»Gender-Inclusive Policies

Chapman University is deeply committed to providing a safe, inclusive, and welcoming campus for all students, staff, faculty, and visitors. All individuals have equal opportunity to use the sex-separate restroom facilities on campus that correspond to the sex with which they identify. For questions or concerns, please contact: Dean of Students Office or Human Resources.

Chapman University is actively working toward increasing the number of non-gender-identified restroom facilities on campus. View the interactive map of all single-stall and all-gender restrooms on campus. For questions or concerns about access to single-stall or all-gender restrooms, please contact: Dean of Students Office or Human Resources.

If you would like to learn more about gender-inclusive policies and resources at Chapman, please contact: Colleen Wood at (714) 744-7693 or titleix@chapman.edu.

Chapman University strives to create and maintain a welcoming campus that offers safe, accessible, and inclusive locker room and shower facilities. In keeping with the University’s non-discrimination policies, the University provides all members of our community equal access to locker rooms and shower facility that correspond to their gender identity. The University provides private, single-user spaces for changing and showering.  Such spaces are available to and for use by any student who seeks additional privacy.

If you have questions, concerns, or would like to request access to an alternative locker room and shower facility, please contact Interim Director of Athletics Doug Aiken at (714) 997-6900 or daiken@chapman.edu or Chapman’s Title IX Coordinator, Colleen Wood at (714) 744-7693 or titleix@chapman.edu.

The Center for Global Education is committed to helping all students find safe and welcoming study abroad programs that best meet their needs. If you have questions or concerns about housing, accommodations, or other issues related to participating in study abroad, please contact the Center for Global Education at globaled@chapman.edu.

Residence Life and First Year Experience (RLFYE) provides on-campus housing options, educational residential experiences, and off-campus housing resources to undergraduate and graduate students (all of these options will be referred to together as “residential communities”). As part of RLFYE’s commitment to developing and sustaining residential communities that are welcoming and inclusive, the department offers gender inclusive housing options in all residential communities.

In all of its residential communities, Chapman provides students the opportunity to select housing where students’ rooming assignments are not based on gender identity or biological sex. This means that in designated Gender Inclusive housing, students may self-select to 1) live in a single-occupancy room sharing a bathroom with a person of another sex or gender identity (if available),  2) share a double-occupancy residence hall room with a roommate of another sex or gender identity, or 3) share a two-, three- or four-roommate suite or apartment with roommates or suitemates, some or all of whom have a different sex or gender identity. Gender Inclusive housing is completely voluntary and is open to all students, without regard to sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity.

Frequently Asked Questions about Gender-Inclusive Housing

 

What information do I need to disclose in order to be considered for gender inclusive housing?

RLFYE respects each student’s privacy, and will not ask for more information than is necessary to meet each individual’s housing needs. In accordance with the law, all disclosed information will be kept strictly confidential. Students do not need to provide any documentation in order to be considered for gender inclusive housing.

In order to provide support to students who would prefer gender inclusive housing, RLFYE must be notified of the students’ needs. Students are encouraged to contact Assistant Dean of Students for Residence Life and First Year Experience Juan Tinoco with questions or concerns about their specific needs at jtinoco@chapman.edu.

How do I apply for gender inclusive housing?

New students (first-year and transfer) must select the gender inclusive housing option when they apply for housing. All requests that are received before the priority application date for each semester will be housed according to their gender identity with other students who indicate a willingness or desire to live in gender inclusive housing.

Returning students will have the option to indicate their willingness or desire to live in gender inclusive housing. For returning students who do not select their own roommates, RLFYE will make sure that all roommates signing up for an open space in a room understand that they agree to live in a gender-inclusive room.

Gender inclusive housing is completely optional for all students. The University will not place at student in gender inclusive housing unless the student indicates on their housing application their interest in and understanding of  the policies that apply in gender inclusive housing.

How many gender-inclusive residence hall rooms and apartments are there on campus?

The number of gender-inclusive residence hall rooms, suites, and apartments on campus will depend on the demand for such accommodations. Chapman is committed to providing a gender-inclusive housing option for anyone who requests one, but Chapman cannot guarantee it will be able to grant specific requests.  

Can you make sure that my roommate identifies as LGBTQIA?

No. Chapman makes gender-inclusive housing options available to all students who request it, without regard to sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity. 

Can I select the roommate(s) of my choice?

Returning students may pull in eligible roommates of their choice during the housing selection process in spring semester for a housing assignment that begins in fall semester. Returning students of different genders will first need to inform RLFYE that they intend to participate in gender inclusive housing, and then they can select one another as roommates. Incoming first-year and transfer students may make a preferred roommate request, but these requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis and are not guaranteed.

Can I choose my partner as my roommate?

As with all roommate assignments, RLFYE discourages students in a romantic/sexual relationship or partnership from being roommates with one another. It is our experience that students gain more from our residential communities when they do not reside with their partner. Therefore, it is recommended that you do not choose your partner as your roommate.

