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Colleges and Universities with Non-Discrimination Policies that Include Gender Identity/Expression

Colleges and Universities Prohibited from Discriminating Because of Non-Discrimination Laws in Their Jurisdiction

Ways that Colleges and Universities Meet the Day-to-Day Needs of Transgender Students

Non-Discrimination Laws and Policies in K-12 Schools

267 Colleges and Universities Have Non-Discrimination Policies that Include Gender Identity/Expression* (the year the policy change went into effect, if known, is in parentheses)

Arizona
Arizona State University [4 campuses] (2004)

-- Arizona State University, Downtown Phoenix campus
-- Arizona State University, Polytechnic campus (Mesa)
-- Arizona State University, Tempe campus
-- Arizona State University, West campus (Phoenix)

University of Arizona [2 campuses] (2005)
-- University of Arizona, South campus (Sierra Vista)
-- University of Arizona, Tucson

California
California College of the Arts
California Institute of Integral Studies
California Institute of Technology (2004)
California State University, Chico (2008)
California State University, Long Beach
City College of San Francisco (2005)
Foothill-DeAnza Community College District (2006)
Harvey Mudd College (2005)
Humboldt State University (2008)
Occidental College (2006)
San Diego State University (2008)
San Jose State University
Stanford University (2007)
University of California system [10 campuses] (2004)

-- University of California, Berkeley
-- University of California, Davis
-- University of California, Irvine
-- University of California, Los Angeles
-- University of California, Merced
-- University of California, Riverside
-- University of California, San Diego
-- University of California, San Francisco
-- University of California, Santa Barbara
-- University of California, Santa Cruz

University of San Francisco (2006)
University of Southern California (2004)

Colorado
Johnson and Wales University, Denver
University of Denver (2007)

Connecticut
Connecticut College (2005)
Wesleyan University (2002)
Yale University (2006)

Florida
Johnson and Wales University, North Miami
New College of Florida (2006)

Georgia
Emory University (2007)

Illinois
Illinois Institute of Technology
Knox College (2001)
Northwestern University (2009)
Parkland College (2006)
Richland Community College
Roosevelt University [2 campuses] (2006)

-- Roosevelt University, Chicago
-- Roosevelt University, Schaumburg

University of Chicago (2004)
University of Illinois system [3 campuses] (2005)

-- University of Illinois, Chicago
-- University of Illinois, Springfield
-- University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

Western Illinois University

Indiana
DePauw University (1999)

Iowa
Central College (2005)
Drake University (2004)
Grand View University
Iowa State University (2005)
Northwest Iowa Community College
Southwestern Community College (2003)
University of Iowa (1996)

Kansas
Kansas State University (2008)

Kentucky
University of Louisville (2008)

Maine
Colby College (2005)
Maine Media College (2000)
University of Maine system [7 campuses] (2006)

-- University of Maine, Augusta
-- University of Maine, Farmington
-- University of Maine, Fort Kent
-- University of Maine, Machias
-- University of Maine, Orono
-- University of Maine, Presque Isle
-- University of Southern Maine

Maryland
Goucher College (2006)
Johns Hopkins University (2005)
University of Baltimore (2006)

Massachusetts
Brandeis University (2006)
Bridgewater State College (2007)
Fitchburg State College (2007)
Framingham State College (2007)
Harvard University (2006)
Holyoke Community College (2006)
MGH Institute of Health Professions (2007)
Massachusetts College of Art (2007)
Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (2007)
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (2003)
Massachusetts Maritime Academy (2007)
Salem State College (2007)
Suffolk University (2006)
Tufts University (2005)
Western New England College (2006)
Westfield State College (2007)
Williams College (2006)
Worcester State College (2007)

Michigan
Delta College (2007)
Eastern Michigan University (2007)
Grand Valley State University (2008)
Kalamazoo College (2000)
Kalamazoo Valley Community College (2005)
Lewis College of Business
Michigan State University (2007)
Olivet College (2006)
University of Michigan [3 campuses] (2007)

