University Resources

This is a breakdown of Universities in Greensboro and their individual policies, how they are enforced, resources, and accomodations for trans* students.

UNCG
UNCG has several policies effecting trans* people, as well as some resources. As of present, UNCG has above average awareness and policies protecting transgender people as compared to other universities in the area, but there is still many discriminatory practices and policies that are not regarded as such, and many forms of oppression and descrimination that are not regarded as such and therefore students are not protected from them. People on campus who are relatively well educated and who want to serve as advocated and change university policies to protect trans* people and afford them equality in the university do exist, for example Ashleigh Best in campus activities, and Isabelle Moore in the Women's and Gender Studies department, as well as Jim Settle in Student Affairs. Some officials such as Brad Johnson in Housing and Residence Life are somewhat resistant to certain changes, such as policies or interpestations of policies that would allow a person, regardless of gender marker, to room with any gender student the feel safest and most comfortable with. The most common reason stated for this is that is "goes against state law" according to Brad Johnson. This may not be accurate however (see housing section)

UNCG Student Affairs handles many issues students may have. Several people working in this office are very interested in helping trans* people and in changing policies. They generally seem genuinely concerned, and are confidential and receptive. Their ability may be limited, as some policies keep them from having the power to do certain things, but chaniging these policies is something they are working on. Specific known allies to the trans* community are Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, Jim Settle, Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, Vicki L. McNeil, and Cheryl (Cherry) M. Callahan, Ph.D., Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs. They have all worked with trans* students before and are in the process of assessing current concerns such as name change and gender marker change policy, bathroom policies, locker room policies, and housing policies. It is as of February 2013 unclear what plans are being made and what will be the outcome.

The non discrimination policy does include gender identity  as a foot note. It is not enforced well as of present as discrimination is not well defined in regards ot trans* people, and things such as being outed by a professor, being misgendered or called by the wrong name, being excluded from certain gendered spaces such as restrooms, locker rooms, and on campus housing, being excluded from gendered activities such as sports, and not having access to the same medical care as cisgender people, or having difficulty in attaining the same care (for example cisgender people seeking hormone replacement therapy for things like low testosterone or post menopausal symptoms are not required to go to therapy in order to be approved for and attain hormones, whereas transgender people are, and most doctors will prescribe to cisgender people, including campus health center doctors, but they will not prescribe hormones to transgender people under any circumstances even with a counselors letter of approval).

The Gove Student Health Center will fill prescriptions of any kind for you if you are a student. They will not however, at present, prescribe any hormones to trans* people for hormone replacement therapy, even though cis gender people with hormone imbalances can attain such prescriptions for hormone replacement therapy. It is often stated by the health center that there is no one qualified to prescribe hormones to transgender patients, yet they will prescribe the same hormones to cisgender people without issue. Some employees at the health center have been known to be resistant to helping or interacting with trans* students. There have been reports by trans* and intersex students that derogatory terms such as "hermaphrodite" have been used to refer to them, and innappropriate questions about genital status and appearance have been aked by staff members. Some doctors at the health center may also ask you whether or not you are in therapy, regardless of whether you feel you need it, and may ask about surgical history and plans, regardless of whether it has anything to do with your reason for coming to the health center. For example, if you're ill with the flue, they may ask about therapy and what you plan on doing with your genitals. They may also speak to you in a belittling or patronizing way if you are trans*, likely due to little education on trans* people and the common misconception that trans* people are mentally unstable or ill.

The immunization clinic will administer shots of hormones if you have the medication on hand. Some trans students have been known to have trouble getting the staff to administer the hormone injections, and have met resistance and inconsistant practices. Some nurses may refuse to administer the shot, and may ask another nurse who is willing to do so due to the fact that they feel it conflicts with their morals and beliefs.

The counseling and testing center will not write letter for hormone replacement therapy for transgender individuals, and there is no one specializing in the care of transgender patients. There are however some councelors confortable working with trans* students in therapy, and some are Safe Zone certified.

