Housing & Residence Life is committed to providing a safe, inclusive, and supportive experience for all students. We offer a variety of housing options to ensure our residence halls provide a supportive space for residents of all gender and sexual identities and expressions.
Rainbow Floor
For individuals and allies within the LGBTQIA+ community to live together. The Rainbow floor on Marilyn Karlgaard Tower eighth floor and the Oak Ridge Hall Rainbow pod offer a safe, inclusive living community for the full spectrum of queer identities and allies. The trans and gender non-conforming (TGNC) floor, on Marilyn Karlgaard Tower seventh floor, offers what our TGNC students have been asking for: an opportunity to live amongst individuals who share the TGNC experience, in a safe, inclusive community. The Rainbow Floor is also a Living Learning Community.
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Individuals may select any of these living community preferences within the housing contract and if a random roommate is elected, assignments are completed randomly without regard to assigned sex, gender identity or expression, or sexuality.
Members of the Rainbow Floor communities commit to the following expectations:
- I commit to maintaining an inclusive and welcoming living environment that is free of discrimination based on gender identity and expression, assigned sex, sexual orientation, or any other form of identity.
- I will respect all residents of the floor and their guests. I will strive to understand equity, diversity, and inclusion, as well as all sexual and romantic orientations and gender identities.
- I understand that living on this floor does not indicate a specific assigned sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity.
- I will be willing to learn about and respect community member's comfort levels in regard to disclosure of personal identity/ies and privacy.
- I will be aware of, and responsible for, my own language and behavior. I will strive to use inclusive language will be open to conversations therein.
In relation to room changes, assignments, and filling vacant spaces in a room, I understand the following:
- Students will be assigned to the Rainbow Floors if they preference any of these communities, or if all other spaces within UWEC residence halls have been filled and space is needed to place students.
- If a roommate leaves the room and community, UWEC Housing reserves the right to consolidate and/or fill the vacancy with another student who has expressed interest in these floors.
- Failure to adhere to the community living standards, and/or exhibiting behavior that is contrary to the spirit of this community, may result in reassignment to a residence hall room outside the Rainbow Floors. The residence hall contract will remain in effect in cases where the student is removed from any of these communities as the contract is for any available space within Housing.
- Assignment on these floors is based on availability, and a student’s expressed interest to live in these communities does not guarantee such assignment by the University.
Inclusive Housing Apartments and Suites
A comfortable and safe living environment for transfer and returning students embracing suitemates of all gender identities, gender expressions, and sexualities. Living spaces are not designated by assigned sex or gender identity; we encourage students to match with whomever they feel will result in a positive, safe housing experience. We encourage LGBTQIA+ students and allies to select these living areas.
Students may elect a roommate preference of any assigned sex as a roommate. Students interested in Gender Inclusive Housing do need to establish a roommate group that can fill all available spaces within the designated unit. If a vacancy occurs within the unit, the roommate group will be provided a timeline to find a new roommate. If a new roommate is not found, then Housing reserves the right to re-assign the unit to the majority assigned sex and re-assign the other students to other available campus spaces.
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