-- University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
-- University of Michigan, Dearborn
-- University of Michigan, Flint

Western Michigan University (2006)

Missouri
Washington University in St. Louis (2007)

New Hampshire
Dartmouth College (2006)
Plymouth State University (2007)
University of New Hampshire (2005)

New Jersey
Kean University (2007)
Princeton University (2006)
Richard Stockton College
Rutgers University [3 campuses] (2008)

-- Rutgers University, Camden
-- Rutgers University, Newark
-- Rutgers University, New Brunswick

New Mexico
College of Santa Fe (2005)
New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
New Mexico State University (2006)
University of New Mexico [5 campuses] (2007)

-- University of New Mexico, Albuquerque
-- University of New Mexico, Gallup
-- University of New Mexico, Los Alamos
-- University of New Mexico, Taos
-- University of New Mexico, Valencia

New York
Bard College (2007)
City University of New York system [17 colleges] (2002-03)
-- Bernard M. Baruch College
-- Borough of Manhattan Community College
-- Bronx Community College
-- Brooklyn College
-- The City College
-- College of Staten Island
-- Hostos Community College
-- Hunter College
-- John Jay College of Criminal Justice
-- Kingsborough Community College
-- LaGuardia Community College
-- Lehman College
-- Medgar Evers College
-- New York City College of Technology
-- Queens College
-- Queensborough Community College
-- York College

Columbia University (2006)
Cornell University (2005)
Ithaca College (2006)
New York University (2005)
Rochester Institute of Technology (2005)
Sarah Lawrence College (2006)
Syracuse University (2005)
Vassar College (2006)
Wells College (2007)

North Carolina
Duke University (2007)
Guilford College
Johnson and Wales University, Charlotte
North Carolina State University (2005)
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (2008)

Ohio
Baldwin-Wallace College (2008)
Case Western Reserve University (2006)
Miami University (2007)
Oberlin College (2008)
Ohio State University [5 campuses] (2004)

-- Ohio State University, Columbus
-- Ohio State University, Lima
-- Ohio State University, Mansfield
-- Ohio State University, Marion
-- Ohio State University, Newark

Ohio University [6 campuses] (2006)

-- Ohio University, Athens
-- Ohio University, Chillicothe
-- Ohio University, Eastern campus (St. Clairsville)
-- Ohio University, Lancaster
-- Ohio University, Southern campus (Ironton)
-- Ohio University, Zanesville

University of Toledo (2007)
Wright State University (2008)
Youngstown State University (2007)

Oregon
Oregon State University [2 campuses] (2005)

-- Oregon State University, Cascades campus (Bend)
-- Oregon State University, Corvallis

Portland State University (2008)
University of Oregon (2005)

Pennsylvania
Bucknell University (2006)
Carnegie Mellon University (2003)
Lehigh University (2003)
Moravian University (2006)
Muhlenberg College (2005)
Peirce College
Pennsylvania State University [20 campuses] (2006)

-- Penn State, Abington
-- Penn State, Altoona
-- Penn State, Beaver
-- Penn State, Berks
-- Penn State, Brandywine
-- Penn State, DuBois
-- Penn State, Erie
-- Penn State, Fayette
-- Penn State, Greater Allegheny
-- Penn State, Harrisburg
-- Penn State, Hazleton
-- Penn State, Lehigh Valley
-- Penn State, Mont Alto
-- Penn State, New Kensington
-- Penn State, Schuylkill
-- Penn State, Shenango
-- Penn State, University Park
-- Penn State, Wilkes-Barre
-- Penn State, Worthington Scranton
-- Penn State, York

Swarthmore College (2007)
University of Pennsylvania (2003)
University of Pittsburgh (2008)

Rhode Island
Brown University (2001-02)
Bryant University (2005)
Community College of Rhode Island
Johnson and Wales University, Providence
Rhode Island College
University of Rhode Island [4 campuses] (2003-04)

-- University of Rhode Island, W. Alton Jones campus
-- University of Rhode Island, Kingston
-- University of Rhode Island, Narragansett Bay
-- University of Rhode Island, Providence

