Gender Identity Resources
Davidson's commitment to diversity, access, and inclusivity is grounded in our college's Statement of Purpose and extends to the entire Davidson community.
Our policy is to admit qualified students and administer all educational, athletic, financial, and employment activities without discrimination based on race, color, gender, national origin, religion, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or any other status protected by applicable federal, state, or local law unless allowed by law and deemed necessary to the administration of the college's educational programs or operations.
This page provides information for transgender, transitioning, gender non-binary, and gender non-conforming students, alumni, and employees.
Interest Groups & Additional Resources
Davidson College provides a number of resources and networks for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and asexual and/or ally (LGBTQA) students, faculty, alumni and employees.
Explore Davidson's Student Affinity & Identity Groups
Through identity and affinity organizations, students can closely connect to their own backgrounds, as well as to the backgrounds of the students around them, through a vast array of clubs, organizations, and leadership opportunities. To that end, the college supports a number of student-led organizations that promote advocacy and acceptance of its students, faculty, and staff as well as members of the greater community.
Connect with the Davidson LGBTQ+ Alumni Network (DLAN)
The Davidson LGBTQ+ Alumni Network (DLAN) serves as a source of support, advocacy, visibility, and programming for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) alumni population of Davidson.
Explore Davidson's Faculty and Staff Affinity Groups
Davidson hosts a number of faculty and staff affinity groups including the LGBTQIA+ Caucus.
Admission
Primary Contact: Marlene Arellano, Associate Dean of Admission and Director of Admission Diversity and Inclusion, maarellano@davidson.edu
Using the Common, Coalition, or QuestBridge applications to Davidson, prospective students are asked to provide their legal sex - typically, this is an applicant's sex assigned at birth. All three application types will also offer applicants the opportunity to share their gender identity, pronouns, and preferred name. For applicants seeking financial aid, federal reporting standards require that the name and sex match what is on file with the Social Security Administration and the Selective Service System.
Student Housing
The Residence Life Office (RLO) and the Center for Student Diversity and Inclusion (CSDI) work together to provide Gender Inclusive Housing, a means to acknowledge and respect the various gender identities of our residents. The Residence Life Office makes it a priority for every student to feel welcome and safe in their living environment. Some students feel more comfortable in a living environment where students mutually agree to live in a housing area regardless of their gender identity. Gender Inclusive Housing offers a gender-integrated community to meet those needs. As such, students of different gender identities may share a room.
Currently, the Gender Inclusive Housing (GIH) community will be located in suites in base Duke Residence Hall is available to sophomore, junior and senior students participating in the on-campus housing lottery. All students interested in this housing option must apply during the spring semester via an application provided by the Residence Life Office. The selection of the residents for the community will be a joint decision between the Center for Student Diversity and Inclusion and the Residence Life Office. The residents selected for this community will be charged the double room rate to make the program accessible to all students. Incoming students (first-year and transfer students) should contact the Residence Life Office for gender inclusive housing options at rlo@davidson.edu.
Gender Inclusive Restrooms & Lactation Centers
At Davidson College, we strive to promote inclusive spaces for our community members and visitors. To assist in this inclusivity, we offer a map to locate all-gender bathrooms, gendered single-occupancy bathrooms and lactation stations around campus. Bathrooms that have gendered signage are indicated on the map.
Locations are color-coded as follows:
Blue = Public Access
Red = Access Open to Davidson College Faculty, Staff & Students
Purple = Access Varies
Yellow = Limited Access
Employee Health Insurance
Davidson College's health insurance plan includes coverage for qualified health services associated with gender reassignment. Any employee or employee's dependent with questions about this coverage can receive confidential assistance from Benefit Advocates, 866-677-8005.
Gender Identity and Student-Athletes
Participation in College Athletics
Davidson College follows the NCAA Policy on Transgender Student-Athlete Participation. This policy calls for the governing body of each sport to determine their own policy for the participation of transgender student-athletes. The NCAA explains the implementation of this policy as follows:
“Beginning Aug. 1, 2023, participation in NCAA sports requires transgender student-athletes to provide documentation that meets the sport-specific standard submitted twice annually (once at the beginning of the competition season and the second six months following) for one year. This process will continue annually for eligible student-athletes. For participation in NCAA championships, transgender athletes must additionally provide documentation of testosterone levels to the Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports with laboratory work completed within four weeks of the championship selections.”
If no national governing body exists for a sport, then the policy of the sport’s international federation should be followed. If neither a national or international governing body exists, the previously established International Olympic Committee policy criteria will be followed.
Transgender student-athletes who are seeking to understand the requirements of participation in their chosen sport should contact Senior Associate Director of Athletics Katy McNay.
