In the fall of 2016, AACRAO established the Student Identity Work Group to develop guidance for 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. Additionally, the group was tasked with developing guidance on appropriate methods of collecting, recording, and reporting of name and gender identity in student record systems. More than 300 applicants offered to serve on this work group indicating the strong commitment of our membership to serving transgender students.
At AACRAO’s 103rd Annual Meeting in Minneapolis, MN, the group presented an update on the progress of its work to provide best practices, education, and overall awareness in promoting and sustaining cultures of inclusion across higher education.
The session—led by Jackie Carter, Washington University in St. Louis; Jack Miner, The Ohio State University; and the group’s chair, Joseph J. Salomone, Drexel University—discussed potential timelines and opportunities for member engagement, as well as the scope of its work in the areas of policies and procedures, regulatory compliance and reporting, and ERP and SIS implications.
The charge of this group is especially important as institutions navigate the landscape of a new administration whose views on these issues are unclear.
In February, U.S. Education and Justice Department officials, under President Trump, rescinded Obama-era guidance to protect transgender students, creating another layer of confusion for schools and students. In the same way that Title IX provided access to educational opportunities for women, the previous administration's guidance on working with transgender students opened up protections and opportunities for all students.
The final recommendations of the Student Identity Work Group, expected to be released in late November, will provide a new, more thoughtful set of best practices and guidance for institutions at every stage of engagement on developing inclusive institutional support and services.