First-year students who identify as transgender or gender non-confirming are encouraged to submit the incoming student housing application by the deadline and note their specific needs accordingly.  That is the best way of guaranteeing that they can be accommodated.  A large portion of bathrooms in the first-year residence halls have a community-style orientation.  However, there are a select number of semi-private (i.e. shared) bathrooms.  Students may specify their need/preference for this on their housing application.  Priority will go to students who have specific needs related to bathroom usage versus a mere preference.  When requested, we also try to match students with someone who shares the same identity.  However, this cannot be guaranteed since it is contingent upon numbers and students’ self-identification.  At the very least, LGBTQAI+ allyship is a category on the housing application that we actively screen for.  If there are questions during the first-year assignment process, which occurs during the summer, a member of the Residential Life staff will reach out to the student.  Students are also encouraged to contact reslife@kzoo.edu or Adam Kubiak Director of Residential Life, if they have preliminary questions or concerns.

Upper-class students self-select their own spaces and roommates for the next academic year during a housing selection process, which occurs during the Spring preceding the academic year in question.  Many of the housing options for upper-class students are gender flexible, and students can choose to live with whomever they like regardless of gender identity or expression.  Information about housing selection process is distributed well in advance of the process, typically during the early part of the Spring Quarter.