According to the NCAA guidance:
“Transgender” describes an individual whose gender identity (an internal, deeply held sense of one’s gender) and/or gender expression differs from what is typically associated with the sex they were assigned at birth. For example, a male-to-female (MTF) transgender person is someone who was born with a male body, but who identifies as a girl or a woman. A female-to-male (FTM) transgender person is someone who was born with a female body, but who identifies as a boy or a man. It is important that all people recognize and respect the transgender person’s identification as a man or a woman. In order to feel comfortable and to express their gender identity, transgender people may take a variety of steps: changing their names and self-referencing pronouns to better match their gender identity; choosing clothes, hairstyles, or other aspects of self-presentation that reflect their gender identity; and generally living, and presenting themselves to others, consistently with their gender identity. Some, but not all, transgender people take hormones or undergo surgical procedures to change their bodies to better reflect their gender identity. Some people are confused by the difference between transgender people and people who have intersex conditions. The key feature of being transgender is having a self-understanding and identification as a man, woman or another gender that differs from gender assigned to the person’s sex at birth. Apart from having a gender identity that is different than their bodies, transgender people are not born with physical characteristics that distinguish them from others.
Some people are confused by the difference between transgender people and people with intersex conditions. People with intersex conditions (which may also be called a “Disorders of Sex Development”), are born with physically mixed or atypical bodies with respect to sexual characteristics such as chromosomes, internal reproductive organs and genitalia, and external genitalia. It should not be assumed that people with intersex conditions may or may not identify with the gender that is assigned to them at birth.
An increasing number of high school- and college-aged young people are identifying as transgender (or trans). This challenges educators to rethink their understanding of gender as universally fixed at birth. Educators must be open to this challenge to create educational institutions that value and meet the needs of all students. Once we recognize that transgender young people are part of school communities across the United States, educational leaders have a responsibility to ensure that these students have access to equal opportunities in all academic and extracurricular activities in a safe and respectful school environment.
Alfred University and NCAA Policy on Transgender Student-Athlete Participation
Alfred University complies with the NCAA Policy on Transgender Student-Athlete Participation. This policy clarifies participation of transgender student-athletes undergoing hormonal treatment for gender transition:
- A trans male (FTM) student-athlete who has received a medical exception for treatment with testosterone for diagnosed Gender Identity Disorder or gender dysphoria and/or Transsexualism, for purposes of NCAA competition may compete on a men’s team, but is no longer eligible to compete on a women’s team without changing that team status to a mixed team.
- A trans female (MTF) student-athlete being treated with testosterone suppression medication for Gender Identity Disorder or gender dysphoria and/or Transsexualism, for the purposes of NCAA competition may continue to compete on a men’s team but may not compete on a women’s team without changing it to a mixed team status until completing one calendar year of testosterone suppression treatment.
- Any transgender student-athlete who is not taking hormone treatment related to gender transition may participate in sex-separated sports activities in accordance with his or her assigned birth gender.
- A trans male (FTM) student-athlete who is not taking testosterone related to gender transition may participate on a men’s or women’s team.
- A trans female (MTF) transgender student-athlete who is not taking hormone treatments related to gender transition may not compete on a women’s team.
The NCAA guidance provides the following best practices to ensure a transgender athlete’s seamless participation:
The Schools Responsibilities
- The Senior Associate Athletic Director/ Senior Woman Administrator should meet with the student-athlete to review eligibility requirements and procedure for approval of transgender participation.
- If hormone treatment is involved in the student-athlete’s transition, the Senior Associate Athletic Director/ Senior Woman Administrator should notify the NCAA of the student’s request to participate with a medical exception request.
- Available support services will be discussed with student-athlete.
- All discussions among involved parties and required written supporting documentation should be kept confidential, unless the student-athlete makes a specific request otherwise. All information about an individual student’s transgender identity and medical information, including physician’s information provided pursuant to this policy, shall be maintained confidentially.
- In order to avoid challenges to a transgender student’s participation during a sport season, a student-athlete who has completed, plans to initiate, or is in the process of taking hormones as part of a gender transition should submit the request to participate on a sports team in writing to the Senior Associate Athletic Director/ Senior Woman Administrator upon matriculation or when the decision to undergo hormonal treatment is made.
- The request should include a letter from the student’s physician documenting the student-athlete’s intention to transition or the student’s transition status if the process has already been initiated. This letter should identify the prescribed hormonal treatment for the student’s gender transition and documentation of the student’s testosterone levels, if relevant.
The student’s responsibilities
The NCAA guidance also provides best practices that inform the Saxon Athletics community on providing a supportive and inclusive environment for transgender athletes. These include the following:
Best practices for student-athletes
- Focus on respectful behavior, safety, and valuing diversity.
