Condom plan still in works

Administrators have not set an official time frame for the plan.

By Roseann Moring

Published July 11, 2007

After a yearlong debate about the feasibility of having sexual health products readily available in residence halls, condoms might be placed in the residence halls as early as this fall.

A plan to put free condoms, dental dams and sexual health information in the residence halls was proposed by Phi Beta Sigma fraternity last fall. In October, Chancellor Brady Deaton nixed the plan and said it needed

more discussion.

Assistant to the Deputy Chancellor Roger Worthington held a series of dialogues about the merits of placing condoms in the residence halls. The report concluded that "the availability of condoms is useful and warranted." The safety of condoms from things such as water and tampering was the main concern

addressed in the report.

Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Cathy Scroggs created the Residence's Sexual Health and Safety Products Task Force to formulate a plan that would address the safety issues.

The committee submitted a plan to Scroggs at the end of the school year. The task force is composed of representatives from student groups and is headed by Residential Life Director Frankie Minor and Heather Mueller, adviser for Sexual Health Advocates Peer Education.

"It's a very thorough proposal," Scroggs said.

Scroggs said the task force recommended that instead of placing condoms in residence hall bathrooms, they should be placed in 14 machines around campus.

"They talked about why the group believed we needed to make condoms more available to students," Scroggs said. "They cited national data, did a survey, did some assessment to see where our students are right now and they talked to student groups."

She said she has given the proposal to Deaton, but the two have not yet discussed it. They do not have a time frame for the plan's implementation.

Scroggs said after she and the chancellor discuss the issue, the plan would either be ready for implementation or sent back to the committee.

"We haven't heard anything," Mueller said. "We are crossing our fingers."

Scroggs said one of the concerns is funding.

The Hudson-Gillett student government has already approved funding for a condom machine, and Missouri Students Association President Rachel Anderson said the committee hoped to get funding from other residence halls.

Phi Beta Sigma offered to supply some of the funding last fall, but President Paul Williams could not be reached for comment about whether the fraternity would still be willing to do so.

Scroggs said whether or not the plan is approved, "there's clearly some health and welfare issues that we need to be working on."

She said sexual health information has always been, and will continue to be, available in residence halls.