Co-ed Dormitories
In 1968, Concordia College opened Hallett Hall, an all-women’s dormitory, along with Erickson Hall, an all-men’s dormitory. The dormitories were built as different sections of one complex. It was the first time since the college’s very early years, when its single building was home to both sexes by necessity, that men and women lived in such close proximity. Hoyum Hall was a former women’s dormitory that became the first building on campus to house both male and female students in 2008.
In 1965, Hallett Hall was authorized to be built as a part of East Complex. The complex was constructed on a sixty-five acre piece of land on the east side of Concordia’s campus on the corner of Twelfth Avenue and Eighth Street in Moorhead. The complex contained two wings, one for women and one for men with a commons area between the two. Placing male and female housing in the same overall structure was a change in tradition for Concordia. Previously, men’s and women’s dorms were separated into different buildings and distanced from each other; a practice common on many other college campuses across the country. [1]
Around the time Hallett opened, co-residential housing was a growing trend on college and university campuses. This change in student housing practices also sparked concern about the effects of such living arrangements on students. Researchers investigated how men and women interacted with each other when living in close proximity. A 1971 study found that gender-integrated dormitories benefitted both the college and the students. In addition to discovering that men and women had more platonic relationships, the study noted that female students were “less concerned with dating, expressed fewer sex stereotypes about either sex, less dependent upon externals defining femininity, more certain of career choices, regarded a career as more important than marriage, and felt marriage partners should share tasks equally.” [2]
Concordia’s progressive move toward a male/female dormitory complex created many benefits for the young men and women who attended the college. Hallett Hall was originally built for the women, and Erickson Hall for the men. The layout and atmosphere of the two dormitories allowed for many social opportunities involving female and male residents. There were often mixed-gender gatherings in the cafeteria, dormitory lounges, or at the front desk.
East Complex was also Concordia’s most expensive project at the time and allowed the college to accommodate its growing number of students. In 1951, there were 890 students attending and by 1965, 2,101 were enrolled. As mentioned in the Fargo Forum, “[East Complex] underlines Concordia’s unusual blueprint for the future—growth. Not as much growth as for state colleges, but far more than any other private college in Minnesota projects for itself.” East Complex provided space for 239 women and 231 men. Additionally, the new complex had a cafeteria, large lounge areas, a recreation room, a small chapel, study rooms on each floor, and laundry rooms for both Hallett and Erickson. The interior design of the two dormitories was similar to that of other Concordia dormitories such as Livedalen, Hoyum and Park Region. [3]
It was not an easy decision to build Hallett Hall and East Complex. Construction was expensive and took extensive planning and time. Once the bids were submitted in 1967, the complex was finished in time for orientation in 1968. East Complex cost $2.6 million and was funded by a $2.4 million federal loan from the Housing and Home Finance Agency. [4] The loans were paid off through students’ dormitory rental costs.
The dormitories were not named until over a decade after their construction. The women’s dormitory of East Complex was given the title Hallett Hall after Jessie Fern Hallett in the 1980s. Jessie Fern Hallett and her husband, E.W. Hallett, donated sizeable amounts to Concordia through scholarships. The men’s dorm was given the name Erickson Hall. A college newspaper story reported at the time that “the Ericksons and Halletts have much in common. Both families are from northern Minnesota, they began with little and are essentially self-made people, and both couples became philanthropists.” Jessie Fern Hallett passed away in 1976, four years prior to the naming of Hallett Hall. In addition to the dorm, Concordia is a recipient of the Jessie Hallett Charitable Trust that provides scholarships to students. [5]
In 2005, over three decades after the dormitories were built, they received a $3.8 million renovation. It included new sewer piping, better lighting, and a new sprinkler system. There was a large window installed, a new front desk and the ceiling in the lobby area was lowered. New sinks and counters were installed to improve the bathrooms. [6]
In recent years the Hoyum and Hallett/Erickson have shifted from single-sex to co-residential living by separate floors. Across the United States, such co-ed dorm buildings have increased in popularity since the 1980s and now account for over ninety percent of campus housing nationally. In these dorms, men and women are living in close proximity platonically and rarely because of sexual intimacy. As of 2016, while Concordia has co-ed dormitories, the College does not have co-ed dorm rooms, a trait similar to other Christian colleges. [7]
Hoyum Hall was constructed as a women’s dorm at Concordia College and completed in 1962. Known as New Hall initially, in 1967 the name was changed to honor Jacob Hoyum, a Montana farmer who had made significant donations to the college as a memorial for his wife and son. In 2008 the dormitory became the first co-educational residence hall since the College’s early years. This change was initially made due to an increase of male students enrolled in the 2008-2009 academic year. [8] The first floor of Hoyum provided housing for male students, and the rest of the building continued to accommodate females.
