In an attempt to respond to the needs of transgender and nonbinary communities, all-gender bathrooms have been introduced on the College campus.
Currently, the all-gender bathrooms are in educational buildings, and none have been officially implemented in residence halls.
Assistant Dean of Students and Director of Intercultural Relations Erin Hoffman said the all- gender bathrooms were first suggested by a student in fall 2015. A team comprised of staff and faculty began considering options for creating all-gender bathrooms during summer 2016, but implementation began last fall.
“We are considering this a two-phase process,” Hoffman said in a February 4 email. “The first phase of the process involved identifying single-stall bathrooms throughout campus and re-labeling them all-gender bathrooms.”
Catering to students’ needs is an important aspect of providing a good learning environment, and Hoffman seems to be well aware of this. All-gender bathrooms, she said, “help create an inclusive environment for all students. Such initiatives demonstrate the commitment the College has to creating such an environment, which is essential for everyone’s well-being.”
“We hope that all students can access a bathroom that they feel comfortable using,” Hoffman said. The overall feedback from the College’s faculty and staff to the introduction of all-gender bathrooms was positive, according to Hoffman.
Because the project’s first phase was completed recently, the costs of introducing all-gender bathrooms were low. “The primary cost so far was purchasing the signs for re-labeling the single stall bathrooms throughout campus, which cost approximately $450,” Hoffman said. Phase two will be much more costly, and therefore requires a bit more planning, she added.
“The second phase of the process will involve exploring options to add an all-gender bathroom in other campus buildings, including the Mohr Student Center, [and] Sports Center,” Hoffman said. “We will continue to work on this phase this semester and next academic year.”
A list of current all-gender bathrooms can be found below
