COLIN PERRY
News Editor
Every student at Fredonia begins each semester by filling out surveys proctored by the administration — usually something as simple as checking a box or confirming that, yes, you are actually attending college. New this semester is another survey students must fill out, one that marks a major stride toward inclusivity across the campus by featuring questions about gender identity, sexual orientation and other information that, before now, was never asked for.
According to Chief Diversity Officer Bill Boerner, the anonymous survey is part of a SUNY-wide initiative to better engage with different student populations within the system.
“It might provide us with some general data about information that we’ve never really collected,” he said. “We don’t collect data about sexual orientation. We’re technically collecting gender in the binary information, but not what we here at Fredonia think of in regard to gender being [fluid].”
Boerner said that other steps are being taken at Fredonia to ensure greater student inclusion. One example is a policy currently being drafted which would assist with the usage of someone’s preferred primary name in matters related to classes or the university, and an accompanying pilot program allowing students to set their own names.
Some students were pleasantly surprised to see the university address its population in such a wide-reaching manner. Sophomore childhood inclusive education major Tessa Moran said she first became aware of the problems trans students face on campus, like gendered bathrooms or improper name usage, in her Queer Studies in Literature class last semester.
“After taking that class and hearing stories from other students, I think we have a long way to go and I think [the survey] was a step in the right direction,” she said.
However, the survey has also invited some controversy. Jennifer Hildebrand, professor of history and co-chair of the Primary Names Committee, noted in, an email, that concerns have been raised about data security and the role gender fluidity plays in the responses, as well as some of the language used.
“[Some] have noted that by including ‘man’ and ‘woman’ as gender identities, the survey privileges the gender identity of those persons who identify with the gender that they were assigned at birth by suggesting that it is the ‘normal’ way to identify,” Hildebrand said. “People who identify within the gender binary but feel that their identity aligns with the opposite gender to the one they were assigned at birth are asked to use the label ‘trans man’ or ‘trans woman,’ which some feel is ‘otherizing.’”
Hildebrand also said that the limited answers and prompts for students in the survey prevents students from being able to communicate their own wants or needs to the school.
“If we want to collect the best information about what our students need, and if we want those students to truly believe that their campuses want them to feel welcome, comfortable and safe, then it seems to me that we need to find a way to allow those students to share their suggestions and to help shape whatever changes may be implemented,” she said.
Some, like Boerner, see the steps being taken at Fredonia to promote greater inclusivity as part of a trend in higher education altogether, one that has been evolving for years.
“It takes time,” Boerner said. “There’s cultural shifts, there’s coalition building, there’s the demonstration of need for support. We’re there. We’ve been there now for quite some time, so it may just be catching up policies.”
Boerner said he has yet to see the results of the survey, but expects it to have many potential applications in the future.
“It has potential to say, ‘What else are we doing to support students in that grouping, [or] what can we do programmatically or policy-wise, education and curriculum-wise?’ Are we feeling like we’re serving the students that are actually here?”
The survey ultimately is seen by many as another step in ensuring that Fredonia is committed to being supportive for all individuals.
“There are a lot of people here at Fredonia who are very dedicated to gender inclusion,” Hildebrand said. “Students, faculty, and staff are making incredibly generous contributions of their time, knowledge and energy to make Fredonia a safe space for everyone.”