Graphic by Asyrique Thevendran/TheGazelle
New policy restricts dorm guests age to under 25
Beginning in Spring 2014, the Residential Education and Housing department of NYU Abu Dhabi has enforced a policy that restricts students to only ...
Mar 8, 2014
Beginning in Spring 2014, the Residential Education and Housing department of NYU Abu Dhabi has enforced a policy that restricts students to only having overnight guests under the age of 25. Residential Education was unavailable for an interview to comment on the policy.
The guest pass request form located on the NYUAD Student Portal states that all overnight guests must be the same sex as the host, even if they are family. The form no longer allows for the entry of those with a date of birth earlier than 1989.
Residential Assistant and sophomore Devin Quinn explained that he had not had any problems with this policy on his floor thus far.
“It’s probably a very unique college campus in the fact that parents were allowed here. So maybe they’re making a step towards, say, making it more usual of a campus,” said Quinn.
NYU New York and some other U.S. universities only have age-related restrictions for guests who are minors. Overnight guests are not permitted at NYU Shanghai nor at many UAE universities.
“I think everyone obviously is OK with having parents over but ... when there’s going to be however many people … on Saadiyat and they’re trying to implement changes now that will benefit the much larger population.”
Junior and Student Government Vice President Corey Meyer said that this had not evoked any complaints from the student body.
“No one has ever come to me to complain about the guest policy,” he said.
“To me the more controversial part of the policy is that you can’t have someone of the opposite gender, which is really weird on so many levels,” he added. “If my sister wanted to visit me, she can’t.”
Meyer was unsure of whether the policy was new or whether its enforcement had become stricter.
One student, speaking on the condition of anonymity, explained that this semester they had received a visit from a 25-year-old family member.
“There have been exceptions. If you approach them nicely, they will be appreciative and you might have some luck,” said the student.
Some students have expressed concern over the necessity of the policy. For freshman Kai-Erik Jensen, the age of 25 lacks sense.
“It just sounds like an arbitrary infringement,” said Jensen. “If they could come up with some sort of economic justification, then sure.”
Quinn speculated that the age was not an inflexible limit.
“I’m not exactly sure where the choice for the age came from, but maybe it will change in the future ... I presume [they chose 25] because they’re probably projecting that most students will have guests of their own age,” said Quinn.
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