Renovations are underway to convert two formerly single-gender, multi-stall restrooms in the McCullough Student Center into gender-neutral facilities.
The McCullough pilot project, an initiative designed to create more universally accessible facilities for all members of the college community, will cost the College approximately $10,000.
In the formerly male-designated multi-stall restroom across from Midd Express, tiles and urinals have been removed and large partitions have been erected between stalls in order to convert the formerly single-gender facility into a gender-neutral space. The sign on the formerly women's-identified restroom has also been changed to indicate an all-gender facility.
"We wanted to do the washrooms in a pair," wrote Special Assistant to the Dean of the College, Senior Advisor for Diversity Initiatives and one of the key administrative voices in the project Jennifer Herrera in an email.
"If we just changed the signs, and kept the urinals in the men's washroom, it's likely that the bathrooms would have kept their gender designations," she wrote.
The changes represent phase two of the gender-neutral housing project, an initiative de
signed to bring the College's facilities more closely in line with its non-discrimination statement – a policy that adheres to state and federal guidelines ensuring non-discrimination on the basis of gender identity and expression.
"We did not want to decrease the number of options for students, staff and faculty who might be uncomfortable with this project," said Timothy Spears, vice president for academic affairs. "We wanted to provide more choice and flexibility, without taking options away from other individuals."
While other buildings, including McCardell Bicentennial Hall and the Axinn Center at Starr Library, were considered for the pilot, McCullough was chosen both for its prominence in the lives of all students – a feature that administrators hope will prompt feedback from the college community – and because of the high concentration of restroom facilities in the building.
In Spears' role as one of the chief administrators of the project, his team worked with members of the President's Staff, the Community Council, the Faculty Council, the Space Committee and the Staff Council to weigh the many considerations of members of the community.
"We recognize that there are individuals with religious beliefs that will prohibit them from using the space," said Spears. "We also know that there are members of our community who are simply uncomfortable with the idea, but we believe that the change will provide more options for transgender students, as well as those members of our community who have young opposite gender children and those individuals with disabilities who have opposite gender caregivers."
The push toward the establishment of greater access to gender-neutral facilities is just one of the many initiatives that have grown out of a review of student life issues facing transgender students in 2010.
The report, completed by J.J. Boggs, associate dean of students for student activities and orientation, and Mary Hurlie, associate director for alumni career services, suggested work to be done with respect to the College's documentation procedures, housing arrangements and campus facilities.
With respect to facility conversion, phase one of the project resulted in the conversion of seven of the College's single-stall, single-gender facilities into gender-neutral spaces. The changes required little more than an alteration in signage outside the restrooms and were completed in 2011.
According to Sarah McGowen, special assistant to academic affairs and one of the staff members who played a prominent role in the changes, the first phase of construction was well-received by the college community – a reception that prompted the committee to consider the groundbreaking multi-stall pilot project.
"We've been really pleased with the way the College has moved on this," said Tony Huynh '13, former MOQA president, and one of the students who consulted with Boggs and Hurlie in 2010.
"Sometimes it takes a long time to get projects moving, but the administration really worked on this issue," said Huynh. "I'm really pleased with the progress. They've shown that they really care about this issue."
According to Herrera, the McCullough renovations place the College at the forefront of gender inclusivity in colleges across the country.
Though other colleges have created gender-neutral restrooms from single-stall facilities and have implemented multi-stall gender-neutral facilities in many dorms, very few have committed to the conversion of multi-stall facilities in public spaces.
Spears explained that if the multi-stall pilot project is successful, administrators will consider the conversion of additional restrooms on campus.
Restrooms Open to Every Gender
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