On Thursday night, Dean of Students John Ford presented the Student Council with a number of proposals to modify the coed visiting policy at Choate.

The changes include postponing the earliest time students can receive coed permission on weekdays from the end of classes until 5 pm and on weekends from 10 am until 12 pm, eliminating coed permission for third formers for the fall term, and prohibiting coed visiting between third and sixth formers. The proposals, pending approval, would take effect at the beginning of the 2006-2007 school year.

The reason for the modification of weekday coed hours is that, according to Mr. Ford, “A lot of the time advisers are out of their house because they’re coaching, so therefore it doesn’t make a lot of sense to say that that’s a legitimate coed visiting time.” Furthermore, “It also gives advisers a chance to get home and unwind before they have to deal with [coed permissions].”

Though under current regulations, students would not be able to receive coed permission if no adviser were present, the new proposals seek “to make [the school] less vulnerable and to make students more accountable,” at least during the period from 3-5 o’clock.

On weekends, the proposed delay of the start of coed permission from 10 am to noon is, “a matter of overall privacy in the dorm,” said Ford. “[The proposal will] make sure the residents, both students and faculty don’t have their leisurely morning impeded upon.”

The second part of the proposed changes would eliminate all coed permissions for third formers during the Fall term on weekdays, and possibly for weekends as well. After the Fall term, however, third formers would gain all the permissions they have this year. Details of this component of the Co-Ed rule changes are yet to be determined.

Said Ford, “Third formers have a learning curve, and for a lot of kids fourteen, fifteen years old ... living in a residential situation like this ... it’s an awful lot to have to deal with.”

Despite their helping to lessen this learning curve, Mr. Ford acknowledges that the new regulations may impede social interactions for new third formers, but that it does so in the same way as internet restrictions in the evenings limit interaction.

The final proposal would entirely prohibit coed visiting between third and sixth formers, even in the fourth or fifth form dorm of a mutual friend. Third formers would not even be allowed to enter the common rooms of opposite-gender senior dorms.

“Third to sixth form coed visiting is controversial,” said Mr. Ford. “The age and maturity difference there is enough to raise concerns. Plus, there are legal ramifications ... we’re always concerned about the school being liable.” He added, “Frankly, I’m surprised that it’s taken us this long to establish a rule.”

Now, the Student Council has the opportunity to request any changes it deems necessary before the proposals are approved for invocation next fall. They have already submitted a compromise plan that would ensure that common room visiting will not be restricted any more than it is this year, as well as stating that visiting during break in the Mem and Nichols common rooms should be available all year round.