Campbellsville University’s co-ed visitation policy has always been a topic of discussion, especially during times like spring break.
This year, spring break was March 10-14. Some students had the blessing of traveling around the world, whereas others spent the break at home with their families. Other students, however, had to stay on campus for different reasons. For example, international students who could not go home and athletes who are currently in season.
Freshman Javier Anes, from Venezuela, was one of the students who chose to stay on campus.
“I don’t mind being on campus for the holidays, I think it’s great to have a place to stay,” Anes said. “However, I did not like the visitation policy during the break.”
There were no visitation hours at CU during spring break. Starting at 6 p.m. Friday, March 7 to 1 p.m. Monday, March 17, students were not allowed to visit dorms of the opposite sex.
“I have so many international friends, both boys and girls, and due to the visitation hours rule, I felt entrapped,” Anes said. “We could not hang out at my place, play some cards, chit chat on the couch…”
According to Anes, a good option would be to have normal visitation hours during the school semester from 1 p.m. to 11 p.m. every day.
“In my opinion, it would be a good compromise if visitations stay the same as in the school semester,” he said. “I think we are mature enough to respect the 11 p.m. [curfew] even without RAs checking on us.”
Sophomore Ariana Ortega, from Venezuela, was also displeased by the policy.
“I was directly affected by this situation because me and my boyfriend stayed on campus during spring break,” she said. “We could not do much. Watching a movie, doing activities together became so hard due to the lack of visitation hours for a full week.”
According to Ortega, visitations should be open, at least for some hours during the day, so students can have a better, more enjoyable stay on campus.
Ortega thinks one of the reasons why Reslife doesn’t allow visitation could be due to the absence of RAs on campus.
“I think that visitors are not allowed because it allows RA’s to leave and enjoy their breaks and I am totally for it,” she said. “But I would love to enjoy my break as well with my boyfriend and my friends without thinking about visitation rules all the time.”
Mia Alonzo, graduate resident manager (GRM), understands the frustration with the policy, but she says that every decision Reslife makes is focused on students and their safety.
“Students of opposite sex cannot hang out in their dorms, but there are other seating areas on campus to hang out or take a walk on campus,” she said.
According to Elijah Coffey, director of Reslife, the visitation policy during spring break is designed to ensure that housing staff receive the necessary time-off while maintaining a safe environment for students who remain on campus.
“At CU, student safety is a top priority,” he said. “We strive to be mindful of all factors when setting policies.”
The university continues to explore ways to support students who remain on campus, ensuring they have access to community spaces and other resources.
“The goal of this policy is not to limit student experiences but to manage campus resources effectively,” Coffey said. “While in-room visitation is restricted during breaks, students are still welcome to gather and visit in lobby common areas… This policy was implemented based on balancing student safety, staff availability, and the overall campus experience.”
For more information about the co-ed visitation policy, go to page 22 in the CU 2024-2025 Student Handbook.
Campbellsville University Student Handbook 2024-2025 with cover.pdf
