Community Living

Gender-Inclusive Housing

Policy Statement

At Brandeis University, any upperclass students, regardless of gender identity, may choose to reside together. Students may choose to live together in any double on a mixed-gender floor. East, Rosenthal, Skyline and Village all have mixed-gender floors. Students agree to live together when they select a room together during Room Selection in the spring semester. There is no additional application process to reside in a gender-inclusive room. Please contact us if you have any questions.

Brandeis University remains committed to providing safe and supportive housing options for students of all gender identities. This includes providing options that offer gender-inclusive housing and restrooms. In doing so, we seek to affirm our commitment to being a nonsectarian university that welcomes students, teachers and staff of every nationality, religion and orientation.

Policy Information and Rationale

The following terms are essential to understanding the gender-inclusive housing policy at Brandeis:

  • Single-gender — A floor or community in a residence hall that is designated as male or female. Single-gender floors exist in East, North and Massell.
  • Mixed-gender — A floor or community in a residence hall for students of any gender. Mixed-gender floors are found in Massell, North, East, Skyline and Village. All suites and apartments in Rosenthal, Ziv, Ridgewood, Charles River and the Foster Mods are considered mixed-gender.
  • Gender-inclusive — A housing option in which two or more students may share a multiple-occupancy bedroom, in mutual agreement, regardless of the students’ sex or gender. Any room in a mixed-gender area may be considered gender-inclusive (including select residence halls in North Quad for first-year students).

Residence halls serve several vital functions to a student’s development on campus, and therefore must be safe and comfortable homes for each student. Residence halls are designed to assist with students’ transition to college life and the university community. They facilitate and support the psychological, social, intellectual and physical development of students. Gender-inclusive housing provides safe, supportive environments for students of all gender identities and is, therefore, an important policy for our campus. Gender-inclusive housing supports the University’s non-discrimination policy and fully commits to the principles of social justice with respect to sexual orientation, sex, gender and gender identity. The residence hall’s primary purpose is to assist students with their personal growth and development.

Gender-inclusive housing is defined as a housing option in which two or more students may share a multiple-occupancy bedroom, in mutual agreement, regardless of the students’ sex or gender. Gender-inclusive housing provides housing options for students who may identify as transgender, or are questioning their gender identity, or do not wish to prescribe to gender classifications. This option provides students who are uncomfortable with a same-sex roommate or do not wish to have a same-sex roommate with more housing options. Gender-inclusive bathrooms are designated on mixed-gender floors when possible.

Vacancies and Room Changes

If a vacancy occurs in a room on a mixed-gender floor, the room will be treated as a single-gender space. The remaining occupant(s) may request to pull in a specific student of any gender or gender identity. Otherwise, the gender of the occupants will be considered when a vacancy exists in any multiple-occupancy room.

If vacancy occurs in a suite or apartment, the remaining occupants can work with Community Living to request the remaining space be gendered if necessary. Otherwise, vacant spaces in apartments and suites will be open to students of any gender identity.

First-Year Students

Gender-inclusive housing is available for first-year students. We ask all students in their first-year housing application if they would be interested in living in gender-inclusive housing or on a floor with a gender-inclusive bathroom. After, we use our system to assign students accordingly.

Our first-year facilities in North Residence Quad feature three floors containing gender-inclusive bathrooms as well as single-use bathroom and shower facilities. These can be found on Cable 1 and Reitman 1. Reitman 2 has one single-use bathroom and shower facility.