- Use respectful and preferred language and terminology when discussing transgender student-athlete participation or interacting with a transgender teammate.
- Become familiar with departmental and school policy governing the participation of transgender student-athletes in athletics.
- Learn about school non-discrimination and harassment policies that include gender identity and expression.
- Encourage other student-athletes to use respectful language when discussing transgender issues in sports or interacting with a transgender student-athlete.
- Respect the right to privacy of all student-athletes with respect to personal information (including whether a student is transgender) when discussing gender identity and expression.
- If taunting or harassment from spectators or opponents occurs during competition, take the approach that these actions are never acceptable for any reason including taunting or harassment based on gender identity or expression.
- Make your coaches aware of discriminatory or harassing behavior and ask them to report this occurrence to the athletic director.
- Ask your student-athlete advisory committee to plan an activity that focuses on the participation of transgender athletes in sports and frame the issue as one of equal opportunity in sports and fair treatment for all.
III. Recommended Implementation Process
A. The student’s responsibility
1. In order to avoid challenges to a transgender student’s participation during a sport season, a student athlete who has completed, plans to initiate, or is in the process of taking hormones as part of a gender transition shall submit the request to participate on a sports team in writing to the athletic director upon matriculation or when the decision to undergo hormonal treatment is made.
2. The student shall submit her or his request to the athletic director. The request shall include a letter from the student’s physician documenting the student athlete’s intention to transition or the student’s transition status if the process has already been initiated. This letter shall identify the prescribed hormonal treatment for the student’s gender transition and documentation of the student’s testosterone levels, if relevant.
* The student is encouraged to meet with someone who can offer support and advice through the process, if desired. Should the student want help in finding such a person, a list of people who might serve in that role is available from the Athletic Director, the Title IX Coordinator, and the Office of the Dean of Students.
B. Individual School and National Governing Body Responsibilities
1. The Athletic Director shall meet with the student to review eligibility requirements and procedure for approval of transgender participation.
2. A Transgender Participation Advisory Committee will support the work of facilitating the participation of transgender students in athletics and will be available for consultation by the student, the Athletic Director, and others. This committee should include:
- A health care professional, e.g. physician, psychiatrist, psychologist or other licensed health professional with experience in transgender health care and the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) Standards of Care.
- An Alfred University staff member with expertise and training about trans health care and anti-discrimination policy
- A member of the Athletic Department with expertise and training about trans health care and anti-discrimination policy
- A representative assigned by the institution’s president with expertise and training in institutional anti-discrimination policy.
3. If a student athlete’s request is denied by the Athletic Director, the decision must automatically be reviewed by the Transgender Participate Committee. This committee shall be convened and its decision reported to the Athletic Director and the Title IX Coordinator.
4. All discussions among involved parties and required written supporting documentation shall be kept confidential, unless the student athlete makes a specific request otherwise. All information about an individual student’s transgender identity and medical information, including physician’s information provided pursuant to this policy, shall be maintained confidentially.
Polices for Club Sports
Club sports shall follow the policy described above for intercollegiate sports.
Policies for Intramural Sports
People participating in any intramural sports or other athletic programs, such as physical education courses, may participate in accordance with their gender identity, should that be relevant, regardless of any medical treatment. If conflicts arise, the Transgender Participation Advisory Committee shall be consulted for advice and resolution.
Facilities, Support, and Education
I. Locker Rooms.
Anyone using sports facilities on the Alfred University campus—whether Saxon athletes, visiting athletes, or other participants and attendants—shall have access to the changing, shower, and toilet facilities that accord with their gender identity. Private facilities will be made available if asked for but transgender people will not be required to use them
II. Accommodations for travel.
- When possible, Saxon athletes traveling to other schools should be assigned accommodations based on their gender identity, with more privacy provided, if possible, when requested.
III. Names and Pronouns.
Teammates, coaches, and other participants in sports shall refer to people by their preferred names and pronouns.
IV. Dress Codes and Uniforms
Dress codes should enable all athletes and other sports participants to dress in accord with their gender identity. For example, instead of requiring gendered forms of “dressy,” such as a skirt or dress, dress codes should require students to dress with appropriate formality in ways that suit their gender identity. Since both transgender and cisgender athletes may have preferred gender expressions that do not conform to traditional norms of dress—for instance, not all women feel comfortable in a skirt—this policy should be understood to apply to all athletes. Uniforms, too, ideally, should not conflict with an athlete’s gender identity.
V. Education
At Alfred: Athletes, coaches, trainers, and other people involved in Saxon Athletics should be educated about trans identities and the principles of transgender inclusion. They should be knowledgeable about how, in their particular roles, to support trans people, and prepared to put this knowledge to use.
