There has been significant discussion regarding Tulane University’s requirement for students in the class of 2027 or later to live on campus for their first three years of college. This policy has good intentions, and reducing the number of students seeking off-campus housing might give the proverbial slumlords who rent to Tulane students a reason to lower prices. The issue with this policy lies in its discriminatory nature of who is exempt and who is not.
Students studying abroad in the fall semester, for instance, will be living all over the world for nearly five months while their counterparts stay at Tulane.
A fairer policy would offer students who stayed at Tulane the ability to choose whether they wanted to move off campus for the second semester or stay in their first-semester housing. The students returning from abroad would be given on-campus housing. That way, third-year students each have a semester of off-campus living, if they choose.
Granting special privileges to students who choose to study abroad is essentially saying that those students are more deserving. At the very least, students who stay on campus should be moved to the front of the course registration line for their senior year.
Another exception to this policy is made for students who are legally married. I doubt very many students will take advantage of this rule. A ring-by-spring school, Tulane is not.
While Tulane’s study abroad expectation is objectionable enough, the Greek life exception is worthy of condemnation. As Tulane’s website says, “Students living in Tulane recognized Greek chapter housing” are exempt from the on-campus requirement.
Students in Greek life should absolutely not be granted special treatment. Allowing them to sidestep these rules will only deepen divides and keep Greek organizations as exclusive bubbles, detached from the broader campus community. If anything, fraternity houses may be more dangerous than the average off-campus residence. Carving out an exception for their members defies logic and safety.
Furthermore, it gives another reason for freshmen to endure pledging when they otherwise may not want to. The promise of getting to move off campus earlier could be yet another reason for pledges to stay quiet about any abuse they endure.
On-campus living requirements are about more than convenience — they’re about safety, resources and accountability. Off-campus Greek housing has a well-documented history of problems.
I’m not saying that Greek organizations shouldn’t exist. Each student should be free to associate with groups of their choice. But the distinction lies in Tulane specifically privileging these students over others that may want to live off campus.
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