Dear Campus Community,
In the spring of this year, the Lawrence University Common Council (LUCC) passed a Gender Inclusive Facilities Resolution, calling for changing 33-66% of restrooms on campus to gender inclusive (varying by building ability and use). The resolution and results of a recent student poll make it evident that the Lawrence Community is strongly in favor of increasing the number and quality of gender inclusive restroom facilities across campus. In response to the resolution and in support of Lawrence’s commitment to promoting diversity and inclusion at all levels and in all spaces in our community, implementation of these changes has begun.
A baseline review of all restrooms on campus was conducted over the summer showing that eleven academic buildings and residence halls fell short of 33%. Meetings were held with building occupants, and recommendations were made and presented to Cabinet a few weeks ago. The changes in these buildings will involve only signage at this point. This is a fluid process in which retrofits to existing restrooms may happen over time but are not possible now. Signage will depict fixtures in each room such as toilet, urinal, shower and ADA accessibility. Additional temporary signs will be placed at each restroom, indicating the locations of the closest gender binary restrooms. Some signs are already in place, and the remaining signs will be installed on Thursday and Friday, September 26th and 27th, marking the official redesignation of each facility.
Current gender binary restrooms changing to gender inclusive are:
- Briggs: 2nd and 3rd floor men’s rooms
- Wellness Center: 2nd and 3rd floor men’s rooms
- Main Hall: 3rd floor women’s and men’s (1st floor restroom will revert to a women’s facility)
- Steitz: 3rd floor and lower level men’s
- Youngchild: 2nd floor men’s
- Library: 3rd floor women’s and men’s
- Warch: 2nd floor women’s and men’s during the school year
- Music Drama: Shattuck lower level, women’s and men’s
- Brokaw: 3rd floor men’s, 4th floor men’s changes to GI and women’s changes to men’s
- Sage: 2nd and 3rd floor women’s and men’s
- Colman North: 1st floor women’s by 126, 1st floor men’s by 121 changes to women’s
Click for the complete list of all gender inclusive restrooms on the Lawrence University campus
Please contact me with any questions or thoughts as we move forward with these changes. We are open to feedback that informs the Lawrence community about any improvement we can make to support an inclusive environment for everyone.
Christopher Lee – Vice President for Finance and Administration