office of Residential Life that the change is not yet to be implemented as the university is still developing the policy. 

Currently, residents are allowed two guest passes per semester and are required to request them 24 hours prior to their guest’s arrival. Guests can only stay for two consecutive nights and must be aged 16-23 and be the same sex as the resident. The proposed change in policy would allow for residents to host guests of a different gender with roommate approval shared with their respective dorm’s Resident Director. 

Some residents were told by Resident Assistants (RAs) at their floor meetings that the policy allowing guests of a different gender would begin this month. However, Assistant Dean of Students and Director of Residential Life Charles Clency shared with RAs later that week that while the university anticipates this change, they are going to keep the current policy in place.

Dean Clency declined to speak on the record.

“The old policy was steeped in heteronormativity and in a moral system that most of the student body does not adhere to,” said Seamus Doherty, FCRH ’26. “This doesn’t mean that campus is going to get suddenly wild, it’ll probably make it a lot harder to get a guest pass in general. RDs and RAs are going to have to do a lot more work to prevent issues coming up, and I foresee a lot of trial and error as the university tries to figure out how to appropriately make this shift.”

Students have met with administration in the past in an attempt to get the policy changed to allow for family members, like siblings and cousins, to experience life on campus. In November, the Student Life Council discussed the guest pass policy with the Office of Residential Life. It was outlined at that meeting that more accommodating changes to the policy would be implemented as early as January 2024. 

“I personally think it’s a great change in policy,” said Erica Pruno, GSB ’26. “I think it was a bit unfair how this was a rule, it limited Fordham’s actions at being inclusive. It stopped students from being able to see their friends and caused great inconvenience.” 

The more inclusive policy would allow for more siblings, cousins, friends and potential future Rams to experience Fordham campus life by dorming overnight with current students. 

“We are all adults and should be allowed to decide for ourselves who can spend the night and who cannot,” said Kate Cassidy, FCRH ’26. “Not to mention the previous policy completely disregarded family members of the opposite sex spending the night. When my cousin came to visit he was not allowed to stay overnight.”

Other Jesuit colleges and universities across the country have varying policies regarding overnight guests. Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles allows for residents to have overnight guests of any gender with roommate approval. However, Boston College in Chestnut Hills, Mass., does not allow for guests of a different gender to spend the night. 

“I am also curious as to how the new policy plans to address non-binary students to make campus a more inclusive space,” said Cassidy. 

The Office of Residential Life plans on implementing the new guest policy in the future.

“I am grateful to our Student Life Council executive board for their careful look at the University’s guest pass policy with us over the past few months. Their collaboration along with that of colleagues and student leaders at Lincoln Center has been critical in coming up with new approaches and we are looking forward to announcing changes for spring semester shortly,” said Dean of Students Christopher Rodgers in a statement.