“Justice is what love looks like in public” ~ Cornel West

The Gender Inclusive Housing (GIH) option will provide a welcoming space for students to choose their roommates, regardless of gender, to promote a healthy and safe living and learning environment. GIH allows students to live in an environment where they can express their gender or sexual orientation in a way that is true to themselves in a safe and supported way. If you have questions about gender-identity, gender expression, or transgender student support, please contact the Program Coordinator for Gender and Sexuality Student Services, Dre Duvendack (aduve2@uis.edu), in the Gender and Sexuality Student Services office in the Student Life Building.

If selected for the GIH, you agree to and acknowledge the following:

  • You enter this living arrangement of your own volition and agree to do so for the relevant contract period.
  • You agree that GIH is not intended for romantic partners.
  • You agree to provide feedback to Residence Life through surveys, open forums, and other means to help us develop and improve the GIH experience when asked.
  • Should you or one of your roommates leave the unit before the end of the contract, the remaining students will be asked to find a new resident to take the space of the student who vacates, or accept another student interested in serving as a replacement.
  • If no one is found to fill the empty space, those residents remaining could collectively assume financial responsibility for the departed person or be relocated to a non-gender-neutral unit should there be a demand for those spaces.
  • Should you (or any roommate) prove incapable of adjusting to this community, fail to adhere to contractual terms and conditions set by Residence Life, or are found to be non-compliant with the student code of conduct, you may be relocated or your continued participation voided as needed.

How to Apply:

  • Submit a written request to Residence Life (reslife@uis.edu). Requests submitted will receive consideration for assignment based on availability. Your request should include a statement of interest, your rationale as to how this living arrangement will support your individual academic success, and contribute to your overall personal growth and development.
  • You will also need to fill out our Gender Inclusive Housing Agreement and submit it to Residence Life (reslife@uis.edu). For your request to be reviewed you must submit both the written request and Gender Inclusive Housing Agreement at the same time.
Gender Inclusive Housing Agreement