Safe Zone is a training program to raise awareness of LGBT issues and promote advocacy. It is currently not a required program for anyone at the university, so only those who sign up voluntarily out of personal interest and concern go through the training. As of January 2013 it is being taken over and revamped by Ashley Best in Campus Activities and Events. Ashleigh is a stron advocate for the LGBT community and has a thorough understanding of many trans* issues and concerns. She is also a good resource for further advice and information on dealing with trans* specific concerns.

The Dean of Students Office can advocate on behalf of the student if for example a teacher is outing a student in class or saying innapropriate thing to a trans* student. Outcomes of grievances and concerns presented to them are variable, and there are few policies protecting the rights of trans* students. They have been known to bring students in for "educational" meetings if they have harassed anyone on campus or have spoken or behaved innapropriately.

The Bathroom Policy at UNCG is as of January 2012 is unclear. It states

Restroom Usage
To ensure the privacy of residents' use of the toilet and shower facilities, residents and visitors must use a bathroom designated for their gender. No more than one person must occupy a shower stall at a time. Gender neutral restrooms are located in the basement and/or on the first floor of most residence halls.

The university currently does not officially recognize trans* people as their identified gender unless they have legally changed it according to NC State law or provide a doctors letter stating they have undergone "gender transition", which is not defined by the university.

Gender Marker and Name Change Policy Gender transisition is not defined by the university, so a letter from a doctor may simply state that you have undergone gender transition according to the policy.

Housing is assigned on a case-by-case basis for trans* people. It is possible (or has been done by students) to get housing with the gender you identify as, if your university gender marker matches your gender identity, housing by yourself, or housing with a private bathroom. You may not be allowed access to communal bathrooms of the gender you identify as if the university does not recognize you as the gender you identify as officially, i.e. if you have not been able or do not want to change your gender marker with the university. Students have reported being moved to isolated rooms with singlet bathrooms, and facing meetings with housing where they are told not to use communal restrooms of their gender. If the trans* student disregards warnings from housing, they may face diciplinary action. At present, no one has resisted housing, and subsequently faced diciplinary action, but some students have been separated from the other student and put into isolated housing arrangements. Housing has not currently committed to any clear or transparent policies regarding trans* people. It is dealt with on a "case-by-case" basis, and is up to the discretion of housing as to what is "best" for the student. Currently Brad Johnson states the university is no legally allowed to put two people in one room traditional dorms who do not have the same gender marker. Another option is to live in upper level housing, which if approved by housing, will place you in a suite style where everyone has their own room. This is more expensive than traditional dorms.

In response to UNC-Chapel Hill housing issues for trans* people, Mara Kiessling, the executive director of the National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE), further denounced the inaction, stating:


 * "Put simply, Chancellor Thorp is just wrong. Thorp's decision now puts UNC-Chapel Hill behind dozens of schools across the country that have implemented gender-neutral housing options. There is no state law that prevents gender-neutral housing, and most importantly, transgender students at UNC may continue to face unsafe living and learning environments because of Thorp's decision. That is wrong, and Chancellor Thorp should reconsider his position."Shannon Price Minter, Esq., legal director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights, explained in the release the legal background:
 * "There is no North Carolina law that would prevent a university from providing gender-neutral housing for students who would like to have that option. Specifically, there are no laws about cohabitation that would prevent this.


 * North Carolina has a couple of laws that prohibit cohabitation under certain circumstances, but they do not apply to gender-neutral housing in a university by any stretch of the imagination. In addition, after the Supreme Court decision in Lawrence v. Texas (2003), those laws are also plainly unconstitutional.


 * Only two laws in North Carolina currently address cohabitation. One has been found unconstitutional on the basis that it violates the 14th Amendment due process rights established by the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Lawrence v. Texas (2003). The second, though unchallenged, would almost certainly be found unconstitutional. In addition, neither of the laws apply directly to gender-neutral housing on college or university campuses.


 * In sum, universities and colleges in North Carolina are completely free to provide gender-neutral housing without running afoul of any law."


 * See full article here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/shane-l-windmeyer/unc-chapel-hill-gender-neutral-housing_b_1324981.html



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