AACRAO is pleased to announce the formation of The Student Identity Work Group. This workgroup will develop guidance for AACRAO members and their institutions on serving transgender students and students who wish to update their gender marker, change their legal name, use a preferred name, or designate a pronoun. In addition the Work Group will develop guidance on appropriate methods of collecting, recording, and reporting of name and gender identity in student record systems.
“We expect that this work group will provide a series of best practices built on lessons learned from campuses that will help shape the way higher education works with students on identity issues,” said Jack Miner, University Registrar at The Ohio State University.
AACRAO sent a call for volunteers for the workgroup garnered 180 applicants. Joseph Salomone from Drexel University will serve as workgroup chair. AACRAO Board of Directors members Miner and Jackie Carter (Washington University in St Louis) will serve as executive sponsors of the project.
AACRAO paid special attention to the perspectives of the committee members chosen. A sampling of those selected includes representatives from both 4 year publics and 4 year privates, military institutions, faith based, single sex institutions, and community colleges. Members come from admissions, enrollment services, registrars, athletics, student life, Information Technology, and Title IX offices. As usual, we also have a diversity of geographic regions and institution size represented. The members come with varying levels of experience with this issue on their campus as well as some with experience with LGBTQ topics nationally and a parent of a transgender high school student.
“This work group will be a great way to build on the work that so many AACRAO member campuses across the country have been engaged in on the topic of working with students who identify as transgender and gender variant,” Miner said.
AACRAO plans to supplement the committee with content experts from two national LGBTQ organizations--
National Center for Transgender Equality and the Consortium of Higher Education LGBT Resource Professionals.
AACRAO Members who were appointed to the committee include:
Joseph Salomone, Drexel University (Chair)
Cody Garrison, Neumont University
Karen Goodell, SUNY Ulster
Tammy Johnson, Marshall University
Jon Jump, Wabash College
Annette Lott, Houston Community College
James Miller, University of Washington -Bothell
Melissa Nunn, University of Florida
Bruce Oates, Oakton Community College
Tiffani Robertson, Governors State University
Katharine Johnson Suski, Iowa State University
Brenda Selman, University of Missouri
Juanita Womack, Philadelphia University
“This work group will be a great way to build on the work that so many AACRAO member campuses across the country have been engaged in on the topic of working with students who identify as transgender and gender variant.”