NCSSM Policies
Equality of Opportunity Policy
In administering its affairs, The North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics is committed to equality of opportunity. It is the policy of the School to be fair and impartial in all its relations with its students, employees, and applicants for admission or employment and to not discriminate against any person on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, disability, genetic information, age or veteran status.
Prohibited Discrimination, Harassment, and Related Misconduct Policy
NCSSM is committed to equality of opportunity and the maintenance of an environment free of any discriminatory or harassing conduct based on age, color, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran status. In addition, NCSSM seeks to provide an environment for students free from threatening or offensive conduct based on one’s socioeconomic status, academic status, social, mental, or physical ability, or other personal characteristics. This policy covers a wide breadth of conduct because any of these behaviors can impact a student’s ability to access the educational opportunities offered by NCSSM including residential or virtual programs, summer programs, school-sponsored travel, and off-campus opportunities.
It is the policy of the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics that no member of the NCSSM community may engage in speech or conduct that is unlawfully discriminatory or that constitutes unlawful harassment, stalking, hazing, bullying, or sexual violence. NCSSM is committed to providing all students with an environment to live and to learn, founded on mutual respect for all persons and recognition of the dignity of all members of the community and that is free from unlawful harassment and retaliation.
This policy shall be placed in the NCSSM Student Handbook. The Vice Chancellor for Student Life, or designee, will inform new students of the policy during orientation.
Facilities
Students have the right to access facilities that match their gender identity. This includes bathrooms, locker rooms, and dressing rooms. Gender neutral bathrooms are also available on both NCSSM campuses. Gender neutral bathrooms are a benefit to many people, but especially to people who are transgender, gender non-binary, and gender non-conforming.
Durham Gender Neutral Bathroom Locations:
- Ground Bryan: There are two gender neutral bathrooms located next to the elevator.
- 1st Bryan: There are two gender neutral bathrooms located next to the elevator.
- 2nd Bryan: There are two gender neutral bathrooms located next to the elevator.
- 3rd Bryan: There are two gender neutral bathrooms located next to the elevator.
- 1st Royall: There is one gender neutral bathroom located next to the elevator.
- 2nd Royall: There are three gender neutral bathrooms located at the end of the hallway (closest to Hunt).
- 1st Hunt: There is one gender neutral bathroom located across from the Hunt Community Coordinator Office.
Morganton Gender Neutral Bathroom Locations:
Gender neutral bathrooms are a benefit to many people, but especially to people who are transgender, gender non-binary, and gender non-conforming. There are 13 gender neutral bathrooms on the Morganton campus:
- Each residence hall has a single-occupant gender neutral bathroom.
- Academic Commons: There are two gender neutral bathrooms located between the Library and the Fab Lab.
- Goodwin Hall: There are two gender neutral bathrooms located on the first floor next to the IT Office Suite.
Housing Assignments
UNC System policy mandates that students be assigned to a residence hall based on sex assigned at birth. However, students may make a room request that takes their sexual orientation/gender identity into consideration. For example, a double room with its own shower or a single room.
To make a request, students should reach out to the Director or Assistant Director of Residential Education, Housing, and Dining at NCSSM-Durham or the Dean of Students at NCSSM-Morganton. Please keep in mind that accommodations take time to implement. For this reason, it is important that these requests be made as soon as possible. Rising juniors should include their request on their housing form or make their request by mid-June at the latest. Rising seniors should make their request at the start of the housing process which occurs during the spring semester of their junior year. Please note that since NCSSM operates at full capacity it is unlikely that we will be able to make accommodations during the school year.
Name Change
NCSSM students can request to have their name changed in eleven different databases/documents. Most changes can be requested directly through the Registrar’s Office. Once a request has been made, the Registrar’s Office will contact each database manager to make the request on behalf of the student. Changes should be made within 48 hours.
More information about this process and a comprehensive list of places where names can be changed can be found here.
Resources
NCSSM Resources
- Spectrum (NCSSM-Durham) and Spectrum Alliance (NCSSM-Morganton) are student-run organizations at NCSSM that bring LGBTQ+ and allied students together to create a welcoming environment for everyone on campus. These organizations host discussions about issues facing the LGBTQ+ community, provide access to resources, and celebrate pride and acceptance.
Durham Resources
Morganton Resources
National Resources
Contact
Vanessa Ponce
Assistant Director of Residential Education, Housing and Dining