Going Beyond the Binary: Redefining “Co-ed” in UW Residence Halls

“Be the place where everyone wants to live.” Currently, the University of Wisconsin-Madison utilizes this phrase as their University Housing mission statement. The declaration is simple, but it expresses the university’s desire to provide the best services and environments within the residence halls for all students. Because students are not required to live on campus, University Housing has made intentional efforts to attract students to their facilities. The residence halls have attempted to create inclusive spaces for all identities. Regardless of race, ability, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, religion, or gender, University Housing wishes to make their communities more diverse. However, historically, gender inclusivity has been of relatively little concern to University Housing. Representation of all gender identities in the residence halls is a fairly recent feat that has been gradually accomplished over the last 150 years. Through the UW Archives and the current University website, we are provided a brief history of the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Housing attempts to diversify the gender makeup, beginning with the creation of the first on-campus residence hall in 1851 and ending in 2015 with considerations for future housing modifications to accommodate all individuals and their gender identities.