Talking Stick - May/June 2015 - 27
THESE PARTNERSHIPS ARE FRUITFUL BECAUSE THEY COMBINE THE
SEPARATE STRENGTHS OF DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS; PERSONNEL
FROM THE RESOURCE CENTER MAY BE MORE EASILY ABLE TO
UNDERSTAND A STUDENT'S EXPECTATIONS ABOUT THE GENDERINCLUSIVE HOUSING OR COMMUNITY, WHILE THOSE FROM HOUSING
MAY BE BETTER ABLE TO SUGGEST OTHER RESIDENCE HALLS THAT
WOULD BE A BETTER FIT.
In response, UM began to offer
several gender-inclusive housing
options. To create an improved
living space more in tune with
what students were requesting, the
housing department reached out to
the Spectrum Center, which provides
resources, education, training, and
support for all students and specifically
for LGBT students and their allies.
Additionally, the housing department
paired with an organization called
TransForm, a gender non-conforming
support group available to students
throughout campus. Working together,
they created the Gender Inclusive
Living Experience (GILE) in the East
Quad residence hall, which started
out as an area of seven rooms situated
around a gender-inclusive bathroom
and then expanded to accommodate
more students. "We expanded based
on the needs of the students," Griffin
says. According to UM's housing
website, GILE "is intended to be
a safe, inclusive, comfortable and
supportive community for people of
all gender identities and expressions.
The community supports students
who identify as transgender or gender
non-conforming in choosing (or
being placed with) a roommate of any
gender."
What's significant about these
efforts is that they were able to take
advantage of existing resources by
forming partnerships with several
campus organizations that were also
promoting gender inclusivity and
diversity. The University of WisconsinMilwaukee (UWM) succeeded in a
similar collaboration. The housing
department had previously set up
training modules and workshops
focusing on LGBT education, and
when they wanted to offer the option
of gender-inclusive housing suites,
they decided to reach out to other
campus groups; their proposal
included the LGBT Resource
Center and the Student Housing
Administrative Council and was
supported by an endorsement from
the Student Association. Eventually,
they were able to offer gender-inclusive
housing within four residence halls.
As the housing website describes the
option, "Inclusive Housing offers
an inviting, welcoming space for
students who self-select and selfidentify as gender non-conforming
or who have other cultural or identity
considerations related to living in the
residence halls at UW-Milwaukee and
students who identify as allies." They
also offer single-gender communities
for anyone who prefers that option.
As the website for the LGBT
Resource Center proclaims, this is an
important partnership: "our dedication
to the student experience goes far
beyond just the LGBT Resource
Center. We actively engage with other
departments on campus to create an
affirming and welcoming educational
environment for all students."
Students are first introduced to the
option of gender-inclusive housing
during the process of room selection.
Griffin explains that at UM "when
they look at the housing options
and receive communications, the
program is part of that option and
they are encouraged to contact us
about it." At UWM those interested
contact Kari Dawson, assistant
director for business administration
in university housing, and Jennifer
Murray, director of the LGBT Resource
Center. Prospective residents are then
interviewed, and part of this process
involves Dawson and Murray going
through a series of intake questions
with each student to determine what
type of housing configuration would
be most beneficial for them. UM
utilizes a similar process; Billy Massey,
hall director in the East Quad, calls
the interview process "information
sharing to be clear about what the
students are looking for and why
they're interested in living [in GILE]
and their understanding of the gender
spectrum to make sure that we are
placing people that will be served and
MAY + JUNE 2015
27
Talking Stick - May/June 2015
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Talking Stick - May/June 2015
Contents
Vision
Just In
Calendar
Your ACUHO-I
Transitions
Res Life
Business Operations
Special Focus
Regroup
The Will to LEED
The Gang’s All Here
Conversations
First Takes
Around Student Affairs
New Members
Snapshot
Talking Stick - May/June 2015 - Intro
Talking Stick - May/June 2015 - BB1
Talking Stick - May/June 2015 - BB2
Talking Stick - May/June 2015 - Cover1
Talking Stick - May/June 2015 - Cover2
Talking Stick - May/June 2015 - 1
Talking Stick - May/June 2015 - 2
Talking Stick - May/June 2015 - 3
Talking Stick - May/June 2015 - 4
Talking Stick - May/June 2015 - Contents
Talking Stick - May/June 2015 - 6
Talking Stick - May/June 2015 - 7
Talking Stick - May/June 2015 - 8
Talking Stick - May/June 2015 - 9
Talking Stick - May/June 2015 - Vision
Talking Stick - May/June 2015 - 11
Talking Stick - May/June 2015 - Just In
Talking Stick - May/June 2015 - 13
Talking Stick - May/June 2015 - 14
Talking Stick - May/June 2015 - 15
Talking Stick - May/June 2015 - 16
Talking Stick - May/June 2015 - 17
Talking Stick - May/June 2015 - 18
Talking Stick - May/June 2015 - 19
Talking Stick - May/June 2015 - Calendar
Talking Stick - May/June 2015 - 21
Talking Stick - May/June 2015 - Your ACUHO-I
Talking Stick - May/June 2015 - 23
Talking Stick - May/June 2015 - Transitions
Talking Stick - May/June 2015 - 25
Talking Stick - May/June 2015 - Res Life
Talking Stick - May/June 2015 - 27
Talking Stick - May/June 2015 - 28
Talking Stick - May/June 2015 - 29
Talking Stick - May/June 2015 - Business Operations
Talking Stick - May/June 2015 - 31
Talking Stick - May/June 2015 - 32
Talking Stick - May/June 2015 - 33
Talking Stick - May/June 2015 - Special Focus
Talking Stick - May/June 2015 - 35
Talking Stick - May/June 2015 - 36
Talking Stick - May/June 2015 - 37
Talking Stick - May/June 2015 - Regroup
Talking Stick - May/June 2015 - 39
Talking Stick - May/June 2015 - 40
Talking Stick - May/June 2015 - 41
Talking Stick - May/June 2015 - The Will to LEED
Talking Stick - May/June 2015 - 43
Talking Stick - May/June 2015 - 44
Talking Stick - May/June 2015 - 45
Talking Stick - May/June 2015 - 46
Talking Stick - May/June 2015 - 47
Talking Stick - May/June 2015 - 48
Talking Stick - May/June 2015 - 49
Talking Stick - May/June 2015 - 50
Talking Stick - May/June 2015 - 51
Talking Stick - May/June 2015 - The Gang’s All Here
Talking Stick - May/June 2015 - 53
Talking Stick - May/June 2015 - 54
Talking Stick - May/June 2015 - 55
Talking Stick - May/June 2015 - 56
Talking Stick - May/June 2015 - 57
Talking Stick - May/June 2015 - 58
Talking Stick - May/June 2015 - 59
Talking Stick - May/June 2015 - Conversations
Talking Stick - May/June 2015 - 61
Talking Stick - May/June 2015 - 62
Talking Stick - May/June 2015 - 63
Talking Stick - May/June 2015 - First Takes
Talking Stick - May/June 2015 - Around Student Affairs
Talking Stick - May/June 2015 - 66
Talking Stick - May/June 2015 - 67
Talking Stick - May/June 2015 - 68
Talking Stick - May/June 2015 - 69
Talking Stick - May/June 2015 - 70
Talking Stick - May/June 2015 - 71
Talking Stick - May/June 2015 - 72
Talking Stick - May/June 2015 - 73
Talking Stick - May/June 2015 - New Members
Talking Stick - May/June 2015 - 75
Talking Stick - May/June 2015 - Snapshot
Talking Stick - May/June 2015 - Cover3
Talking Stick - May/June 2015 - Cover4
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