Because Hoyum’s co-ed arrangement was a success, other dormitories on campus were allowed to house both men and women. Starting in the 2009-2010 school year, Hoyum, Erickson, Hallett, and Livedalen dormitories became co-ed buildings. [9] The floors of these dormitories alternate between men’s levels and women’s levels, connected by a common stairwell.
This shift toward co-educational dormitories encouraged students to seek changes in intervisitation policies. Concordia had been removing some intervisitation restrictions since the 1950s, but very slowly. Under the policy in 2013, students could not visit the floor of the opposite sex between 1:00 am and 12:00 pm Monday-Friday, or 2:00 am and 12:00 pm Saturday-Sunday. The policy prevented a student from being kept out of a dorm room overnight by a roommate with his or her significant other. However, the policy also punished students who accidentally went to the floor of the opposite sex in the minutes before noon. Students voted to take more responsibility in dealing with roommates and relationships in a Student Government Association poll. This vote helped to settle several years of student-administration negotiations, and Concordia abolished its general intervisitation rules beginning with the 2014-2015 academic year. [10]
Compared to other Midwestern colleges affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, Concordia’s decision to end intervisitation rules was progressive. For example, in the 2015-2016 academic year, both Luther College in Decorah, Iowa and St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota still had intervisitation rules. [11]
Authors: Abbey Benson, Carissa Nygard, and Hans Frank
Footnotes
[1] Carroll L Engelhardt, On Firm Foundation Grounded (Moorhead, Minnesota: Concordia College, 1991), 258; Concordia College Archives, “East Complex,” accessed Apr. 17, 2016, http://concordiacollegearchives.weebly.com/blog.
[2] Elizabeth Aub Reid, “Effects of Coresidential Living on the Attitudes, Self-image, and Role Expectations of College Women,” American Journal of Psychiatry 131, no. 5 (May 1974): 551.
[3] “Concordia Calls Bids on Biggest Project,” February 10, 1967, Forum. East Complex, Topical Files Collection, Concordia College Archives; “New Concordia Complex,” July 6, 1967, Red River Scene. East Complex, Topical Files, Concordia College Archives; Engelhardt, On Firm Foundation Grounded, 258.
[4] Engelhardt, On Firm Foundation Grounded, 258.
[5] Engelhardt, On Firm Foundation Grounded, 319; Amy Johnson, “Concordia dedicated ‘new’ Hallett atrium,” Concordian, November 22, 1985, 5; “Old Buildings Get New Names,” Concordian, September 5, 1980, 4; “Campus buildings named for Comstock, Ericksons and Halletts,” 1980, Alumni News, East Complex, Topical Files Collection, Concordia College Archives.
[6] Marie Kurth, “It’s what’s on the inside that counts: East Complex dorm renovations completed with pleasure,” Concordian, September 16, 2005, 11.
[7] Brian J. Willoughby and Jason S. Carroll, "The Impact of Living in Co-ed Resident Halls on Risk-taking Among College Students," Journal of American College Health 58, no. 3 (2009): 241; Ben Arnoldy, "In dorms, men and women now room together," Christian Science Monitor, December 28, 2006, 2, Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost (accessed June 8, 2016).
[8] “Hall Honors Donor,” Concordian, September 1, 1967, 1; Concordia College, “Hoyum Hall,” accessed April 25, 2016. https://www.concordiacollege.edu/studentlife/residencelife/residencehalls/hoyumhall/; Katya Babintseva, “Housing policy update,” Concordian, January 16, 2009, 3.
[9] Babinsteva, “Housing policy,” 3.
[10] Christina Brislin, “SA plans intervisitation policy change proposal,” Concordian (Moorhead, MN), Oct. 18, 1996; Aubrey Schield, “Visitation restrictions eliminated,” Concordian (Moorhead, MN), Jan. 22, 2014, 1.
[11] Luther College, “Residence Life Policies and Procedure,” Luther College, http://www.luther.edu/studentlife/studenthandbook/?policy_id=678282, (accessed April 24, 2016); Mikal Kenfield: Director of Residence Life, email message, June 13, 2016; St. Olaf College, “Residence Life Policies and Procedure,” St. Olaf College, http://wp.stolaf.edu/thebook/reslife/, (accessed April 24, 2016).