The Office of Residential Life is committed to meeting the needs of all students in a nurturing community that values diversity and promotes the dignity of all people. To that end, those with housing needs based on gender identity will be accommodated within reason, assuming timely receipt of their information and while recognizing the ongoing challenges of operating mid-century residence halls. If you are a prospective student, your information will be collected during the matriculation stage and after making a deposit with the College.

In an effort to assist Residential Life staff in making deliberative decisions regarding room placement, incoming students are asked to submit a housing application, which is included as part of the new student portal. This is an opportunity for individuals to share how they identify and note what their preferences are, including criteria related to roommates. Those who submit the application after the deadline risk not being accommodated due to the structural limitations referenced above. 

First-year students who identify as transgender or gender non-conforming are encouraged to submit the housing application by the deadline and note their specific needs accordingly. That is the best way of guaranteeing that those needs are met. When requested, we try to match students with someone who shares the same identity. However, this cannot be guaranteed since it is contingent upon numbers and students’ self-identification. At the very least, LGBTQIA2S+ allyship is a category on the housing application that we can and do actively screen for. If issues arise during the first-year assignment process, which occurs in the summer, a member of the Residential Life staff will reach out to the student in question. 

The first-year residence halls are, unfortunately, largely gendered by design (i.e. community style bathrooms). However, there are select semi-private bathroom options available in Trowbridge and Harmon. Students can note their requested bathroom type on the housing application. Priority will go to students who have specific needs related to bathroom usage versus a mere preference. Hoben is exclusively a community bathroom orientation and should not be requested by anyone uncomfortable with this configuration.

Upper-class students self-select their own spaces and roommates for the next academic year during a housing selection process, which occurs during 9th Week of Spring Quarter. Many of the housing options for upper-class students are gender flexible, and students can choose to live with whomever they like regardless of gender identity. Information about the housing selection process is distributed well in advance of the process, typically in early Spring.