In the laissez-faire world of higher education comes a startling new way to address some of today’s most common problems among college students. To confront the growing problems of binge drinking and hooking up, just go back to single-sex dorms.
Writing in the Wall Street Journal, Catholic University president John Garvey believes this is the only solution that makes sense. After all, “alcohol-related incidents are the leading cause of death for young adults aged 17-24,” and binge drinkers are 25 times more likely to fall behind in school, and suffer from depression. Similar stats hold true for the hooking-up lifestyle that has become an all-too-common part of the college experience.
Dr. Garvey admitted that his decision to return to single-sex dorms is “counter-cultural,” since “90 percent of college housing is now coed.”
But facts are facts.
Students in coed dorms are more than twice as likely to engage in binge drinking – and the figures about hooking up are close behind.
Catholic University will kick off its new policy next year when all incoming freshmen will be assigned to single-sex dorms. It will take four years to fully implement the new rule, which will require some up-front expenses to make room adjustments, but in the end, Dr. Garvey says: “Our students will be better off.”
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Deborah Lambert writes the Squeaky Chalk column for Accuracy in Academia.
If you would like to comment on this article, e-mail mal.kline@academia.org.
