Authored by: Kennedy Young‘28, Jocelyn Swavy ‘28
Type of Action: Investigation
Originally Presented: 03/05/2026
Current Status: Adopted by the Assembly, Unanimous Consent, 03/26/2026
Whereas, the Student Assembly Charter defines Investigation as “a request for further information or fact-finding pertinent to matters within the purview of the Assembly” (Student Assembly Charter, Article IV: Powers of the Student Assembly, Section 2: Legislative Authority, Subsection E: Types of Assembly Actions, Lines 43–46),
Whereas, the Student Assembly Charter further provides that “The Student Assembly shall have legislative authority over the policies of the Department of Campus Life and the Office of the Dean of Students, and shall review the budgets and actions of those departments” (Student Assembly Charter, Article IV: Powers of the Student Assembly, Section 2: Legislative Authority, Lines 21–24),
Whereas, Residential Life and University Housing operate within the Department of Campus Life, and the administration, selection, and placement of program housing (Akwe:kon, Ecology House, Holland International Living Center (HILC), Just About Music (JAM), Latino Living Center (LLC), Loving House (LGBTQ+), Multicultural Living Learning Unit (McLLU), Risley Residential College, Ujamaa Residential College, and Veterans House) constitute actions of that department subject to Student Assembly review,
Whereas, there has been growing student concern regarding the transparency and consistency of the University’s process for assigning first-year students to program houses during the first-year housing selection process,
Whereas, these concerns are particularly significant for program houses that are designed to support cultural, identity-based, or community-focused living experiences, where placement decisions may affect students’ access to culturally affirming residential environments,
Whereas, a lack of publicly available information regarding application demand, placement outcomes, and selection criteria for first-year program housing has made it difficult for students and the Student Assembly to understand how placement decisions are made and whether access to these communities is equitable,
Whereas, the Student Assembly has a responsibility to investigate matters affecting students’ residential experience, access to campus resources, and sense of belonging, consistent with its oversight role regarding Campus Life,
Whereas, the Student Assembly Charter states that the Assembly “shall not request categorical (race, sex, age, etc.) records of specific individuals” (Article III, Section 1: Confidential Records, Lines 27–30),
Whereas, this limitation permits the Assembly to request aggregated and de-identified demographic information related to departmental actions, provided that no individual student can be identified,
Be it therefore resolved, that the Student Assembly requests that the Department of Campus Life and/or the Office of the Dean of Students (which includes Housing and Residential Life) provide a written explanation of the criteria and decision-making process used during the first-year housing selection process to determine placement into program houses, including:
- How student preferences are considered;
- Any eligibility requirements or prioritization factors;
- The role of space availability, program capacity, or administrative review in placement decisions.
Be it further resolved, that the Student Assembly requests aggregated, de-identified data for the past five first-year housing cycles (2021-2026) for each program house, including:
- Total number of first-year students who selected or opted into each program house;
- Total number of students ultimately placed;
- Total number and percentage of students who requested a program house but were placed elsewhere.
Be it further resolved, that, consistent with Article III, Section 1 of the Student Assembly Charter, the Assembly requests aggregated demographic breakdowns (including sex, race and ethnicity, where available) of applicants and placements, provided:
- No individual student can be identified;
- Small cell sizes are suppressed or combined as necessary to protect student privacy.
Be it finally resolved, that the information requested in this resolution be delivered to the Student Assembly within 30 days of the resolution being conveyed to the appropriate university offices.
Respectfully Submitted,
Kennedy Young ‘28
Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Student Assembly
Jocelyn Swavy ‘28
College of Arts & Sciences Representative, Student Assembly