Tennessee
University of Tennessee, Knoxville (2008)
Vanderbilt University (2008)

Texas
Rice University (2006)
University of Texas, Austin (2008)

Vermont
Bennington College
Champlain College (2008)
Goddard College (2007)
Green Mountain College (2008)
Marlboro College (2008)
Middlebury College (2003)
Norwich University (2007)
Saint Michael's College (2008)
Vermont Technical College (2006)
University of Vermont (2005)

Washington
Central Washington University (2005)
Clark College (2006)
Evergreen State College (2006)
Seattle University (2008)
University of Puget Sound (2002-03)
Washington State University [4 campuses] (2007)

--Washington State University, Pullman
--Washington State University, Spokane
--Washington State University, Tri-Cities
--Washington State University, Vancouver

Western Washington University (2008)
Whitman College (2001)

Washington, DC
American University (2002)
Georgetown University (2008)

Wisconsin
University of Wisconsin system [26 campuses] (2005)

-- University of Wisconsin, Baraboo/Sauk County
-- University of Wisconsin, Barron County
-- University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire
-- University of Wisconsin, Fond Du Lac
-- University of Wisconsin, Fox Valley
-- University of Wisconsin, Green Bay
-- University of Wisconsin, La Crosse
-- University of Wisconsin, Madison
-- University of Wisconsin, Manitowoc
-- University of Wisconsin, Marathon County
-- University of Wisconsin, Marinette
-- University of Wisconsin, Marshfield/Wood County
-- University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee
-- University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh
-- University of Wisconsin, Parkside
-- University of Wisconsin, Platteville
-- University of Wisconsin, Richland
-- University of Wisconsin, River Falls
-- University of Wisconsin, Rock County
-- University of Wisconsin, Sheboygan
-- University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point
-- University of Wisconsin, Stout
-- University of Wisconsin, Superior
-- University of Wisconsin, Washington County
-- University of Wisconsin, Waukesha
-- University of Wisconsin, Whitewater

Viterbo University

*The University of Minnesota states that, following state law, it includes transgender people under "sexual orientation."

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Colleges and Universities Prohibited from Discriminating Because of Non-Discrimination Laws in Their Jurisdiction

In addition to the colleges and universities that have proactively adopted transgender inclusive non-discrimination policies, colleges and universities located in jurisdictions that have passed transgender-inclusive non-discrimination laws or where courts have interpreted existing non-discrimination laws as covering transgender people are also bound by those laws (unless the law exempts particular kinds of educational institutions). The colleges include:

Colleges and universities in jurisdictions, including the states of California, Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, Maine, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington and the District of Columbia, that have passed transgender-inclusive non-discrimination laws. See U.S. jurisdictions that have passed gender identity/expression non-discrimination laws

Colleges and universities in jurisdictions where courts and/or human rights commissions have interpreted existing non-discrimination laws as including gender identity or expression, including Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New Jersey. See jurisdictions with good case law

Resources:

Brett-Genny Beemyn and Jessica Pettitt, "How Have Trans-Inclusive Non-Discrimination Policies Changed Institutions?," GLBT Campus Matters, June 2006. Article here.

Jami Kathleen Taylor, "North Carolina State University Transgender Needs Assessment," 2005. The report is here.

National Association of College and University Attorneys, "Gender Identity and Expression Issues at Colleges and Universities," NACUA Notes, June 2, 2005. Article here.

Brett-Genny Beemyn, "Trans on Campus: Measuring and Improving the Climate for Transgender Students," On Campus with Women, Spring 2005. Article here.

Ways that U.S. Colleges and Universities Meet the Day-to-Day Needs of Transgender Students

by Brett-Genny Janiczek Beemyn
for the Transgender Law and Policy Institute

click here to view these guidelines as a separate document.

