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Trans and Non-Binary Resources

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Student diversity, including gender identities and sexual orientations, is central to our mission of creating a truly multi-cultural and inclusive artist community, promoting cross-cultural sharing and learning.

The Faculty & Staff Queer Alliance (FASQA), in partnership with the Office of Culture & Identity, has compiled this document to support transgender students during their time at MICA. If you have any questions or suggestions, please email fasqa@mica.edu. 

Maryland Institute College of Art is committed to its policy of providing equal opportunity regardless of race, color, creed, national origin, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, marital status, age, or disability.

Content on this page:

Names and ID Questions

Your preferred name is used when generating your email address, ID card, and will also appear on all class rosters.

You can change your preferred name at any time online through the MICA Student Service Center. Select the personal information and demographic data links, and then edit your name. 

The college is required to follow federal policies regarding legal names as they relate to the official academic record and financial aid. Because of this, changes to a permanent name can only be done through Enrollment Services with appropriate legal documentation.

  • Your legal name is listed on your instructor’s class rosters (along with the preferred name), as well as on your academic transcript and financial aid information.
  • If you are a student employee and have your preferred name entered in Workday (employment system at MICA), the preferred name will be displayed. However, if the preferred name is not entered in the system, the legal name will be displayed.

Admitted Students can contact MICA Undergraduate Records at records@mica.edu prior to matriculating (Before they are eligible to register for classes) to reflect a legal name change if they initially applied under a previous legal name.

 

 Student IDs use your preferred name from your student record.

If you wish to change your preferred name after a MICA ID has been issued (i.e. after Orientation), please contact Campus Safety at 410-225-2355 or email campussafety@mica.edu and they will be happy to reissue the card at no cost.

If for some reason you are being asked to pay for a name change on your ID, please contact fasqa@mica.edu.  

 

Usernames and email addresses use the preferred name, and are created as soon as a student becomes active; usually several months before actually attending classes.

If you wish to change your preferred name after an email address has been generated for you (sdoe@mica instead of jdoe@mica), please contact the MICA Help desk at help@mica.edu for assistance.

Please be aware that the original email account (e.g. jdoe@mica.edu) still exists in the system and is searchable.

Any mail that gets sent to that account gets rerouted to the new email (sdoe@mica.edu). However, you cannot log into MICA.EDU or access the student portal with the previous account name.

 

In your final semester before graduation, you will be asked to confirm the name you wish to have printed on your diploma and on the commencement program. All students will do this online as part of the graduation application process, and MICA will print the preferred name (first name and/or last name) you choose.

Gender Inclusive Restrooms 

MICA has many gender-inclusive bathrooms. See MICA’s Restroom Access Policy for more.

 

Single-Stall Restrooms

Multi-Stall Restrooms
1210 Mt. Royal 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Floors -
1212 Mt. Royal 1st Floor  
15/15 1st Floor (2 stalls) -
1501 Mt. Royal Lower Lobby (Fitness Center) & 1st Floor (Health Center--6 stalls) -
Annex Building Lower Lobby, 1st, and 3rd floors 
 -
Art Tech 2nd & 3rd Floors (3 stalls) -
Brown Center - 4th Floor
Bunting Center 4th Floor (2 stalls) 4th Floor
Decker Library (Lower Level)
Bungalow 1st Floor (1 stall) -
Dolphin Design Center 2nd Floor (1 stall)
3rd Floor (1 stall)
4th Floor (1 stall)		 -
Founder's Green (Latrobe Hall ) 1st Floor (1 stall)
 -
Fox Building 1st Floor (1 stall) 2nd Floor
Gateway 2nd Floor (1 stall) -
Lazarus Center - 3rd Floor
Main Building 2nd & 3rd Floors (2 stalls)
 -
Meyerhoff House 1st Floor (2 stalls), inside Student Engagement and by the gallery space -
MICA Store 1 stall  
Mt. Royal Station 1st & 2nd Floors (3 stalls) -
Station Building Mezzanine (near elevator)  

Residential restrooms are single-use restrooms in the Residential Halls (Founders Green, Meyerhoff House, Gateway).

 

Other Frequently Asked Questions

FASQA will perioidically offer MICA SafeZONE training, an introductory workshop about the LGBTQ community designed to promote a more welcoming atmosphere for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning (LGBTQ), and ally members of the MICA community. The program is a visible network of allies who support MICA’s LGBTQ community. The display of a SafeZONE sticker indicates that the person named on it has been through training to assist you with LGBTQ concerns. You should feel free to ask them for assistance. 

 

 

 

If you are a victim of, observe, or have knowledge of a Hate Crime, you can submit an incident report form so the appropriate campus partners/resources will be notified and/or have faculty/staff be addressed. 

Certain information on a student’s school record is considered FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act) protected. This can include a student’s transgender status, pronouns, name, or gender assigned at birth. Disclosure of such information by faculty or staff at MICA to other students, unauthorized guardians, or the public at large can be in violation of this policy. If there has been a violation of FERPA in connection to your time at campus, you are able to make a report to the Department of Education. We also recommend that you submit an incident report form, if applicable, in order to allow for appropriate institutional action and change.

 

The college is required to follow federal policies regarding legal sex. One example includes that the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission requires that institutions provide data to them reflecting a M/F gender binary, so certain forms may ask for you to choose an M/F binary sex (even if this doesn’t reflect your legal sex or gender).

Changes to Legal Sex: Changes to legal sex are done through Enrollment Services with appropriate legal documentation.  Admitted Students can contact MICA Undergraduate Records at records@mica.edu BEFORE matriculating (before they are eligible to enroll in classes) to reflect a change in legal sex if they initially applied under their previous legal sex.

Gender Identity: When possible, MICA utilizes Gender Identity rather than Legal Sex.

 

A lot of forms and digital programs and systems used within higher education haven’t caught up with the Federal and State inclusion of an ‘X’ as an option for legal sex/gender. You may see this reflected on programs, UI, and systems that MICA utilizes. If you are unable to select your legal sex/gender on a required online form during your time at MICA, please contact MICA’s Help Desk (help@mica.edu) to report the issue.

 

As mentioned in the legal sex and gender section, MICA is required, in some areas, to report binary gender data for legal compliance, which may result in forms and documents asking for you to select an inaccurate legal sex/gender. Resolution surrounding this situation may reflect similar guidance (if applicable) to Selective Service Guidance which asks for inquirers to refer to the legal sex that was documented on their pre-amended/original birth certificate.

 

Good news! Maryland is a state that prohibits the exclusion of transgender healthcare from insurance plans.

If you have questions about MICA Student Health Insurance Coverage surrounding Transgender Healthcare, please contact MICA’s Student Health Plan administrator, QM Services, directly at 1-800-273-1715-ext 2.

FASQA recommends being ready with your Insurance Information, as well as receiving prior support from Chase Brexton’s Center for LGBT Health Equity to approach that conversation with support and confidence. 

If you require time away from a class, time away from school obligations, or learning accommodations due to a transgender-related healthcare need (surgery, mental health), MICA has a system of support for you. Please get in contact with MICA’s Student Development Team (part of the MICA Health and Wellness team alongside Student Health Services, Student Counseling Center, MICA Fitness, and Health Promotion) to receive additional support. This administrative and logistical support can look like:

  • Support in communicating with faculty surrounding class absences around healthcare, or learning accommodations after a surgery or procedure.
  • Support in academic success surrounding obstacles related to compounding mental health and environmental issues related to your transgender status.
  • Support in taking a leave of absence from the school to support your health and safety surrounding obstacles related to transition or your status as a transgender individual.

 

Guidance from the Department of Education as well as the Federal Government continues to evolve and be clarified regarding Title IX (Sex Discrimination) and Title VII (Civil Rights) protections for Transgender Students and Employees*. If you are subject to, observe, or have knowledge of violations connected to Title IX or Title VII*, you can submit a MICA incident report form so the appropriate campus partners/resources will be notified.

Title IX complainants, as well as respondents, will be provided due process. For more information about the Title IX team on campus and mandates around Title IX, please refer to MICA’s Title IX Team Page.  

If confidential processing is an avenue that feels safer, and more manageable: Awareness of MICA’s policies around who is a mandated reporter or a responsible employee, and identifying who on campus is a completely confidential resource will empower any student to approach the next steps with confidence and intention. 

Important heads up! Some students are mandated reporters. While you may expect that only faculty and staff are eligible to be mandated reporters/responsible employees, some student leaders can also be included under those umbrellas.

If you believe MICA has violated Title IX, through its handling of a Title IX report, you can submit a report to the Office of Civil Rights at the Department of Education.

If you experienced discrimination based on your gender identity or expression through your employment* at MICA, you can also file a Complaint (through Title VII) through the Baltimore Community Relations Commission.

*Title VII covers employees. This is included due to students' capacity to be employed by MICA as a part of their campus/community experience. For clarity/guidance, this does include Federal Work-Study positions, which have been determined to be covered by Title VII.

Title VII does NOT COVER:

  • Resident Advisors
  • Stipend-Based Student Leadership Positions (iLEAD positions, Community Art and Service Placements)
  • Volunteer roles

However, these positions are still covered and protected under Title IX. 

 

See more about this here.  

 

Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming people have different protections depending on where they are in the United States. This can show up through state laws and local laws. This can also show up based on where they work or seek education (Private versus Public institutions) Transgender MICA students could encounter issues of safety, celebration, and support in example situations such as:

If you encounter related or similar issues intersecting with your time MICA, please contact Student Affairs, where you can work to determine what type of assistance might be available to you and where.

The Office of Student Affairs

Bunting Center, Suite 260

410-225-2422 

studentaffairs@mica.edu

 

Transgender Students eligible for financial aid through FAFSA who also have legal documentation or a history of being legally ‘Male’ before the age of 25 may encounter challenges in administrative processes surrounding FAFSA due to their enrollment (or lack of enrollment) in Selective Service. The Selective Service System states:

“US citizens or immigrants who are born male and changed their gender to female are still required to register. Individuals who are born female and changed their gender to male are not required to register....Transgender students are welcome to call us at 888-655-1825 regarding their registration requirements if they need a status information letter from Selective Service that clarifies whether or not they are exempt from the registration requirement. Individuals who have changed their gender to male will be asked to complete a Status Information Letter (SIL) request form and provide a copy of their birth certificate. Keep your original SIL and send copies to state-based financial aid institutions if needed.”

Currently, the Selective Service System does not provide guidance for individuals under the age of 25 whose original birth certificate indicates an “X” gender marker or who changed their Birth Certificate to reflect an “X” gender marker regardless of their original status.

 

Office of Culture and Identity

MICA facilitates a safe space for students to obtain information, engage in dialogue, and acquire resources and support essential to their success through the Office of Culture and Identity and a myriad of other offices. MICA strives to be a welcoming community and is continuing to create policies and guidelines to help students navigate their time spent here.

MICA Offices to Support You

The Student Counseling Center at MICA is a supportive, safe space for students of all sexual orientations and gender identities. Whether you are questioning, in the process of transitioning, or identify as transgender or gender fluid, we can provide short-term counseling and can also help in finding more specialized medical or counseling services in the community, if needed. We do not provide recommendations for healthcare access, like top surgery, but we can connect students with resources such as, nearby Chase Brexton Medical Center and their Center for LGBTQ Health Equity.

Student Counseling 
MICA Wellness Center, Lower Level
1501 W. Mount Royal Avenue
Baltimore, MD 21217 
410-225-2367

 

The Office of Student Affairs offers individual support to students to assist them in succeeding at MICA, including consultation on medical and personal issues affecting academic performance. Students find that Student Affairs is a helpful place to ask general questions and determine what type of assistance might be available to them.


The Office of Student Affairs
Bunting Center, Suite 260
410-225-2422 
studentaffairs@mica.edu

 

The Residence Life & Off-Campus Housing Office is supportive and accepting of all of our students and will accept special requests based on gender or sexuality and make accommodations whenever possible. On the housing portal, students provide what gender (self-identified) they are comfortable living with. For students experiencing their first year at mica (incoming first-year, transfer), students must live with students of the same self-identified gender.

Office of Residence Life & Off-Campus Housing Founders Green 
120 McMechen Street 
Baltimore, MD 21217
(410) 225-2398
residencelife@mica.edu

 

The Office of Culture and Identity is a safe space for all students with an emphasis on students of color and sexual minorities. Students are able to obtain information, engage in dialogue, and acquire resources and support essential to their success at MICA. This philosophy is based on fostering recognition, inclusion, and respect for the voices of all students.


The Office of Culture and Identity 
81 Mosher, 2nd floor
443-552-1659
diversity@mica.edu

 

MICA Student Health Services is provided by Chase Brexton, known for its culturally competent healthcare, including services based on gender identities and sexual orientations. Chase Brexton manages MICA’s on-site location for all students. On-campus services include maintenance of current hormone therapy treatment plans. Initial consultations must be with a primary care physician.


MICA Student Wellness Center
1501 W. Mount Royal Ave. , 2nd Floor
Baltimore, MD 21217 
Phone 410-225-4118 
healthservices@mica.edu 

 

The MICA Faculty and Staff Queer Alliance (FASQA) is comprised of staff and faculty members that volunteer and meet on a regular basis for event planning, fundraising, networking, and socializing. They also serve in a mentor capacity to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) student community at MICA. A FASQA Award has been created to recognize demonstrated involvement, student achievement, and contributions to the LGBTQIA community. Two prizes are awarded annually to be given in the Spring semester. Applications are available in October/November of each year.

For more information, email: fasqa@mica.edu
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