Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia
Transgender and gender diverse (T&GD) people have an increasing profile in the public consciousness. In tertiary education it has become apparent that to give all students an equal chance to succeed in their studies, education providers must make changes to include T&GD students and staff. Over the past several years the University of Auckland has undertaken many initiatives in collaboration with a student group “Trans on Campus” to make academia more inclusive of T&GD people. The initiatives undertaken include formally recognizing T&GD identities as well as providing procedures and guidelines to ensure their safety. This paper identifies important steps that can be taken to make the academic environment welcoming for T&GD students and staff, as well as presenting examples where these steps have been successful.
Keywords: equity, inclusion, transgender and gender diverse (T&GD) people