CENTRIST COLLEGE est. 1890

Professional Development Series- Part 1 /Genderqueer Issues

Clemson Case Study Team: Nilza Santana-Castillo, Bianca Lambert, Suzanne Jasmine & Sarah Beth Potter Presented By:

Nilza Santana-Castillo, Team Leader Suzanne Jasmine Bianca Lambert Sarah Beth Potter

Nilza works as a Career Suzanne works as an Bianca works as an Assistant Sarah Beth works as a Advisor for Centrist Center for Academic Coach within the Director within the TRIO/SSS Coordinator of Student Career and Professional Center for Academic Success. office. Programs within the Office of Development. Student Activities and Engagement. Why now?

Issues of diversity and inclusion are surfacing across the nation

We are prompted as practitioners in the world of higher education to develop our competencies to address these issues as our student populations grow, change and diversify. Our learning outcomes for the Professional Development Workshop on transgender/genderqueer issues are…

● To increase the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion NASPA/ACPA competency of all student service staff members by providing a foundational education and understanding of transgender issues in higher education ● To address the needs of students who identify as transgender by way of assessing services offered by each functional area within student services ● To introduce standards of service and support that should be provided to transgender students based on benchmarking with peer institutions and best practices in higher education UNDERSTANDING The following graphics are meant to help understand how students may identify and provide definitions or context to those identifications. It is important to note individuals may have their own definition or interpretation of how they identify. We will be Utilizing Lev’s model and recommendation Arlene Istar Lev’s as a basis for better understanding the identity development of our “Transgender transgender and genderqueer students to provide direction for suggestions to functional area improvements in Emergence Model” supporting those students. 1. Awareness - often a stage of great distress; acknowledging signs of distress between one’s biological sex and feelings of internal self-concept of gender Arlene Istar Lev’s a. Student Affairs task: Providing opportunities and experiences that will normalize and validate their feelings and experiences 2. Seeking Information/Reaching Out - seeking to gain education “Transgender and support about transgenderism; a. Student Affairs task: Creating opportunities for education, outreach and trans community Emergence Model” connectedness 3. Disclosure to Significant Others - disclosure to significant people in the student’s life a. Student Affairs task: supporting that disclosure and integration through safe spaces, such as: support groups, community sharing, counseling, etc. 4. Exploration (Identity & Self-Labeling) - exploring the various possible gender identities a. Student Affairs task: support exploration with informed resources that emphasize knowledge of the community and acceptance on the campus 5. Exploration (Transition Issues & Possible Body Modification)- exploring options for transition regarding presentation, identity and body modification a. Student Affairs task: providing support for the resolution and advocacy of accepting those exploring and engaging in transitions. Ensuring campus policies are kind to this exploration and ambiguity. 6. Integration (Acceptance & Post-Transition Issues) - able to integrate their transgender identity positively into their life a. Student Affairs task: find opportunities to support and celebrate adaptation to transition-related issues Centrist College Goal: By 2018 Campus Pride Peer Institutions Rating: Index ● Tufts 5/5 ● Ithaca 5/5 Rating ● Hofstra 4.5/5

3 out of 5 stars Current Transgender Policy and Support within Centrist College

● Non-discrimination statement that includes gender identity ● Process for students to change gender identity on official college records ● Paid staff with responsibility for LGBTQ support services ● Ally training program

Chart: Gender identity at Centrist What institutional changes can we make?

● Ask about gender identity on admissions application ○ Move away from binary options ● Gender neutral bathrooms across campus ● Create a physical safe space for transgender students ● Look into creating a Center for LGBT Education, Outreach & Services ● Campus-wide recruitment of transgender-identifying staff and faculty HOUSING & RESIDENCE LIFE

What we’re doing What our peers are Recommendations well... doing... going forward...

● If a student discloses they ● Providing roommate matching 1. Create Gamut (defined as complete are transgender, we make system that identifies LGBTQ range of something) a gender neutral accommodations. Our friendly roommates living learning community open to application allows students ● Gender neutral housing that LGBTQ students and anyone who to identify as transgender. allows residents to share a enjoys learning about or Accommodations have often space regardless of their supporting this community. This been with a single space in a gender identity space will contain a LGBTQ co-ed building. ● Providing LGBTQ spaces, friendly community space ● Full time & student staff go themed floors, or living intentioned for communal use and through LGBT ally training to learning communities in a programming. understand how to navigate residence hall. 2. Work with Starrez to incorporate a issues or roommate conflicts LGBTQ roommatch process in the that might arise assignments/roommate selection process CAREER SERVICES

What we’re doing What our peers are Recommendations well... doing... going forward...

