Colorado Mesa University has not changed their policies or ways to help students with unique needs on campus. This includes dietary needs, medical and housing needs. For years they have worked with individuals and provided necessary changes for their own needs.
“We have students who have unique needs and unique experiences,” Vice President of Academic Affairs, John Marshall said. “We are a small city inside an even bigger city, so we are a diverse place.”
This year a gender inclusive suite inside Lucero Hall has received more recognition than previous years. This is not the first year that CMU has dealt with gender specific housing challenges and this is not the first all inclusive gender dorm.
“What I think has changed over time has been culturally the conversation around LBGTQ issues and I would say more awareness and more broad awareness of those issues,” Marshall said, “Whereas five years ago we would have solved that issue without a lot of fan fare; today I think there is more of an expectation that the institution is prepared to respond and the reality is we are today and we were then, but the conversation has changed in the community in some regards.”
Over the years, CMU has figured out ways to improve facilities, make adjustments or move rooms for those students that need something different from traditional needs.
“To ensure we are giving a good experience to all our students, even those who come to us with more specific needs,” Marshall said.
Marshall explained that listening to students’ needs has been the most important aspect to helping each individual.
“What I have found over the last few years is that we have been able to listen and learn in a way that helps us,” Marshall said, “Today if you call the office and say I am going to be entering as a first time freshmen and not really comfortable in traditional gender housing, our response is ‘no problem.’ We have the ability and thought through what a gender inclusive suite looks like for the institution.”
Not only have individual students helped the University learn and grow in gender inclusive housing and all inclusive attributes of the college, but the Gay Straight Alliance organization on campus has also been helpful in speaking up so that University can make changes.
“We’ve learned scenarios where we can get better where we didn’t provide as good as experience as we could have,” Marshall said. “And while you never want to make mistakes, the reality is that is where we get better and where we improve.”
CMU will set up gender inclusive suites as there is a demand for them and try and meet the needs of the individual students that have voiced that traditional housing would not be a fit for them. The goal is to include every student and give the best experience they can.
“We want those students to be included and not set off in some special dorm somewhere. We want them to be able to benefit from the same experiences other students do,” Marshall said.
Last year a transgender student was transitioning and therefore needed housing changes at the beginning of the year. CMU was able to work through it with the student.
This is not the first year CMU has made adjustments and changes to make a student feel more comfortable in a dorm. This is just now a larger deal than it was several years ago. CMU plans to keep improving and doing what they can to give all students with unique needs, or not, a good experience. They do this by meeting with GSA and individual students.
“Our policies are only as good as the job we do listening to our students,” Marshall said, “We will just need to continue being good listeners.”