Will you out me to my roommate? Alternatively, will you help me talk to my roommate about my reason(s) for participating in gender inclusive housing?

In accordance with federal law and University policy, RLFYE will not disclose any information from student’s educational record beyond directory information (unless the student has a directory hold). If you would like help preparing for a conversation with your roommate about your living preferences or the identities that are most salient to you, we encourage you to speak with your Resident Advisor or Resident Director.

Chapman University Athletics follows current NCAA Division III bylaws, policies, and governance for students’ participation in gender-designated sports. In February 2025, the NCAA announced an update to its participation policy for transgender student-athletes.  Participation Policy for Transgender Student-Athletes - NCAA.org. If you have questions about club sports, please contact Interim Director of Athletics Doug Aiken at (714) 997-6900 or daiken@chapman.edu. 

If you have questions about the application of the NCAA Participation Policy for Transgender Student-Athletes to individual student circumstances, please contact Interim Director of Athletics Doug Aiken at (714) 997-6900 or daiken@chapman.edu, or Chapman’s Title IX Coordinator, Colleen Wood at (714) 744-7693 or titleix@chapman.edu.  .

Chapman University recognizes that preferred names can be an important part of anyone’s identity. Therefore, the University has established guidelines for students to indicate their chosen or preferred names.

A preferred name is defined as:

• a first name that is different from a student’s official/given/legal name
• a first name that a student prefers faculty use to refer to them in the classroom
• a first name that a student wants to replace their legal name in certain University-related systems or documents

Students are not permitted to indicate a preferred name with the intention of misrepresenting themselves or their identity. Falsely identifying oneself or others or otherwise furnishing false information or identification to any University official, faculty member or office is against the Student Conduct Code.

Frequently Asked Questions about Preferred Names

 

How do I change my preferred name online?

A student can update their preferred name in the Student Center in PeopleSoft even if the student has not changed their legal name. In the self-service Student Center, the student should scroll to the “Names” section and type in a preferred or chosen name.

Where will my preferred name be reflected?

Once a student enters a preferred name in the Student Center on PeopleSoft, their preferred first name will be updated in real time and replace the student’s legal first name on faculty’s class rosters in PeopleSoft. The roster in Canvas updates after a delay of approximately 24-48 hours. Questions may be directed to the Office of the University Registrar at registrar@chapman.edu or (714) 997-6701.

Can I get a new ID Card with my preferred name on it?

Once a student enters a preferred name in the Student Center on PeopleSoft, the student may visit the IS&T Service Desk located in the Leatherby Libraries to receive a replacement Chapman ID Card. The $10.00 replacement ID Card fee is waived as a courtesy when printing a card to reflect a new preferred or legal name change. At the time of pickup of their new card if the student needs to retain an ID card with their legal name, they may keep it but, it cannot be used for services on campus such as: door access, printing, or laundry services. If either card is lost or stolen, a student can request a replacement card for $10.00. If you have further questions about getting a new ID card that reflects your preferred name, please contact the Service Desk at servicedesk@chapman.edu or (714) 997-6600.

Will my preferred name appear or be used everywhere in University systems?

No. The University is currently working to create more opportunities for preferred names to be reflected across various University systems, including confidential administrative systems (non-public) used by University employees.

When a student indicates a preferred name, it does not change the student’s legal name as part of the student’s educational record. A student’s legal name will always be used in business processes that require use of the legal name, such as financial aid, transcripts, international students’ Forms I-20, payroll records, and others. A student who wishes to change their legal name on their educational record must provide proof of a legal name change. Questions about this policy or process may be directed the Office of the University Registrar at registrar@chapman.edu or (714) 997-6701.

Can I print my preferred name on my diploma?

In the application for degree conferral, students have the opportunity to indicate online the preferred name that they want to appear on their degree. Students may select a preferred first name for the diploma, but their last name may not be changed on their diploma without proof of a legal name change. If a student legally changes their name after graduation, they may submit proper proof of a legal name change to the Office of the University Registrar to officially change their records. Students may then request a new diploma reflecting the legal name change and pay a $25.00 fee for each new copy of their diploma.

Can I indicate a different gender marker on my professor’s class rosters?

Beginning in the Fall of 2024, Chapman University students will have the option to indicate a gender identity/pronoun. Students will be able to indicate a gender identity and personal pronoun through the Student Portal in Campus Solutions. 

What’s not changing? 

• Gender identity is stored separately from “Gender” in a student record. Indicating a gender identity will not impact the gender data field in a student record. 
• Indicating a gender identity and/or personal pronoun will be optional.
• Gender identity information will not be shared at this time, though authorized University staff with access to private information may view it when performing their job duties.

Why Now?

• The university is living up to its guiding principles by providing an atmosphere of mutual respect and inclusion. Chapman University is conscious and responsive to the needs of the many communities we are committed to serving.