FORT WORTH, Texas — Texas Christian University will not provide on-campus housing for gay students this fall as previously planned, officials said Monday.
"TCU will not launch any new living learning communities at this time," TCU Chancellor Victor J. Boschini Jr. said in a statement. "Instead we will assess whether the concept of housing residential students based on themes supports the academic mission of the institution as well as our objective to provide a total university experience."
He added that TCU "will maintain its long-standing commitment to the inclusiveness of all people. To that end, our numerous and diverse support groups will continue to play a vital role on our campus."
The DiversCity Q community was to open this fall in some campus apartments for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students — as well as their heterosexual classmates who support them.
Eight students had signed up so far, said Shelly Newkirk, the TCU sophomore who applied to create the program.
It would have been part of TCU's living-learning communities, designed for those who want to live with like-minded students.
TCU already has several such communities that will not change, such as one for students who want to become leaders, for those interested in the environment and for healthy living enthusiasts, said TCU spokeswoman Tracy Syler-Jones.
All others proposed for the fall are no longer being offered, in addition to the diversity community: "patriotism," "marine life," "creativity and the arts," "Christian perspectives and service" and "community service and teamwork."
TCU, a private university with about 7,500 undergraduate students, is associated with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), a community embracing both faith and reason, according to the school's Web site.
"TCU will not launch any new living learning communities at this time," TCU Chancellor Victor J. Boschini Jr. said in a statement. "Instead we will assess whether the concept of housing residential students based on themes supports the academic mission of the institution as well as our objective to provide a total university experience."
He added that TCU "will maintain its long-standing commitment to the inclusiveness of all people. To that end, our numerous and diverse support groups will continue to play a vital role on our campus."
The DiversCity Q community was to open this fall in some campus apartments for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students — as well as their heterosexual classmates who support them.
Eight students had signed up so far, said Shelly Newkirk, the TCU sophomore who applied to create the program.
It would have been part of TCU's living-learning communities, designed for those who want to live with like-minded students.
TCU already has several such communities that will not change, such as one for students who want to become leaders, for those interested in the environment and for healthy living enthusiasts, said TCU spokeswoman Tracy Syler-Jones.
All others proposed for the fall are no longer being offered, in addition to the diversity community: "patriotism," "marine life," "creativity and the arts," "Christian perspectives and service" and "community service and teamwork."
TCU, a private university with about 7,500 undergraduate students, is associated with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), a community embracing both faith and reason, according to the school's Web site.