Health Care

Most colleges and universities fail to meet the basic health-care needs of transgender students. Because campus health and counseling center staffs typically lack training on transgender issues, many practitioners are not sensitive to or knowledgeable about the medical needs of transgender students. Even transgender students who encounter respectful and informed health center staff often cannot receive proper medical treatment, as most college insurance plans specifically exclude coverage for gender confirmation surgeries and related conditions, including hormone replacement therapy. To begin to provide better services to transgender students, the health and counseling centers at Cornell University, New York University, Ohio State University, Princeton University, the University of California, Riverside, and a number of other colleges and universities require or strongly encourage their staffs to attend a training on transgender issues.

Some campus health centers are also implementing structural and procedural changes to create a more welcoming environment for transgender students. New York University, for example, has developed private changing rooms and gender-neutral bathrooms for patient use, offers women's health exams outside of women's health services in cases where students are not comfortable in a women's space, and allows for students to have their preferred name used on medical records and announced when they are seen for an appointment. These trans-inclusive practices are outlined in a brochure created by the university's Office of LGBT Student Services (available online at http://www.nyu.edu/lgbt/transbrochure.pdf).

A growing number of colleges and universities cover hormones and gender reassignment/confirmation surgeries for transitioning students under campus health insurance. These institutions include Emerson College; the University of California, Davis; the University of California, Irvine; the University of California, Riverside; the University of California, San Diego; the University of California, San Francisco; the University of California, Santa Barbara; the University of California, Santa Cruz; the University of Michigan; and the University of Vermont.

Some colleges and universities cover just hormones under student health coverage: Bridgewater State College, Cornell University, Harvard University, Ohio State University, Oregon State University, Penn State University, Princeton University, and Suffolk University. For specific information on the coverage provided, see http://www.uclgbtia.org/transhealth.html.

Residence Halls

Most colleges and universities assign housing based strictly on the individual's birth gender and have residence halls designated as single-sex by building and/or room. As a result, transgender students often lack safe and comfortable on-campus housing options. Schools are beginning to address this issue in a number of ways.

As a first step, some campuses are enacting a policy that supports transgender students in obtaining suitable, safe housing that is in keeping with their gender identity/expression. Ithaca College, Ohio State University, the University of California, Riverside, the University of Minnesota, and the University of Wisconsin are among the institutions with model trans-related housing statements. The University of California, Riverside's policy is available at http://out.ucr.edu/campus/transpolicy.htm.

Besides implementing supportive policy statements, a growing number of colleges and universities are creating gender-neutral housing options, in which students are assigned a roommate regardless of gender. The type and extent of gender-neutral housing offered varies by campus, and may involve individual suites, a hallway or floor, particular buildings or areas of buildings, or the majority of residence halls. More than 25 colleges and universities offer a gender-neutral housing option, from large, public universities like the University of California, Riverside and the University of Southern Maine, to small, private liberal arts institutions like Bennington College and Oberlin College. A complete list of campuses with gender-neutral accommodations and the specific school policies is available from the National Student Genderblind Campaign: http://www.genderblind.org/research.pdf.

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and ally (LGBTA) living-learning programs or theme floors/houses offer another trans-supportive housing option. These programs typically include gender-neutral rooms and bathrooms. More than a dozen colleges and universities have established LGBTA housing, including Beloit College; Carleton College; Syracuse University; Tufts University; the University of California at Berkeley, Davis, Irvine, Riverside, and Santa Barbara; the University of Colorado, Boulder; the University of Iowa; the University of Massachusetts, Amherst; the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities; and the University of Vermont.

Bathrooms

Because gender-diverse students are often subject to harassment and violence when using male- or female-specific campus restrooms, a rapidly growing number of colleges and universities are creating gender-neutral bathrooms, either through renovations or by simply changing the signs on single-stall male/female restrooms. Currently, more than 150 campuses have gender-neutral bathrooms, including Oberlin College, which has two gender-neutral bathrooms in its student union and at least one in every residence hall; the University of California, San Diego, which has changed male/female signs on 88 single-stall restrooms in campus buildings; and the New College of California, where all campus bathrooms are gender-neutral. Many of the colleges and universities with gender-neutral bathrooms, including New York University, Ohio University, Tufts, UCLA, and the University of Colorado, Boulder, list the locations of these restrooms on their websites.

