Transgender Students' Experience and Implications for Campus Policy and Procedure

• In Event: 56.018 - Negotiating Academic Spaces

Abstract

Recent events coupled with the “Dear Colleague” letter released by the Departments of Education and Justice in May of 2016 emphasize the need to understand and address transgender student issues on campus and in the classroom. Research by Tinto (2012), found that students’ classroom experience and interactions with faculty have a significant impact on their ability to succeed in college. Yet, many faculty lack the training, education, and experience to meet the needs of transgender students. Utilizing a qualitative phenomenological approach, the researcher interviewed 10 undergraduate transgender students at a 4-year public university to understand how they assessed the behavior of faculty and peers in the college classroom, and how they were impacted by federal and campus policies and procedures.

Author

• Tara Lewis, Texas A&M University - Commerce