» LGBTQIA+ Applicants

• It is up to you! Only you can decide if you are comfortable sharing your identity and who you are comfortable sharing it with. With that being said, Chapman University’s Code of Ethics includes the ideals of respect for all persons and focuses on celebrating and valuing diversity in all of its forms. Choosing to come out in your application can provide our admission committee with a more authentic understanding of how you might contribute to our campus community and will never have a negative impact on your application to Chapman.
• If you decide to reveal your identity in your application, your personal information will be kept confidential. As an extra precaution, students have the option to select "No" when asked about granting sharing permission in Chapman's supplemental questions section.
• In regards to coming out in your Common Application Personal Essay vs. the Chapman University Member Questions: Keep in mind, all schools you apply to through the Common Application will read the same personal essay response. If you would like to share your sexual orientation or gender identity with only Chapman University, you should do so in your response to one of the Chapman member questions rather than through the personal essay.

The Common Application has updated its questions to allow applicants to more accurately share their gender identity with the schools to which they are applying. Each question allows students to answer with a set of choices or a free-response text box to express yourself in the way you are most comfortable. The questions are as follows:

1. Would you like to share a different name that you go by?
2. Pronouns
3. Gender
4. Legal sex (required)

You will have the option to provide your preferred name when you submit your Common Application. Keep in mind that your preferred name will be used on all communication you receive from the Office of Admission, which may include emails, mailed letters, and phone calls/voicemails. If you'd like to add your preferred name before submitting your Common Application, please reach out to your Admission Counselor directly. 

If you did not provide a preferred name as an applicant and would like to have it changed once you are an enrolled student, you may do so by:

• Emailing the Office of the Registrar at registrar@chapman.edu for changes to class rosters, grade rosters, and your self-service portal.
• Emailing Information Systems and Technology at servicedesk@chapman.edu to update your email address and ID card.

• There are multiple all-gender restrooms in various buildings on Chapman’s campus. They can be located using the interactive campus map by clicking on the “restrooms” section to view “all-gender” labels.

• We are committed to providing a safe, comfortable living environment for all students. Students may select the "gender-inclusive housing option" on their housing application. You can find out more about gender-diverse housing here.

• Selective Service Registration: To be eligible to receive federal student aid, any student who was assigned “male” at birth must register for the Selective Service between ages 18 and 25, regardless of their gender identity or if they have undergone gender confirmation surgery. If you are unsure of your registration requirements when answering Question 21 or Question 22 on the FAFSA, or need a status information letter from Selective Service that clarifies whether or not you are exempt from the registration requirement, you can call the Selective Service System’s Registration Information Office at (888) 655-1825.

• Name Mismatches: In order for your FAFSA to be accepted for review, your name on the application must match the name associated with your Social Security number. Be sure to only use your current full legal name when completing the FAFSA to ensure that it is processed in a timely manner.

• All students have the opportunity to supplement their declared major with a minor (or minors!) while they are studying at Chapman University. The Women’s Studies Minor and LGBTQ Studies Minor offer students the opportunity explore issues surrounding these disciplines in their cultural, political, and artistic contexts in an academic setting.

• While all faculty and staff are advocates for students, some are particularly committed to being a resource and advocates for students of specific underrepresented communities. View a list of self-identified advocates for the LGBTQIA student community and other communities. There are also additional resources for students found on Chapman’s Resources for Incoming and Current LGBTQIA+ Pages.

• Our Cross-Cultural Center offers many programs for faculty, staff, and students centered around diversity and inclusivity. While there are numerous programs, many have a focus within the LGBTQIA+ community. Safe Space, a training within our Break Ground program, is one of the ways campus members can learn more about resources for LGBTQIA students. All resident advisors in the residence halls are mandated to be Safe Space trained and many other staff, faculty, and students are trained as well.

Chapman University’s Non-Discrimination Policy (found in the current course catalog) explicitly “prohibits unlawful harassment and discrimination on the basis of any race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, age, marital status, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, sexual orientation, military or veteran status, genetic information or any other characteristic protected by applicable state or federal law.”

The Cross-Cultural Education and Resource Team (CERT) at Chapman University is based out of the Student Affairs division, but includes members from all across campus in order to best serve the needs of our community. CERT is committed to providing preventative education about the potential impacts of bias and hate on our campus, and it offers connections to campus resources and new educational opportunities for the general campus community following reported concerns.