Next semester, students housing in a gender inclusive dorm will be relocated to Campbell Hall from Memorial Hall. As Campbell is being remodeled to include bathrooms that are gender inclusive, the students currently living in Memorial requested to be moved.

When a bathroom is gender inclusive, it means that the partitions between the toilets and showers go from floor to ceiling, in addition to a changing room near the shower to change before stepping in.

“Our goal is any time we go and renovate one of the residence halls at least one of the bathrooms will be renovated to be gender inclusive,” Director of Residence Life Jeff Mackay said.

Students brought up the movement originally for gender inclusive housing. Next year will be the third year that this housing has been an option, and as of next semester, the first floor of Campbell will be their home, with the second floor also having a renovated gender inclusive bathroom.

“We have the ability, should the need be there, to expand it up to the second floor or move it to the second floor if we need more space,” Mackay said.

Once students move into apartments, it’s much easier to live in a gender inclusive space, as all the bathroom doors have a lock.

The goal for residence life is to meet the needs of all students and support them in the environment they live in to allow a safe space.

“We know we have students who are transgender or students that feel more comfortable in an environment living with someone from another identified gender,” Mackay said.

“If we can create an environment where they feel comfortable and successful in their living environment, we know that it will help them feel successful, we hope, in their academic environment.”