For more information, please see the following resources:
- NCAA Transgender Student-Athlete Participation Policy
- International Olympic Committee Framework on Fairness, Inclusion and Non-Discrimination on the Basis of Gender Identity and Sex Variations
Locker Rooms
Every student-athlete may use the general locker rooms in which they feel most comfortable. Student-athletes may use their designated team locker rooms, which are team-specific but not gender specific. Any student-athlete may request private enclosed changing areas, showers, and toilets.
The LGBTQIA+ Student Resource Guide is a student-driven project implemented through Davidson College’s Center for Student Diversity and Inclusion. It is our collective hope that students can use this guide to easily access resources.
Change of Records
Students, alumni and employees who need their name changed within in college records and college documents can make this request to specific offices at the college depending on their role.
Primary Contact: Angie Dewberry, Registrar, andewberry@davidson.edu
A student's name of record at Davidson College is the legal name under which the student was admitted to the college.
Description of terms and how they apply to a student record:
- Preferred First Name: name by which the student prefers to be called. The student's preferred first and last name are listed on course rosters.
- First Name: legal first name
- Last Name: legal last name
- Full Legal Name: listed on the academic transcript
Preferred Name and Prefix Change
Any student who goes by a chosen or preferred name (other than their legal name) can submit the Name and Prefix Change Request Form to the Registrar's Office. No documentation is required to change or add a preferred name or prefix to a student's record. Please note there are a variety of systems across campus that contain names. Not all will be updated with this change. You will need to contact individual offices when you see the incorrect name displayed. If not obvious, the Registrar's Office may help determine the correct office to contact. The Controller's Office, for example, uses legal name by default but they will use preferred name upon request.
Legal Name Change
Students, former students, or graduates who wish to change their name on their official academic record, should complete a Name and Prefix Change Request Form and submit it to the Registrar's Office with a copy of a state or federally issued photo ID, such as a passport, driver's license, or permanent resident card showing usage of the requested name.
Individuals without one of these forms of ID may present two of the following documents as evidence for the request: a notarized marriage certificate or divorce decree, a court order documenting a name change, voter registration card, a Social Security card, or bank documents.
At the discretion of the Registrar, minor name changes (e.g. corrected spelling) may be made without additional documentation.
Diploma Name Change
Students or graduates who wish to have their chosen or preferred name (other than their legal name) displayed on their diploma should contact the Registrar's Office.
Gender Marker Change
Students, former students, or graduates who wish to change their gender marker on file with the college should submit a request to the Registrar's Office with a copy of a birth certificate or State or Federally issued identification card showing use of the requested gender marker.
Primary Contact: Kristen Tuttle, Director of Advancement Operations, krtuttle@davidson.edu
Preferred Name and Prefix Change
Alumni who go by a chosen or preferred name (other than their legal name) can submit their name and prefix change request to alumni@davidson.edu.
Legal Name Change
Alumni who have changed their legal name can update their alumni record by submitting a name change request to alumni@davidson.edu with a copy of a state or federally issued photo ID, such as a passport, driver's license, or permanent resident card showing usage of the requested name.
Individuals without one of these forms of ID may present two of the following documents as evidence for the request: a notarized marriage certificate or divorce decree, a court order documenting a name change, voter registration card, a Social Security card, or bank documents.
Gender Marker Change
Alumni who wish to change their gender marker should submit a request to alumni@davidson.edu.
Primary Contact: Lorraine Wright, Human Resources Data Coordinator, lowright@davidson.edu
Preferred Name and Prefix Change
Any employee who goes by a chosen or preferred name (other than their legal name) can submit the Name and Prefix Change Request Form to Human Resources. No documentation is required to change or add a preferred name or prefix to a student's record. Please note there are a variety of systems across campus that contain names. Not all will be updated with this change. You will need to contact individual offices when you see the incorrect name displayed. If not obvious, Human Resources may help determine the correct office to contact. The Controller's Office, for example, uses legal name by default but they will use preferred name upon request.
Legal Name Change
Employees who wish to change their official name of record at the College should complete a Name and Prefix Change Request Form and submit it to Human Resources with a copy of a state or federally issued photo ID, such as a passport, driver's license, or permanent resident card showing usage of the requested name.
Individuals without one of these forms of ID may present two of the following documents as evidence for the request: a notarized marriage certificate or divorce decree, a court order documenting a name change, voter registration card, a Social Security card, or bank documents.
At the discretion of Human Resources, minor name changes (e.g. corrected spelling) may be made without additional documentation.
Gender Marker Change
Employees who wish to change their gender marker should submit a request to Human Resources with a copy of a birth certificate or state or federally issued identification card showing use of the requested gender marker.