Freshman Zach Gnas knew last year as a senior in high school that he wanted to come to either UW-Eau Claire or UW-La Crosse, he said.

When he found out his girlfriend, freshman Rebecca Dutkiewicz, had aspirations to go to Eau Claire, the decision wasn’t as difficult.

“She influenced my decision to go here,” Gnas said. “That played a part in (my decision).”

Gnas, a Horan Hall resident, and Dutkiewicz, a Towers Hall resident, always are taking short trips to see each other. By next fall, however, a new option may cut down the walking distance.

United Hall Council is conducting research on the possibility of coed living on the top floors of Towers Hall next year, said UHC President sophomore Chris Wagner.

While some Eau Claire dorms already have coed living on select floors, each wing consists of either all men or all women. UHC is researching mixing men’s and women’s rooms in the same wing.

An RA and a hall director developed the idea relayed to UHC. From there, UHC started researching the issue. Currently, UW-Green Bay, La Crosse and UW-Parkside have this policy in effect.

La Crosse has offered coed living since fall 2002, said Nick Nicklaus, director of Residence Life at La Crosse. He said the school hasn’t had any major problems with it. A high percentage of students, he said, have come back to live in the co-mingled dorms compared to in others on campus.

“It’s more like a brother-sister camaraderie,” Nicklaus said. “It’s been a resounding success.”

Chuck Major, director of Housing and Residence Life, said in order for the idea to move forward at the university, UHC would have to make a recommendation to him, and then he would have to make one to the university’s administrators.

“Students should have the right to discuss this and see if this is something that they see as a benefit,” Major said. “The fact that other schools have scattered housing may say something to our students.”

According to the Board of Regents’ Housing Rules and Regulations Policy, coed living on the same floor is not allowed in any dorm. In the policy, however, the chancellor of each institution has the right to designate living arrangements to best accommodate his or her university’s needs.

One factor that helped La Crosse find success, Nicklaus said, was the separate-sex bathrooms on each coed floor.

There also are many other benefits, he said, including a relaxed environment, the minimization of stereotypes and space flexibility.

For now, UHC has put this second on its priority list, Wagner said, as snow removal is its first. After that issue wraps up, UHC will look further into coed living, he said, adding if the proposal passes, they hope to have it in place by fall 2005.

“In the long run, it will help speed up the maturation process of men and women on campus,” Wagner said. “It’s like the living situation in the real world.”