LGBTQIA+ Resources

Welcome to the Arcadia University page on LGBTQIA+ resources! Here you will be able to find on and off-campus resources, as well as contact information and guides to additional assistance at Arcadia. If you are unable to find a resource that you are looking for, please contact the Office of Access, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion at aedi@arcadia.edu or use the Suggestion and Inquiry Box in the sidebar.

The Office of Access, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion and the Office of Student Affairs are able to offer assistance. Additionally, there are many members of the Arcadia community who can help you. Should you need assistance from any of the offices below, feel free to reach out directly to the people identified below. Please note this list below may change. This is an update as of June 13, 2022.

The Office of Access, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, with assistance from Facilities, maintains a list of locations and conditions. Arcadia University ensures the right of all Arcadia community members and guests to self-determine and use facilities that reflect one’s identity.

The following list has been created to communicate with the Arcadia University community about the locations of private and/or gender-neutral restrooms on campus. This list can be used as a resource for students particularly of the LGBTQ+ communities who need/prefer single occupancy or gender inclusive restrooms. There are currently 26 gender-inclusive restrooms on campus. This information was last updated on June 13, 2022.

If you have questions, or find that this list is incorrect, please contact aedi@arcadia.edu for help.

Residence & Commuter Life seeks to create inclusive, welcoming environments for all students. If you identify as a transgender student, you may have some questions about what housing options we have for you. Contact housing@arcadia.edu or 215-572-4026 to speak with a RCL staff member.

The Office of Civic and Global Engagement (OCGE) works with students to provide global educational opportunities and find the best fit with the most appropriate program, whether it’s studying abroad for a semester or international experiences such as Preview and Global Field Study Courses. There may be individual country or cultural considerations that need to be explored with due care for the individual. Students will work with a study abroad advisor for a particular country or the program manager for short-term international experiences. Please contact studyaway@arcadia.edu for more information.

Arcadia University provides a variety of services for students who would like academic and personal support. If you are experiencing personal or academic difficulties or have concerns you wish to discuss with someone, a number of individuals are available to provide assistance. For concerns of a more personal nature, you are encouraged to talk with a counselor from Counseling Services. You can make an appointment by calling 215-572-2967. Services provided are confidential and free to all full-time undergraduate and graduate students. Part-time students are eligible for services at a low cost fee per session. Counseling Services is open Monday to Friday from 8:00am-5:00pm and select evening appointments from 5pm-7pm (by appointment only).

Additionally, Counseling Services offers a variety of support groups that meets weekly. Queer Space is a queer and trans centered drop-in counseling support group. Meetings are held on Tuesdays at 3:00 pm (Fall 2022 location TBD). This support group offers a safe space for students to explore and discuss LGBTQIA+ related issues including gender, family, current events, identity expression, and to make connections with others on campus

Questions? Contact Cynthia Rutherford at rutherforc@arcadia.edu. To find out more information, view their information sheet here.

For more resources and assistance regarding queer and trans friendly counseling resources, please visit the Counseling Services website.

Any Arcadia University student, faculty, or staff member may choose to be identified within the University community with a chosen first name that may differ from the individual’s legal first name. Honoring and facilitating the use of an individual’s chosen name is a critical way for Arcadia to remain an inclusive and welcoming environment.

Arcadia students who wish to use a chosen first name should initiate this process on the Chosen Name Request Form. A person’s chosen first name will appear instead of, or in addition to, the person’s legal first name in University-related systems and documents where it is technically feasible and where the use of the legal first name is not required by or necessary for University business or any legal need. The offices that are responsible for updating systems that reflect chosen names will be the only offices who receive this form from students. The University systems below will reflect the chosen name in their systems within 30 days after the form is submitted.

Arcadia faculty and staff who wish to use a chosen first name should initiate this process by contacting Human Resources at humanresources@arcadia.edu.

Once the Chosen Name Request Form has been submitted, your first name will be changed in the following systems:

Due to the legal nature of reporting grades and financial aid information, certain administrative systems will retain an individual’s legal first name. These include:

The University is only able to amend systems to reflect an individual’s chosen first name. Systems must reflect an individual’s legal last name. For individuals who wish to legally change the name that appears on their birth certificate, including their first, middle, and/or last name, please visit the information page.

There are many scholarships available to queer and trans students in order to combat the systemic reasons LGBTQ+ students may be barred from higher education, including financial resources and limited family/personal community support. As our staff finds and verifies more scholarships, we will update this list.

There are several resources in the Philadelphia area to support queer and trans students, several are listed below. These organizations can provide a range of resources, including groups, mental health support, physical health, and legal advice. We have worked to ensure that this list also provides intersectional support to support all aspects of a queer and trans person’s identity.

Arcadia University is committed to ensuring equal opportunity to all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of ethnicity, national origin, ancestry, race, color, religion, creed, sex, gender, marital status, sexual orientation, age, gender identity or expression, military or military veteran status, disability, medical or genetic information, pregnancy, or any other characteristic protected by local, state, or federal law in its educational programs, activities, admissions or employment practices as required by Title IX of the Educational Amendment of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and other applicable statutes.  Discriminatory conduct and harassment, including sexual harassment, violates the dignity of individuals, impedes the realization of the University’s educational mission, and will not be tolerated.

The Director of the Office of Equity and Civil Rights (OECR) and Title IX Coordinator oversees the University’s centralized review, investigation, and resolution of reports of sexual harassment, sexual misconduct, discrimination, harassment, and bias incidents. The Director of the OECR and Title IX Coordinator can be contacted by telephone or email.  The contact information for the Director of the OECR and Title IX Coordinator, Nora Nelle, is: 777 Limekiln Pike, Suite 112, 215-517-2659, nellen@arcadia.edu.  For further information, including the University’s relevant policies and grievance procedures and processes, visit the Office of Equity and Civil Rights website.

You can read more about Arcadia University’s policies in the Student Handbook.

The members of the Arcadia University Community encourage all individuals and groups to behave with civility. A community upholding civility respects the rights of individuals and groups. It is characterized by understanding and considerations of the differences among members of the community. The diversity of the University adds to the richness of campus life, and Arcadia University expects all members of the community to respect both differences and commonalities. The University acknowledges every community member’s right to freedom of speech and freedom of inquiry. Arcadia University also affirms every community member’s right to an environment that is free from harassment of any kind. The University will not tolerate the subjection of another person, group or class of persons to inappropriate, abusive, threatening, or demeaning actions at any time.

The following are important elements for individuals’ consideration in an effort to work toward civility in the Arcadia University community:

The Campus Climate Team serves to make recommendations to the President and other University officials about efforts to foster an institutional climate that is free of intolerance and to establish a protocol for responding to and monitoring incidents. If you feel an immediate threat, call Public Safety at 215-572-2999. You also can report acts of incivility or intolerance to any campus official or employee or contact any of the offices listed below.

To learn more about how the University works towards civility, or to report an incident, please find more information list on the Student Affairs website.