Sewanee’s Reconsideration of the Random Roommate Policy

Eliza Dieck, Opinions Editor

The self-selected roommate assignment option changed the dynamic of Sewanee’s first-year experience this fall, but an ongoing discussion has prompted the administration to explore whether all students want it to continue. The Dean of Students Office will send out an email containing a survey regarding the first-year random roommate policy to the student body, allowing students to advocate their opinions on the future policy for the first-year roommate policy. 

For the first time in Sewanee history, the incoming class had the opportunity to opt in for self-selecting roommates before their arrival on the Mountain. Previously, first-year students were required to undergo the “random roommate selection process.” In a recent Town Hall meeting organized by the Order of the Gown, the Student Government Association and the Honor Council, several students requested a reinstatement of the mandatory first-year random roommate process. 

In the random roommate process, incoming students filled out a detailed form containing questions regarding personality, cleanliness, social preferences, and daily routines. After assessing this questionnaire, the Office of Residential Life paired students who answered similarly. In an interview with The Sewanee Purple, Dean of Students Nicky Campbell (C ‘99), said that the Office of Residential Life solely matches students with a compatibility score of 70% or more. 

The Class of 2029 received an email from Campbell approximately three weeks before classes started informing them that they had the option to self-select or receive a random roommate. 276 students chose the random roommate process and 202 students self-selected a roommate. Campbell affirmed that she made the final decision to terminate mandatory random rooming and deems this process a “good compromise” because it gives students agency. 

Over the course of this semester, Campbell has attempted to schedule meetings with every first-year student to discuss their Sewanee experiences. During these conversations, Campbell has “deduced that students who chose random love it.”

When discussing the decision process for altering the first-year rooming policy, Campbell stated there was “no resistance” among administrators for allowing first-year students to self-select roommates. Campbell shared a story wherein a parent of a student approached her and expressed their excitement for Sewanee to finally allow first-year students to choose their roommates. 

There has been contention among parents and students regarding the reasoning behind the eradication of the random roommate process. In the roommate discovery phase, students typically find their prospective roommates on social media platforms such as Instagram. 

There is no question that Sewanee is an institution that is steeped in tradition. These traditions are perpetuated by our active alumni and population of legacy students. On a typical “Gown Day,” one can observe the lists of alumni depicted on the back of students’ gowns. The “legacy status” of students stood as an inherent connector for students who opted for “self-selection.” 

Although self-selection provides incoming students with autonomy, the ability to choose potentially hinders students from exploring unfamiliar opportunities. In a New York Times Opinions Piece titled “What is Lost When Freshmen Choose Their Roommates,” Julie Lythcott-Haims, a prior dean of first-year students at Stanford between 2002-2009 said, “If people are allowed to choose their own roommates, they’re inherently cutting themselves off from some of the most significant learning available, which is to grow up your freshman year with someone not like you.”  

Campbell noted that incoming students may need more than a “one size fits all” approach to roommate assignments. While some students are equipped for random rooming, she said “some need stability and knowing your roommate is comforting. It doesn’t cater to everybody but it does cater to both sides.” 

Some students believe the random roommate process is an important part of the first year experience. In an interview with The Purple, Annie Colbath (C ’26) said, “Having a random roommate freshman year taught me to rely on myself and be confident stepping out of my room and exploring Sewanee. It’s important to feel comfortable where you live, but it was rewarding to be encouraged to leave my room to make my closest friends and meet new people. Having a random roommate is a unique Sewanee experience that bonds you to people all across campus. It also teaches you how to communicate and build friendships with people outside of your close circle, which is so important to Sewanee’s social network and “passing hello” culture that we value so much.”

However, the random roommate process can prove difficult. A first-year student who has requested anonymity said, “The randomness element was difficult as it pushed back when communication could occur significantly. My roommate didn’t respond for a month after we were assigned to each other. It made figuring things out what to get and how to coexist very difficult. In addition, my randomly assigned roommate needed extra assistance and didn’t advocate for themself.” 

The Sewanee administration acknowledges both the benefits and the harms of a self-selective first-year roommate assignment policy. However, students must voice their opinions on their ideal policy.