Along with developing gender-neutral restrooms, some institutions, such as American University, Kent State University, Ohio State University, the University of California, Santa Barbara, the University of North Carolina, and Washington State University, have implemented or are in the process of implementing policies requiring that all extensively renovated and newly constructed buildings include at least one gender-neutral bathroom.

The University of Arizona has established a bathroom policy that affirms that individuals have the right to use the bathroom that corresponds with their gender identity. The statement is available at http://fp.arizona.edu/affirm/restroomaccess.htm.

Locker Rooms

As with male and female bathrooms, public locker and shower rooms can be uncomfortable, intimidating, and even dangerous places for transgender students, who may be outed as transgender if they have to undress in front of others. Partly in response to this issue, a growing number of campuses, including Ohio State University, the University of Maryland, and the University of Oregon, have created private changing rooms when they have renovated or built new recreation centers. These facilities not only serve the needs of transgender students, but also parents with children of a different gender than themselves, people with disabilities who require the assistance of an attendant of a different gender, and anyone desiring greater privacy.

Forms

Having a "sex" category on forms that is limited to "Male" and "Female" makes transgender students feel disregarded, and with no means to identify themselves, they remain invisible to administrators and their needs continue to be overlooked. With these concerns in mind, some colleges and universities are changing forms in housing, admissions, health-care, and other areas of campus life where gender needs to be asked to enable transgender students to self-identify. For example, Oberlin College and the University of Hawaii ask "Gender: Male, Female, Transgender," and Tufts University and the University of Oregon ask "Gender: ________," on their housing applications. Duke University has students fill-in their gender on its admissions application.

Records and Documents

Being able to alter their records and documents is personally and legally important for many transgender students. Not only does having the appropriate name and gender listed reflect and validate their identity, but it can also allow them to avoid constantly having to explain why they use a name different from their birth name and why their appearance does not match a photo or gender designation on an identification card. Moreover, updated records and documents can ensure that transgender students will not be outed and will help protect them from discrimination when they apply for jobs, seek admission to graduate and professional schools, and at any other time that they must show a college document. Colleges and universities are addressing this issue by establishing simple procedures for transgender students to change their name and gender designation on all of their campus records, including identification cards, listings in electronic and print directories, and files in admissions, financial aid, the registrar's office, and the health center.

At the University of Utah and the University of Oregon, transgender students can change the gender designation on their main college record without evidence that they have had gender confirmation surgeries (GCS). Not requiring medical intervention is important, as most transitioning students are not in a position to have GCS, even if they desire it. At Ohio State University and the University of Maryland, transgender students can change the gender listed on their records by obtaining a letter of support from a mental health professional.

At the University of Michigan and the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, students can request that a preferred name be used instead of their legal name on course rosters and in various university information systems. Students do not need to have their name legally changed first. An FAQ about the University of Michigan policy can be found at http://www.umich.edu/%7Epolicies/preferrednamesFAQ.html.

At the University of Vermont, transgender students who are not yet able to change their name legally can still request an identification card with a name other than their birth name. Transgender students at American University and the University of Illinois, Chicago can request a new ID at no cost that has a gender-appropriate picture and that uses only their last name and the initial of their first name.

Non-Discrimination Laws and Policies in K-12 Schools
(see also resources here.)

California:

In 1999, the state of California enacted into law the Student Safety and Violence Protection Act, which incorporates the transgender inclusive definition of gender from the California Hate Crimes Law).

Los Angeles Unified School District. Policy here in PDF.

San Francisco Unified School District. Policy here.

See also California Safe Schools Coalition, Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming >Student Safety Directive here in PDF.

Colorado:

Denver Unified School District. Policy here.

Georgia:

Decatur(2000)--"City Schools of Decatur shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, handicap, sexual orientation, or gender identity in its programs and activities."

Kansas:

Lawrence--Policy here.