● In 2015, we utilized Out for Work’ ● As of 2010, our peer institution, Ithaca 1. 2 student career ambassadors will be attend s assessment & consultation College has achieved the Out for the 11th Annual National LGBTQ & Ally College services, paying for the all access Work, Gold level distinction. Student Career Conference to gain a student services. Our assessment ● Have a designated staff member perspective on what we can do 2. Going forward, all career service professionals resulted in a bronze level within career services, that with student contact need to undergo training certification that came with a specializes in serving LGBT student for career development with this population. specialized action plan. needs, while training all staff to One staff member will be undergoing ● We keep our students, staff and understand this population's needs. certification to be designated as the main point faculty informed that we can ● Perform outreach to attract and of contact for LGBT career services personalize services for this educate students of LGBT specific 3. The Career Center will continue to work with identity type career development services Out for Work, to follow the action plan to achieve silver status in 2016 and gold by 2017. This report and plan is available upon request to anyone interested. STUDENT ACTIVITIES

What we’re doing What our peers are Recommendations well... doing... going forward...

● Supporting and advising ● Ithaca College offers a Voice & 1. Advising student leaders to undergraduate LGBTQ & Communication Modification create educational & social Program that focuses on events centered around gender- Ally student organization developing vocal mannerisms, variant identities ● Regularly providing access non-verbal communication, etc. 2. Working with undergraduate and to Ally & SafeZone for students who have graduate student governments trainings to all staff and transitioned from male to female to develop committees focused student organization or female to male on advocating for transgender ● Support & advise several needs and voices executive boards graduate and undergraduate 3. Increasing trans visibility on ● Holding annual campus student organizations devoted to campus by creating a LGBTQ events to honor the LGBTQ community and presence in student media, i.e. Transgender Awareness gender identity issues LGBTQ sections in the student ● NYU puts on large scale newspaper, forming Week and Transgender campuswide trans-focused social transgender-focused student Day of Remembrance events such as NY Drag U and publications such as literary the Gender Bender Ball magazines, etc. ACADEMIC SUPPORT

What we’re doing What our peers are Recommendations well... doing... going forward...

● Training on inclusive ● Transgender reading lists 1. Reinforced training on cognitive counseling practices ● Online database of coaching for transgender ● Required ally training for resources for faculty students staff ● LGBTQ seminar offerings 2. Transgender-inclusive fiction ● Ally safe space signage ● LGBTQ minor/major for summer reading outside of office space ● Tracking retention and 3. Online and physical library of academic success of out academic resources, including transgender individuals Theory ● Electronic academic alert 4. Actively recruit transgender system for students of staff concern 5. Create transgender history and education modules for CC 1000 LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT & ORIENTATION

What we’re doing What our peers are Recommendations well... doing... going forward...

● Creating spaces for ● Use of trans-inclusive 1. Inclusive verbiage on dialogue at orientation language in orientation student leadership applications ● Inclusion of marketing 2. Choice of gender pronouns multicultural services ● Sponsoring of at orientation within orientation transgender speakers 3. Hosting an extended orientation for LGBT on campus students to connect ● Including gender 4. Better training student neutral bathrooms at leaders through requiring Ally or Safezone training & orientation sessions teaching students trans- inclusive language MULTICULTURAL SERVICES

What we’re doing What our peers are Recommendations well... doing... going forward...

● Paid staff person ● Ithaca College, Stand 1. Formation of a stand devoted to serve as a alone Center for LGBT alone LGBTQ center on resource to the LGBTQ Education, Outreach, campus community and Services 2. Hiring another Full-time ● Safe Zone Training staff member to support ● LGBTQ Task Force ● Campus wide expansion of services ● Campus wide programming 3. Development of resource programming about ● List of faculty in the of faculty and staff on intersectionality campus within the LGBT Community community students can connect 4. Implementing Lavender with Graduation ceremony HEALTH & WELLNESS

What we’re doing What our peers are Recommendations well... doing... going forward...

● Trans-inclusive student ● Tobacco cessation initiatives 1. Transgender counseling health insurance plan specific to LGBT populations support groups ● Trans-specific health 2. Train all counselors on ● Gender-neutral bathroom information and services transgender student issues options ● Paid counselor trained 3. Option to change name and specifically on transgender ● Transgender-inclusive gender on medical records student issues campus recreation facilities 4. Look into offering ongoing ● Online health resources for and services hormonal treatment transgender students 5. Gender neutral bathrooms and ● Training for staff to identify ● Inclusion of transgender locker rooms in health center trans students at risk for interpersonal violence and recreation facilities suicide and depression issues in student/staff 6. Write transgender inclusion training policy for intramural and club sports Resources & References:

● Genderbread Person ● 8 Queer Identities to Understand ● Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition Policy ● Campus Pride Index - Tufts University ● Campus Pride Index - Ithaca College ● Transgender Emergence Model - Arlene Istar Lev ● Practices at the Top 10 Trans Inclusive Schools ● Out For Work ● Dugan, J.P., Kusel, M.L. & Simounet, D.M. (2012) Transgender college students: An exploratory study of perceptions, engagement, and educational outcomes. Journal of College Student Development, 53(5), 719-736.