(UPDATE: 2/2/2016) A Snopes.com article debunking the criticisms of the dorm being “racist” has gone up. In the interest of maintaining journalistic integrity and making all sides known, I have linked it HERE.

–M.J.F.

(UPDATE: 2/1/2016) UConn spokesperson Stephanie Reitz has reached out to the author with a response statement on behalf of the school – see below)



This story was written in collaboration with Jesse Bennett, who researched and compiled the Reddit user comments/local news sources.



From UConn’s official website:

“Uconn SCHOLA2RS House is a scholastic initiative to groom, nurture, and train the next generation of leaders to address grand challenges in society through the promotion of academic success in undergraduate programs at the University of Connecticut and in competitive graduate programs.”

Dr. Erik Hines, assistant professor of educational psychology at the university, is one of the proponents of the new house, and also happens to be lined up as a faculty advisor for the students living there once it opens in Fall 2016. Dr. Hines claims that SCHOLA2RS House is “a space for African American men to one, come together and validate their experiences that they may have on campus.” Hines further elaborates that the new dorm would also serve as “a space where they can have conversation and also talk with individuals who come from the same background who share the same experience.”

Users of the popular website Reddit heard about the concept and some are not happy about it. Online commenters are calling SCHOLA2RS House “racially segregated housing.” Others ask where the “Caucasian Learning Center” is.”

* RunTheStairs “The identity politics on college campus have gotten out of hand period. Between the calls for speech codes and the massive overreaction to any racial incident, the extreme progressive left is like a snake biting its own tail. College isn’t supposed to be a cozy safe space, its a time and place where people learn about reality and the good and bad that comes with it. The same thing going on Yale and Mizzou is happening at UConn to a lesser degree.” * George_Cant-Stand-Ya “Where is the Caucasian learning community? This is bogus. If there was a Caucasian learning community, it would be a national headline. But an all-black learning community is totally acceptable. That, is racist. That, is discrimination.” * julesbug “Yeah I don’t think most feminists or so-called social justice warriors (myself included) would be upset about a learning community for black men. However, I think the complaint about not including black women is totally valid.”

Further details can be read here.

UConn spokesperson Stephanie Reitz has since reached out to the author with a response statement on behalf of the school: