You are here: American University Student Affairs Housing & Residence Life All-Gender Housing

Back to top

All-Gender Housing

We offer All-Gender Housing as an option to ensure AU's Residence Life is a supportive space for students of all gender identities and expressions. All-Gender Housing allows students to reside with other students regardless of sex assigned at birth, gender, gender identity, or gender expression.

This option is intended for students who wish to share a room and/or suite (if applicable) with other students of any gender identity. Note that with the exception of specifically designated all-female housing locations, buildings and floors within all communities are co-ed. Choosing All-Gender Housing means your roommate(s) and suite mates will have opted into All-Gender Housing. 

Opting in to All-Gender Housing is optional. Students who do not opt in will receive a single-gender housing assignment directed by the birth sex that is on file and will be assigned a roommate with the same birth sex. (Definition: For the purposes of Housing and Residence Life, sex is a term referring to the legal sex of a person).

Offering an All-Gender Housing option to all students, allows increased choice in selecting roommates. It affords students maximum responsibility for their own room assignment and is consistent with the University’s commitment to learning through students’ active decision-making and engagement in the learning environment.

How to Apply

Students will indicate their desire for this option through the AU Housing Portal’s housing application. No response to this question will default to a single-gender housing assignment. Students who indicate "yes" to this option will be presented other students within their specific community/class designation that have also opted-in to All-Gender Housing. Opting-in to All-Gender Housing has no impact on the housing options available to you. 

Gender-Based Housing Considerations Request

In partnership with the Center for Diversity & Inclusion, Housing & Residence Life recognize that some transgender and non-binary students may have concerns that are not addressed by the above resources. Housing & Residence Life and the Center for Diversity and Inclusion are committed to finding appropriate and affirming housing for all students. We address individual needs on a case-by-case basis via our Gender-Based Housing Considerations Process. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Housing & Residence Life (HRL) recommends that students complete the entire housing application by themselves and share any housing information with their families should they desire. HRL communicates assignment information directly to students through their AU email account and will not disclose application information to anyone but the student.

HRL will need to maximize the use of all available spaces on campus. We will work with the current occupant(s) to identify solutions such as placement of a student who has confirmed interest in all-gender housing. Just as with any vacancy, residents cannot refuse a roommate placement if the student is interested in an All-Gender Housing option. If no interested student can be identified to fill the vacancy, HRL may re-designate the room as gender specific. This may involve an administrative reassignment of some or all students to other spaces within the system.

No, as long as the residents of the entire living unit (a bedroom for traditional halls or the entire suite/apartment for other housing styles) are in agreement to participate. It is important to note that not all residence halls have all-gender common area restrooms or private bathrooms.

Any student (first-year, transfer or upperclass) may opt into all-gender housing.

Though Housing discourages students of any sexual orientation who are in a relationship from living together in a residence hall room, we do not question the student’s intentions for wanting to opt-in to this program. Our expectation is that roommate matches last the entire academic year and for the roommate match to be just one of many relationships formed within and outside of the living community.

No additional forms or agreements are required. Residents of those units will participate in the same Roommate Living Agreement process facilitated by their Resident Assistant, as would any other living unit.

 

Bathroom Types in Traditional-style Residence Halls

Bathroom types in traditional style residence halls
Building Type of Bathroom How many people share? Single User Bathroom and Shower Available on the Floor? How Many Per Floor? ADA Accessible? Notes   

Anderson Hall

Multi-user bathroom. Gendered.

Whole floor

Yes

2

Yes

-

Hughes Hall

Multi-user bathroom. Gendered.

Whole floor

Yes

1

Yes

-

Leonard Hall

All-gender pod-style bathroom.

Whole floor

No

-

Yes

-

Letts Hall

Multi-user bathroom. Gendered.

Whole floor

Yes (3 floors only)

1

Yes

1 south, 2 South & 3 South only

*McDowell Hall

All-gender pod-style bathroom.

Whole floor

No

-

Yes

-

Roper Hall

Multi-user bathroom. Gendered.

Whole floor

Yes (1st floor only)

1

Yes

1st floor only

*Changes for McDowell Hall coming in the 2024-2025 academic year.