Gender-Inclusive Housing at Wartburg College
The Department of Residence Life at Wartburg College is committed to offering comfortable, welcoming, and secure housing options for all students. Gender-inclusive housing is a policy that allows differing genders or sex to inhabit the same suite/townhouse within Knights Village, the Waverly Manors, or the Residence. Specific bedrooms will still be gender specific within the gender-inclusive townhouse. Wartburg College dedicated to providing inclusive housing options for students who feel uncomfortable living in a gender specific room, suite, or townhouse. Wartburg respects the privacy of all students and will not require students to provide a reason for wanting to live in a gender-inclusive housing option; however, this housing option does not allow romantic couples to house together.
Gender-Inclusive housing is available to all students eligible to live in Knights Village, the Manors, and the Residence. Returning students may submit an application during the room lottery selection in the winter semester. When submitting the application, each prospective student must sign and agree to the terms of the application for gender-inclusive housing. Transfer students that are eligible for Knights Village, the Waverly Manors, or the Residence will be contacted about this opportunity to provide housing that best fits the student’s needs.
Students wanting to participate in gender-inclusive housing within the Residence must submit the form at the time of application for living in the Residence.
Gender-Inclusive Housing Policy
The following policy and conditions are applicable to students who elect to live in a gender-inclusive townhouses and suites within tKnights Village, the Manors, and the Residence on the Wartburg College Campus.
- Students may choose to request suitemates of any gender.
- Roommates must be of the same gender within their suite/townhouse.
- The Residential Life Department will only honor those requests made by all parties living within the same suite/townhouse.
- Only students with eligibility to live in Knights, the Waverly Manors, and the Residence are allowed to apply for gender-inclusive housing in these living communities.
- Returning students must apply with their prospective roommate and suitemates following all of the same processes and deadlines of all students entering the housing lottery.
- Students will not be required to disclose their reasons for opting to live in gender-inclusive housing, although romantic relationships within the same suite/townhouse are not permitted according to “Wartburg College’s Cohabitation Policy.”
- Students will not be assigned to gender-inclusive suites/townhouses unless they have completed the necessary paperwork in accordance with the policy. Although we, as Wartburg College, understand that each individual is of consenting age, (18 years or older) we do encourage our student to speak with their parents or guardians about living in a gender-inclusive housing.
- When living in a suite/townhouse style room, conflicts are common. We strongly encourage our applicants for gender-inclusive housing to choose suitemates based on common room etiquette and utilize a roommate contract. Room change requests due to roommate conflicts will be addressed the same as any other conflict.
- With the instance of a vacancy within a suite/townhouse that is gender-inclusive, the vacancy can be filled with the same gender that vacated due to gender specific rooms. All parties must again be in agreeance to the addition of a new individual to the gender-inclusive suite/townhouse. This student must also be eligible to live in Knights Village, the Waverly Manors, and the Residence in accordance to that residence policy. Failure to accept a new roommate without valid concerns will result in a single room charge to the room that has the vacancy.
- Any suite/townhouse within Knights Village, the Waverly Manors, and the Residence can be gender-inclusive. This avoids segregation to all students eligible for Knights Village, the Waverly Manors, and the Residence. The default suite/townhouse in Knights Village, the Waverly Manors, and the Residence will be single-gender unless the students draw for a suite/townhouse request that it is gender-inclusive. Once a suite/townhouse is designated gender-inclusive, it will continue to be gender-inclusive until the students no longer inhabit that suite/townhouse.
- Gender neutral bathrooms exist in Knights Village, the Waverly Manors, and the Residence townhouses presently. Knights Village, the Waverly Manors, and the Residence have in-house bathrooms and showers which offer personal privacy with the availability to lock when in use.
Cohabitation Policy
Cohabitation (living within a dorm room, suite, or townhouse) is not permitted for couples who have a romantic relationship at Wartburg College. This is regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity. If a romantic relationship is discovered between roommates or suitemates within a gender-inclusive room, then Residence Life may alter visitation access or enforce a room change.