Talking Stick - May/June 2017 - 40

their predominantly first-year, towerstyle residence halls this summer in
order to create single-unit bathrooms.
Funding has since been approved for
similar modifications on the remaining floors in that building.
Jenny Pickett, assistant director for
operations in residential life, inventoried every single residence hall bathroom last year to identify which could
be turned into single-unit bathrooms
or adapted in such a way as to afford
students a greater level of privacy. "It
would take millions of dollars to turn
all of our bathrooms into single-use
units," Pickett notes, "So what can we
do now?" In some cases, the solution
was as simple as adding rods and
curtains in showers to provide a more
private changing area. Pickett was
strategic in selecting spaces that would
have the most benefit and were due for
upgrades. Additionally, she provided
Luca Maurer, director of the Center for
LGBT Education, Outreach and Services, with a key fob that can be activated
as needed to allow entry into a specific
hall, so students can privately look at
the bathroom situation and identify
whether it meets their needs.
While these options undoubtedly
serve trans and gender-nonconforming students, these renovations also increase access by a broader swath of the
community, Maurer notes. For example, the residence hall bathroom renovations now mean that those buildings
have ADA-accessible bathrooms. Also,
in spaces near classrooms and the
campus center, it means that parents
with small children or the elderly with
caregivers who come to campus for
special events have a restroom that
meets their needs.

Blanket Policy
by Carolynn Komanski

When Colorado State University in
Fort Collins offered open housing, it
was not just to offer gender-inclusive

TALKING STICK

WHEN
COLORADO STATE
UNIVERSITY IN
FORT COLLINS
OFFERED OPEN
HOUSING, IT WAS
NOT JUST TO
OFFER GENDERINCLUSIVE
OPTIONS.
INSTEAD, IT
OPENED HOUSING
TO EVERYONE.

options. Instead, it opened housing to
everyone. What makes this community different? Open housing is not
exclusive to any one type of circumstances where a student may want
a roommate of a gender other than
their own. It is dedicated space that
is held regardless if it is filled and is
considered a safe place for students.
The core root of the option is to provide a safe and supportive residence
for anyone, regardless of class, sex,
gender, ability, or other factors.
The process for students choosing to live in CSU's open housing is
a simple procedure. Students answer
three short questions on the application, explaining why they want to
live in the community and what their
motivations are in order to make sure
that they are aligned with the purpose of the community. If students
desire an open housing option in
another community, CSU continues
to work with them individually to be

assigned anywhere throughout their
halls so they don't have to choose
between open housing or a learning
community, for example. "Students
seeking open housing are looking
for a safe space to reside without the
expectation of deconstructing their
experience through a learning or
course work. They need access to the
space to thrive more than they need a
model that is often found in the learning communities. The hope is that
the safe space will help them thrive
without having to navigate many of
the barriers that can be found in the
housing application process," says
Helena Gardner, assistant director for
community development.
Since starting this program in 2013,
the campus has been careful not to
overreach by setting aside too many
beds for the open housing option.
They want to be able to fill the spaces
with those interested in open housing
rather than with non-participants or
students who are not fully committed
to the community expectations. As
a result, the community has steadily
grown, filling in August and remaining at or near capacity throughout
the year. "It could be easily assumed
that if we have vacant spaces in the
community those spaces can be used
for emergencies," says John Malsam,
assistant director for administration.
Teresa Metzger, assistant director for
academic initiatives, adds, "We are
intentional about training and education regarding the vision and how
our campus community values this
safe space for students so that it is not
compromised."

Historic Milestones
by Mary C. Jordan

As part of a student-led revolt against
the in loco parentis model of student
affairs, Oberlin College in Ohio was
among the first institutions of higher
education to implement coed living,

Talking Stick - May/June 2017

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