Written by special contributor
Everything around us is in a constant state of change. And so are we. Your university experience may be the first time in your life that you venture out from your home and family. How you choose to embark on that adventure is completely up to you.
We understand that students may also take on deeply personal physical, emotional, and mental transformations and Campus Housing is here to support you. We want all students to feel welcome and safe living in our residences, beginning with where you are assigned to live in residence and access to all-gender bathrooms.
In close cooperation with the Waterloo Undergraduate Student Association and the Glow Centre, the University of Waterloo is making campus more inclusive for Two-Spirit, Trans, Non-Binary, and Gender Non-Conforming members of the campus community by increasing access to all-gender washrooms, both on campus and in residence.
Each first-year residence building has at least one all-gender washroom in our central complex area to use when studying and hanging out with friends, dining at an eatery, or visiting a front desk. Claudette Millar Hall has all-gender washrooms on each floor to use as your regular washroom space if living there. Our other first-year residence communities (dorm-style and suite-style) are organized by gender, where students who identify as female live together, and students who identify as male live together. If you wish to not disclose your gender, we will never ask you to. We will reach out to you directly to identify locations that may work best for you.
If you are thinking of applying to one of the University Colleges that are part of the First-Year Residence Guarantee, they will also work to accommodate your needs in the safest, most comfortable way possible, and we encourage you to reach out to their teams.
If you would like to speak with someone before completing the First-Year Guarantee Residence Application, please email us at housing@uwaterloo.ca and we will connect you with our Residence Life team who are ready to support you and will find you the space in residence that works best for you.
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