Policies and documents
Trans and Gender-diverse Inclusive Framework
York St John University is committed to providing a trans-inclusive environment and supporting trans people, including those who identify as non-binary, genderqueer, and more.
The framework is a set of documents designed to provide information to trans and gender-diverse students and staff, and help the university community ensure we are as trans-inclusive as possible.
This is supported by training for staff.
We have a network of named persons in most services that any student or staff member can approach with confidence that their enquiry will be dealt with in a sensitive and knowledgeable way (see contacts).
- Trans Policy Statement (PDF, 0.1MB)
- Trans Inclusive Guide (web page)
- Trans Respect Guidelines for Staff and Students (PDF, 18.8KB)
- Trans Glossary (web page)
- Equality and Diversity Training (Staff Intranet)
We keep the framework under review, and are working to raise awareness. We warmly welcome feedback to help us realise our ambition to become a trans-inclusive university.
If you have questions, comments or suggestions for the framework, please email our Equality and Diversity Adviser, Marije Davidson (equalities@yorksj.ac.uk). Students can email our dedicated contact Anna Deacon at trans@yorksj.ac.uk.
Support for our trans community
We have created a guide that answers questions that many trans people and other students and staff have about our policies, procedures and support.
The trans students support checklist highlights issues to consider for supporting trans students and transition.
The protocols set out procedures for making changes to records and addresses confidentiality issues.
We encourage students to contact our dedicated adviser who offers support and information to trans students. We also have named persons in most services, if you want to raise specific issues. Please see Contacts.
The Students' Union President Wellbeing and Diversity and LGBTQ+ Students Officer are also available to support trans students. The LGBTQ+ Society can offer a friendly face and peer support.
The staff protocol outlines the support that can be provided to an individual who discloses either their trans identity or their intention to transition.
A checklist is provided to track and review the ongoing support that is being provided to a member of staff.
Staff can choose to speak to their line manager, or contact the HR team directly.
We also have named contacts in most services, should you wish to raise specific issues. Please see Contacts.
The LGBT Staff Network is available for peer support.
We recognise that some trans individuals prefer to use gender-neutral facilities.
There is a mixture of toilet and changing facility provision on the York campus. All single toilet cubicles and accessible toilets are gender-neutral. Multi-cubicle toilet cubicle spaces are gender-specific (female or male). Gender-neutral toilets can be found at the entrance from the access road to the dining hall in Holgate, in the Chapel, in the Students' Union, in Quad North and in the Creative Centre. There is a gender-neutral changing village with individual cubicles and showers by Foss Sports Hall. York St John University Sports Park has a gender-neutral accessible toilet and shower. Four toilets on the London Campus are gender-neutral.
Sanitary bins are provided in all gender-neutral toilets as well as female toilets. They are also available in at least one cubicle in the male toilets around campus in York. Signs will show where the units are once you are in the toilets. Sanitary product vending machines are in some female toilets in the main university buildings in York, and in the Students’ Union.
Using the correct pronoun that aligns with a person’s gender identity is important to create an affirming environment for trans and gender-diverse people. Some people also add pronouns to their email signature.
We do not have a formal process to record pronouns used by individuals. However we can offer assistance so that staff and students use the correct pronoun. Students can contact Anna Deacon for help with this by emailing a.deacon@yorksj.ac.uk.
Our policies and forms should use the neutral pronoun of ‘they’.
Students and staff can collect a free pronoun badge from the Students' Union.
| Role | Name and Email address | Pronoun (explanation) |
|---|---|---|
|
Equality and Diversity Adviser |
Equalities (equalities@yorksj.ac.uk) |
|
|
Contact for trans staff |
HR inbox or Caroline Ferguson (hrod@yorksj.ac.uk or c.ferguson@yorksj.ac.uk) |
She/her |
|
LGBT+ Staff Network |
Naomi Orrell (n.orrell@yorksj.ac.uk) |
She/her |
|
Dedicated contact for trans students |
Anna Deacon (trans@yorksj.ac.uk) |
She/her |
|
York St John Students' Union President of Wellbeing and Diversity |
Chris Smith (c.smith4@yorksj.ac.uk) |
He/him/his |
|
York St John Students' Union LGBTQ+ Officer |
Sebastian Forrester (su.lgbtq@yorksj.ac.uk) |
They/he |
|
York St John Students' Union LGBTQ+ Society |
Lily Monarch / Robyn Slater (lgbtqsociety@yorksj.ac.uk) |
They/them |
|
Academic Representative (School of the Arts) |
Dr Nathan Walker (n.walker@yorksj.ac.uk) |
They/them |
|
Academic Representative (School of Humanities) |
Adam Stock (a.stock@yorksj.ac.uk) |
He/him |
|
Academic Representative (York Business School) |
Jess Franklin (j.franklin@yorksj.ac.uk) |
She/her |
|
Admissions |
Emma Robertson (e.robertson1@yorksj.ac.uk) |
She/her |
|
Careers, Placements and Student Opportunities |
Vacancy |
|
|
Chaplaincy |
Reverend Jane Speck (j.speck@yorksj.ac.uk) |
She/her |
|
Degree Apprenticeships |
Amy Robinson (a.erobinson@yorksj.ac.uk) |
She/her |
|
Disability Support and Inclusion |
Rian Craske (r.craske@yorksj.ac.uk) |
He/they |
|
Estates |
Hannah Ridge (h.ridge@yorksj.ac.uk) |
She/her |
|
Housing (accommodation) |
Vacancy |
|
|
Library and Learning Services |
Clare McCluskey-Dean (C.McCluskey-Dean@yorksj.ac.uk) Thomas Peach (t.peach@yorksj.ac.uk) |
She/her He/him/his |
|
Registry |
Aimee Henderson (a.henderson@yorksj.ac.uk) |
She/her |
|
Programme Administration and Support Service (PASS) |
Claire Kydd (c.kydd@yorksj.ac.uk) Lindsey Kelly (l.kelly@yorksj.ac.uk) |
She/her She/her |
|
Student Funding |
Rachel Loftus (r.loftus@yorksj.ac.uk) |
She/her |
|
Students' Union |
Donna Smith (d.smith1@yorksj.ac.uk) |
She/her |
|
Study Abroad and Exchange |
James Lewis (j.lewis1@yorksj.ac.uk) |
He/him/his |
|
YSJ Active/York St John University Sports Park |
Sarah Hawley (s.hawley@yorksj.ac.uk) |
She/her |
The Beaumont Society: offers help and support for the transgender community.
Ditch the Label: has a large online community where young people can talk about their troubles including coming out and finding their identity if they need a place to start.
GeneraTe: provides local support and information.
York LGBT Forum: runs supportive groups for trans people both in person and online.
MindLine Trans+: offers emotional support to people who are Trans+, A Gender, Gender Fluid and Non-binary and anyone wanting to talk about their gender identity. The helpline is also there to offer support and information to family and friends.
Stonewall: provides information and support for LGBT communities and their allies.
Switchboard LGBT+ helpline: provides an information, support and referral service for lesbians, gay men and bisexual and trans people – and anyone considering issues around their sexuality and/or gender identity.