The dust from Title IX has yet to settle, and new problems are arising each day.
The latest complication does not involve the issue of transgender bathrooms, however. This time, the controversy is surrounding the issues of names and housing situations, two problems plaguing college campuses nationally today. Despite the fact that much of the discussion surrounding the Obama administration’s “bathroom bill” centers around K-12 public schools, colleges have also been greatly affected by federal pressure.
At many colleges, such as Arcadia University and Rutgers New-Brunswick, students are provided with the opportunity to select their preferred names and pronouns on email lists and class rosters. Soon, these privileges will extend to student ID cards as well.
At The College of New Jersey (TCNJ), changes will continue to appear, such as the addition of inclusive language to school policies, more gender options on school forms, and use of gender-neutral pronouns. Another accommodation being offered to transgender students is the option to room with a member of the student’s preferred gender. Penn College plans to be in touch with roommates to ensure that there are no problems and keep avenues of communication open between the school and its students.
“Some of it’s kind of amorphous, because you’re talking about culture,” TCNJ Dean of Students Angela Lauer Chong told The Inquirer, “and culture is one of those hard things to nail down and define.”
West Chester University, TCNJ, Rutgers, and Penn are among the colleges that have eliminated gender-inclusive housing — which is a completely fool-proof plan, considering how trustworthy, honest, and mature all college students are these days.
