GRAND FORKS—UND held a press conference Friday, Jan. 14 to respond to public concerns triggered by a recent letter sent to parents by the ND Catholic Conference regarding a UND gender inclusion policy drafted last fall.
“There was no imminent approval of this draft policy, and I’m confused about the timing of this letter,” said UND President Andrew Armacost in response to the Catholic Conference’s letters; the one sent to parents and another to UND.
Regarding housing concerns, if the policy were approved in its current state, the UND panel said it would be “unlikely” that a roommate switch would be considered harassment towards a transgender or nonbinary individual.
President Armacost concluded, “Deliberate efforts were made to construct a policy that is sensible… and to protect the rights of all members on campus.”
Moving forward, the panel explained if the policy is to be adopted in the future, the process would likely take months before it is ready for approval.
