Gender inclusive housing is when two or more students share a bedroom / or common
living area regardless of their gender identity, gender expression, or gender assigned
at birth.
This option may be appealing to:
- Students in the process of discovering their gender identity.
- Students who do not wish to identify themselves by gender.
- Allies of LGBTQIA+, gender and sexual diverse communities.
- Students who feel more comfortable with a roommate of a different gender.
Gender inclusive housing is not intended for:
- Couples or students who are in a romantic relationship with each other.
- Students who are not committed to gender equity and inclusion or are very new or uncertain
of their commitment to these values.
While gender inclusive housing is open to any student, only students that agree to
fully support the commitments of inclusivity and civility will be assigned to a gender-inclusive
room.
As stated above, it is not intended for couples to live together. Research and reports
from other universities which have implemented a gender inclusive housing model maintain
that most all students who choose to live in gender inclusive housing do so with friends,
not with romantic partners or those they are dating.
Students found using this housing model inappropriately, or conducting themselves
in a way that is not conducive to a safe, inclusive, and supportive living environment,
will be removed from the gender inclusive housing area and subject to disciplinary
action.
During the housing selection process, through the StarRez housing application, you
will have the opportunity to request this option in the next academic year. In your
application, please select “Gender Inclusive Housing Option” when asked if you would like to apply to live in an inclusive housing environment.
For more specific details on how the StarRez application works for incoming and returning
students, please see below.
New students are traditionally placed by assigned sex as recorded by the student in
their application materials, in conjunction with separate questions that seek to understand
sleep, study, and room usage preferences.
New students looking to be housed in a gender inclusive housing environment, not dictated
by their assigned sex, need to select the “Gender Inclusive Housing” option in their StarRez housing application. With that selection, the Residence
Life Office will reach out to the student to understand more about the type of housing
they are looking for and will do their best to meet the needs of that student.
Residence Life cannot guarantee any specific rooms or buildings when this option is
selected as it is our priority to place students with a roommate and / or suitemates
that match their needs / interests.
The location of the gender inclusive community may change each year based on the amount
of participation in this process and available housing space. Should changes be made
after students are assigned, Residence Life will attempt to notify the residents involved
and work to accommodate them in other locations, if possible.
Currently, Residence Life cannot designate a specific area for gender inclusive housing
in the StarRez system and this must be completed manually. Those interested in this
community must select the “Gender Inclusive Housing” option in StarRez and submit their application without selecting a building or room. Once all housing applications have been submitted, Residence Life will reach out
to the applicants who opted into this community to administratively assign them into
a space together.
If students wish to participate in gender inclusive housing with specific roommates, all students / roommates must select the gender inclusive housing option in the StarRez
housing application.