Michigan:

Kalamazoo--The Board of Education for Kalamazoo Public Schools voted unanimously on July 13, 2006 to amend the district's non-discrimination policy to include gender identification. The non-discrimination statement now reads: "The district will not tolerate or condone any act of bias or discrimination toward any person based on religion, race, color, national origin, age, height, weight, gender, pregnancy, gender identification, familial status, martial status, sexual orientation or disability in any of its activities, programs or services."

Minnesota:

The 1993 Minnesota Human Rights Law, which has a definition of sexual orientation that includes gender identity, explicitly applies to schools.

New Jersey:

In 2001, the state of New Jersey passed a bill that requires school districts to adopt harassment and bullying prevention policies that included gender identity and expression. See the language of the bill, as enacted, here.

Marborough (2003)--Story here.

New York:

New York City --In September 2005, the NYC Department of Education revised its Discipline Code to state that students can be disciplined for using slurs, taunting, bullying, and engaging in physical violence based on a person's gender identity or expression. Policy here (PDF).

Rochester (2003)

North Carolina:

Guilford--The Board of Education for Guilford County Schools, North Carolina's third largest school district with an enrollment of more than 65,800 students and nearly 8,000 employees, passed Policy AC, Discrimination-Free Environment, at the January 13, 2004 Board of Education meeting. Policy here. (PDF)

Texas:

Denton County (2003)

Virginia:

Roanoke--In 2003, the Roanoke City public schools approved a policy inclusive of sexual orientation and gender identity in their Standards and Expectations for Student Behavior. Every student, teacher, and parent must read this policy, and every parent must sign the Pledge of Support and return it to the school, indicating that the student has taken the booklet home, shown it to their parent(s), and the parent(s) has read it.

Washington:

Washington public school non-discrimination policies were amended to include "gender identity" when the state's new anti-discrimination law took effect on June 7, 2006. For more information, contact the Safe Schools Coalition.

See also:

National Center for Lesbian Rights:

Beyond the Binary: A Tool Kit for Gender Identity Activism in Schools (PDF)

Fifteen Expensive Reasons Why Safe Schools Legislation is in Your State's Best Interest

Frequently Asked Questions on Safe School Policies

Getting Your School Board on Board: Pro Talking Points

Guidance for Drafting State Safe Schools Legislation

Harassment and Discrimination: A Legal Overview

Inclusion of Enumerated Categories in Safe School Legislation/Policies

Safe Place to Learn: Consequences of Harassment Based on Actual or Perceived Sexual Orientation and Gender Non-Conformity and Steps for Making Schools Safer . A 2004 report of the California Safe Schools Coalition and the 4-H Center for Youth Development. Full report here (PDF). Summary fact sheet here (PDF).

Sample Anti-Harassment Policy

Safe Schools Coalition:

The site, here, contains reports, handouts, and many other resources.

Transgender Law Center:

Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming Youth: Recommendations For Schools

If you know of other institutions that have enacted or are considering enacting trans-inclusive non-discrimination policies or that have implemented trans-supportive practices, please email brettgenny@stuaf.umass.edu.

Transgender Law and Policy Institute
For more information, please contact us
at info@transgenderlaw.org

Last edited: 4/08/2009

Colleges/Universities and K-12 Schools

267 Colleges and Universities Have Non-Discrimination Policies that Include Gender Identity/Expression* (the year the policy change went into effect, if known, is in parentheses)

Ways that U.S. Colleges and Universities Meet the Day-to-Day Needs of Transgender Students by Brett-Genny Janiczek Beemyn for the Transgender Law and Policy Institute click here to view these guidelines as a separate document.

Transgender Law and Policy Institute For more information, please contact us at info@transgenderlaw.org

Last edited: 4/08/2009

Ways that U.S. Colleges and Universities Meet the Day-to-Day Needs of Transgender Students

by Brett-Genny Janiczek Beemyn
for the Transgender Law and Policy Institute

click here to view these guidelines as a separate document.

Transgender Law and Policy Institute
For more information, please contact us
at info@transgenderlaw.org