A task force of six Dartmouth students is working to create a program within a residence hall that will focus on gender issues.
Danielle Moore '95, one of six students on the task force, said the group hopes to organize a program that features speakers, films and discussions about women's, men's and inter-gender issues.
Dean of Residential Life Mary Turco said she has talked with students on the task force and supports what they are doing.
"I support the development of a structured program for addressing gender relations with student interest, including men's and women's views within the residence halls," Turco said.
Turco said residency in the hall would be open to both men and women.
"What we're looking for is something that is inclusive," Turco said. "Something that addresses gender issues from men's and women's perspective."
Moore said she was optimistic about the future of the program.
"Hopefully, within the next couple of weeks, we'll start looking for residence halls," Moore said.
But Turco said the program may move more slowly and said she is not even sure if the program will be created and funded.
"We've got many details that have to be worked out," Turco said.
Turco said no decisions have been made about the location of the program, how students would join or the role of the program within the residence hall.
The program would most likely be a group of students in a residence hall or cluster working to plan gender-related events in addition to regular programming, Turco said.
"We won't be doing anything that will be fundamentally changing the housing assignments," she said.
Sandra Spiegel, interim director of the Women's Resource Center, has been serving as an advisor to the task force.
Moore said the program's organizers hope to use the residence hall programming to alleviate communication problems about gender issues.
"I think that there is a tension about talking about gender issues," Spiegel said.
The residence hall would be modeled after Asgard's non-alcoholic programming in Butterfield Hall, Moore said.
In 1992, Asgard began a program in Butterfield Hall in which residents agreed not to use alcohol and tobacco in the dormitory.
Asgard provides alcohol-free programming, but residence in Butterfield and membership in Asgard are not mutually inclusive.
Task force member Ann Marshall '95 said "the dorm's intention is to provide an atmosphere for discussion."
"I hope it provides an intellectual, safe place where differences of opinion will be respected," she added.
A gender issues residence hall at Wheaton College in Massachusetts is being examined as a potential model for the program, Moore said.
Yun Chung '97, another member of the task force, said she has received over 120 positive responses to a BlitzMail message she sent to the College community that requested a show of support for the idea.
