gnh proposal

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March 29, 2012

Dear Research Team (Dr. Deborah J. Taub, Dr. R. Bradley Johnson, and Torry Reynolds):

Congratulations! After careful review of your endorsement proposal, the Association of College

and University Housing Officers-International (ACUHO-I) Research Committee has endorsed

your study, The Status of Gender Neutral Housing in ACUHO-I Member Institutions.

Emily Glenn, who works full-time for ACUHO-I, will serve as your ACUHO-I contact

communicating with the ACUHO-I members you seek to reach. I am copying her on this

correspondence so you can liaise with her.

Jon Coleman, Georgia Southern University, has volunteered to serve as your Research

Committee liaison during the remainder of your research. Jon will be in touch with you every

month or so to check on your progress and see if there is anything our committee can further

assist you with. I have copied him on this correspondence.

We have posted your proposal on the ACUHO-I website under our committee's work (see

http://www.acuho-i.org/Default.aspx?tabid=814 ) . Let me know if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

Jeff Doyle, Ph.D.

Chair, ACUHO-I Research Committee

Dean for Student Learning and Engagement, Baylor University

cc: Emily Glenn

Jon Coleman
http://www.acuho-i.org/Default.aspx?tabid=814http://www.acuho-i.org/Default.aspx?tabid=814http://www.acuho-i.org/Default.aspx?tabid=814


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Research Proposal for ACUHO-I Endorsement

Title of Study: The Status of Gender Neutral Housing in ACUHO-I Member Institutions

Researchers: Dr. Deborah J. Taub, Professor of Higher Education, The University of North

Carolina at Greensboro; Dr. R. Bradley Johnson, Senior Assistant Director for AdministrativeServices, Housing & Residence Life, UNCG; Torry Reynolds, Doctoral Student, UNCG

ACUHO-Is Talking Stickfirst explored the topic of gender neutral housing in 2006(Miyamoto, 2006); at that time readers feedback indicated a desire to hear more about gender

neutral housing (Miyamoto, 2007). In 2007 Miyamoto indicated that gender neutral housing

options have developed slowly, expanding more rapidly in the past five years (p. 43). In 2009 a

Talking Stickarticle on assignments briefly referred to gender neutral housing in the context of

assignments (Clark, 2009). At that time the ACUHO-I assignments survey (with approximately

180 respondents) indicated that approximately 30% of responding institutions had some form of

gender neutral housing (that would be about 54 institutions). Since that time, gender neutral

housing has continued to be a topic of interest, explored at national conferences (for example, atleast two programs on gender neutral housing will be offered at both the upcoming 2012 NASPA

conference and the upcoming 2012 ACPA conference). Unfortunately, no comprehensive,systematic study of the state of gender neutral housing in colleges and universities has been

undertaken. It is unknown how many campuses offer a gender neutral housing option, what types

of housing are being used for gender neutral housing, what barriers campuses encountered to

initiating gender neutral housing, or what policies have been put in place around gender neutralhousing.

Currently, for such information, most people consult the website of The National StudentGenderblind Campaign (www.genderblind.org). The National Student Genderblind Campaign

publishes a list of campuses (currently 54 institutions) that offer a gender neutral housing option

that they are aware of. However, this list is compiled from media reports and is, therefore,

neither comprehensive nor exhaustive.

The July-August 2011 Talking Stickpublished a helpful article on gender neutral housing

(Making Gender Neutral Housing Work, by Stacy Oliver and Kathryn Magura). Although thisarticle does address some of the barriers encountered by some campuses and also includes a

discussion of considerations for choosing the type of housing in which to offer gender neutral

housing, it is more anecdotal in its approach. Further, Oliver and Magura did not address theissue of how many campuses offer the gender neutral housing option.

In 1979 DeCoster published an important article capturing the state of coeducational

housing during a time when coed housing was emerging as an option on college and universitycampuses. The proposed study seeks to create a comparable look at gender neutral housing as it

emerges as a phenomenon. (The parallel between the current state of gender neutral housing and

the state of coeducational housing in the early 1970s also is implied in the 2007 Miyamoto

Talking Stickarticle in its use of the famous Oberlin College Co-Ed DormsLife magazinecover from 1970 as an illustration.)
http://www.genderblind.org/http://www.genderblind.org/http://www.genderblind.org/http://www.genderblind.org/http://www.genderblind.org/http://www.genderblind.org/http://www.genderblind.org/http://www.genderblind.org/


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As Denise Darrigrand observed in 2007, Gender neutral is a pretty wide-ranging term

(Miyamoto, 2007, p. 44). It is, however, the most inclusive term, encompassing both housingoptions designed specifically for transgender and/or gender-non-conforming students and

housing options that are open to all (or most) students. Therefore, that is the term that we have

chosen to use in this study.

Purpose of the Study

The purpose of this study is to examine the extent to which member institutions of

ACUHO-I have implemented or considered implementing gender neutral housing (GNH). Thespecific research questions for this study will be:

(1) How many ACUHO-I member institutions have considered GNH?

(2) At those institutions where GNH has been considered, what obstacles were

encountered?(3) How many ACUHO-I member institutions offer a GNH option?

(4) At those institutions where GNH is offered, what policies and procedures have beenimplemented?

(5) At those institutions where GNH is offered, what type(s) of housing facilities are used

to offer a GNH option?

(6) How do U.S. institutions differ from non-U.S. institutions on these issues?

Methodology

In order to achieve the objectives ofThe Status of Gender Neutral Housing in ACUHO-I

Member Institutions study, the researchers will employ the methods outlined below:

Survey Instrument

The researchers will develop a short survey instrument with items modeled on thedocument used in the DeCosters (1979) study of coeducational student housing in higher

education settings. The DeCoster survey was used as a template given its relevance onundergraduate living conditions and its focus on gendered housing arrangements.

Participant Recruitment

The researchers will request that ACUHO-I email the CHOs at ACUHO-I institutions toinvite their participation.

Data Collection & Analysis

The survey will be distributed to the identified CHOs using Qualtrics Online SurveySoftware. Participants will receive an e-mail that introduces the researchers, brieflyoutlines the objectives of to the study and provides a link to the online survey instrument.

The participants will be given a one month time period to complete this survey. Thoseparticipants who not respond after initial contact will receive e-mails at the one-week,

and three-week marker.

The survey responses will be collected and stored electronically. The data will beanalyzed in terms of the research questions using the Statistical Package for the Social


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Sciences (SPSS). The researchers will also look for any differences in findings between

US and international institutions.

Researcher Agreement

The above-named researchers agree to provide semi-annual research updates theResearch Committee of ACUHO-I on the progress of this study. In addition, we agree to present

our finished work at the national or a regional ACUHO-I conference and/or submit an article for

publication consideration to theJournal of College and University Student Housingand/or theTalking Stickmagazine.

References

Clark, M. (2009, Jan./Feb.). Assessing assignments. Talking Stick, 32-35

DeCoster, D. A. (1979). Coeducational housing in colleges and universities: 1967 to 1978.

Journal of College and University Student Housing, 9, 6-9.

Miyamoto, T. (2006, May/June). No labels. Talking Stick, 21-24.

Miyamoto, T. (2007, March/April). On neutral ground: Where do we stand? Talking Stick, 42-

51.

Oliver, S., & Magura, K. (2011). Making gender-neutral housing work. Talking Stick, 28(6), 37-

43, 52.

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