College is a time when many students venture outside their comfort zones and explore new opportunities and friendships. In an era of trigger warnings, political correctness and "safe spaces," though, is it fair for students to advertise for a roommate based on race?

At the Claremont Colleges in California, a group of students have sparked controversy by specifying that they would only consider people of color as a roommate, reports the Claremont Independent, a student newspaper associated with the Leadership Institute's Campus Leadership Program.

According to the Independent, Kare Urena, a rising junior at Pitzer College, posted the housing advertisement on her personal Facebook page, saying she and two others were looking for a roommate. "POC only," the post reportedly said, referring to people of color. "I don't want to live with any white folks," Urena reportedly added.

The Independent included Facebook comments from other students who were taken aback by the seemingly racist nature of the post. Other students commented that they understood and respected the desire to create a safe space in one's home, free from racial divides.

"How is ‘I don’t want to live with any white folks’ any different than ‘I don’t want to live with any black folks?’" one commenter asked.

"I’m white and I get them not wanting to live with white ppl [sic]. I respect it because the feelings [sic] mutual. I don’t want to live with black ppl. Whites only at my apartment. No nonwhites wanted," another commenter wrote.

Racial tensions on college campuses is hardly a new trend. Recent incidents at Yale and Missouri sparked protests, with some students saying they they felt unsafe on campus as people of color.

"I suppose people can choose whomever they like for housemates," a commenter identified as "Melissa" said. "Chances are they could have found someone who met their criteria without saying POC only. What’s amazing is they see nothing wrong with advertising whites need not apply."

"I’m not sure this is a ringing endorsement for diversity-oriented admissions strategies," Melissa added. "What’s the point if students actively self segregate?"

Pitzer president Melvin Oliver released a statement condemning the housing ad. "While Pitzer is a community of individuals passionately engaged in establishing intracultural safe spaces for marginalized groups, the Facebook post and several subsequent comments are inconsistent with our Mission and values," the statement read.

The Mission and Values section of Pitzer College’s website states: “Individual perspective and approach to the world are informed by the culture in which one resides. Intercultural Understanding enables Pitzer students to comprehend issues and events from cultural lenses beyond their own. ... We learn from the rich and complex histories, view points, and life experiences in our community. We value and celebrate the synergy created by our differences and similarities.”

"This is but another example to us that social media is not an effective platform to engage in complex dialog on seemingly intractable critical issues that have varied histories and contested understandings," the statement continued. "They create more heat than light and invite extreme viewpoints that intentionally obfuscate the nuanced context that surrounds these issues."