Gender Inclusive Housing
Gender Inclusive Housing Options
Gender inclusive housing (GIH) is offered to all students, without additional costs. In previous years, students were able to directly communicate with the Housing Operations Manager of the Campus Housing Office for an intentional meeting about spaces given infrastructure. Starting Spring 2024, students have also been able to indicate interest in gender inclusive housing options directly within the housing application, allowing them to view other students who would also like to live in a gender inclusive accommodation. During room selection, students are able to self-select a variety of room type options across buildings by themselves or with their roommate group, regardless of gender.
For the 2024-2025 housing application process (and moving forward) all students who opt into GIH and/or mark their gender outside of the binary are given additional GIH questions related to housing (to help with room selection planning and for GIH roommate selection), and are able to match with other GIH students in the roommate selection page of the application, and during room selection they are able to self-select a variety of room type options across buildings by themselves or with their roommate group, regardless of gender identity.
Students interested in gender inclusive housing, who choose a room type and/or specific residence halls are charged for the room type selected. If a student chooses a double room and the second bed space is not filled, the student will not be charged for the second bed unless requesting to 鈥渂uyout鈥 the room (if applicable/available). If filling the second bed space is necessary, Campus Housing will communicate and work together with the student/suitemates to fill the space.
Costs are associated with the type/style of housing selected. Room types include double rooms with common bathrooms, single rooms and deluxe single rooms with common bathrooms, single/double suite style rooms with shared bathrooms, townhouse style suites with full bathroom (double rooms). The cost of room and board can be found here.
It is the intention of Campus Housing to make room assignments on how you, the student, identify. Please contact the Housing Operations Manager (925-631-4897) to discuss your housing preferences. For additional support and resources, please contact the Director of the Intercultural Center (925-631-8358) or the Director of the Center for Women and Gender Equity (925-631-4171). Please refer to the Saint Mary's College Nondiscrimination Disclosure found in the College's Undergraduate Student Handbook.
Gender Inclusive Housing at SMC
Gender Identity
We utilize gender identity, not sex, in our housing application and room selection process. It is the intention of Campus Housing to make room assignments on how you, the student, identify.
Gender Inclusive Floors
While most of our traditional communal style halls have a single gendered restroom, we also have a select number of floors in these buildings with 2 or more gendered restrooms for those who would like to live on a mixed gender floor.
Gender Inclusive Suites/Townhouses
All of the suite style rooms and townhouse style spaces on campus have an attached/in-unit shared restroom. Typically these spaces are a single gender, but with Gender Inclusive Housing students are able to opt into living in a multi-gender or no-gender suite/townhouse with friends, or even opt into a suite/townhouse with anyone else who is looking for GIH.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I find other students who want to live in GIH?
- When you select "GIH housing options" in your application preferences, under the roommate selection/search pages you'll only been shown other students who are interested in GIH. You can read their profile blurb, see how they answered the other general GIH housing preferences questions, their pronouns, etc.
- You can search using the search criteria available on the roommate selection/search pages, but also you can search just "upperclass" for example and view all GIH upperclass students and from there you could search on the page using command/control "F" function for certain key words, pronouns, etc., and then send them a message!
What happens if I can't find someone to live with but still want to live in GIH?
- If we notice that you are interested in GIH but do not have a roommate group before room selection, Campus Housing will reach out to you to walk you through what options you'll have in terms of roommates, buildings/room types, etc.
Where can I live if I opt into GIH? Where is GIH located?
- Students can live in any building in any room type as part of GIH. If students are in a roommate group, their group can pick any room/building/spaces they'd like, as long as it also matches their classification (eg. upperclass students only in the townhouses)
How does room selection work if I've opted into GIH?
- During room selection, if you are in a group you all (or just your group leader) will select a room/suite/space that meets your room preferences. This can be in any of the buildings when room selection is done in person, or when it's an online process for new incoming students most likely Campus Housing will reach out to you ahead of time to ensure you can pick or be assigned a space that aligns with your needs and that there are a variety of different options in multiple buildings (depending on preferences and building designs/functionality).
What happens if I'm in a roommate group but we couldn't fill 1 of the spaces to completely fill the room/suite/apartment? - We don't want to have someone random in the space that would make us feel uncomfortable or unsafe
- Campus Housing will not immediately fill that remaining space in your room/suite/apartment. If there are any students you'd like to "pull in" to your space at any time, please let us know and we're happy to accommodate. If there is a space open, you could be given the option to "buy out" the other space to ensure no one else will be assigned there, or you can leave it open and only if someone else who is interested in GIH is looking for housing would we consider putting them there. Additionally, Campus Housing will consider who may be placed there, and we'd make sure to connect all parties together to ensure it's a good fit for everyone, as we don't want to make anyone uncomfortable in their space.
What happens if one of our roommate group members leaves or moves off campus during the year? Will Campus Housing put a random student in that space?
- Campus Housing will not immediately fill that remaining space in your room/suite/apartment. If there are any students you'd like to "pull in" to your space at any time, please let us know and we're happy to accommodate. If there is a space open, you could be given the option to "buy out" the other space to ensure no one else will be assigned there, or you can leave it open and only if someone else who is interested in GIH is looking for housing would we consider putting them there. Additionally, Campus Housing will consider who may be placed there, and we'd make sure to connect all parties together to ensure it's a good fit for everyone, as we don't want to make anyone uncomfortable in their space.
Who can I talk to if I have feedback or changes for GIH?
- Brian Middleton, Director of Housing Operations & Auxiliary Services (bhm2@stmarys-ca.edu)