John Garvey, president of The Catholic University of America in Washington, says the university will take a stand against binge drinking and the "culture of hooking up" by phasing out co-ed dorms.

He said the move will combat what he described as the "two most serious ethical challenges college students face."

The shift will begin with next year's freshmen, who will be assigned to single-sex residence halls.

Garvey made the announcement in an op-ed piece in The Wall St. Journal where he said the transition will involve architectural adjustments as well as a change in the ratio of students admitted each year.

"But our students will be better off," he wrote.

The university president noted that more than 90 per cent of all college housing is currently co-ed.

Garvey said, according to some studies, students in co-ed housing are more likely than students in single-sex residences to consume excessive amounts of alcohol, and have casual sexual relationships.