Enabling a Gender-Inclusive Campus

Research and sense-making of the human needs, cultural factors, technical constraints and institutional data governance considerations for a priority campus DEI initiative - adding gender-expansive pronouns and gender identity options to student and employee systems of record.

Problem Statement

Transgender, gender queer and non-binary community members are not currently represented in campus systems.

How might we thoughtfully and purposefully enable gender data so that campus community members are recognized by their appropriate gender in respectful and inclusive ways while also meeting institutional reporting, security and privacy needs?

Approach

Discovery Research

Conduct broad and deep research to understand human needs, especially the lived experiences of impacted community members, the cultural context, plus business and technology considerations necessary for the successful implementation and adoption of pronouns and gender identity options on campus.

Findings and Recommendations

Synthesis of the findings into actionable recommendations, including data definitions and guidelines, UX designs and requirements, and an implementation roadmap.

Change Management and Usability Testing

Validate and test designs in the first implementation phase of pronouns for students in PeopleSoft.

“We need to represent the community in a way that they feel seen and heard and using the terms they use - the right words.” - Assoc. Vice Provost Institutional Research & Decision Support and project sponsor

“Power of Design develops great deliverables that live on after the project is done - artifacts that can be foundational to the organization moving forward, including roadmaps, strategic design concepts, insights and more.” - Associate Vice Provost for Student and Academic Services and project sponsor

Outcomes

Equipped with research, UX designs, data definitions and policy recommendations, and a roadmap:

• Project sponsors were able to move forward with confidence, implementing the first phase - enabling pronouns for students in PeopleSoft

• Institutional Research and Decision Support group is refining data governance practices for gender data based on the Data Definitions and Guidelines deliverable

• Students can enter pronouns in the student portal, and they are visible to instructors on Canvas class rosters

• Faculty received guidance on creating gender-inclusive classroom experiences informed by research on faculty sentiments and needs  

• Future phases have been mapped out, including adding gender identity options for students in PeopleSoft and gender data enablement for faculty and staff in the employee system of record

Critical Success Factors

Power of Design is credited with:

• Working from an outside-in perspective across “silos” - departments and schools

• Synthesizing and sense-making large amounts of complex information into actionable next steps, recommendations and visuals

• Developing an innovative yet simple set of pronouns and gender identity options, and related questions, informed by research, that work for community members and the institution

• Listening deeply and connecting with research participants in a way that allowed them to speak authentically and about personal and vulnerable topics

• Gathering stories and perspectives from many sources and reflecting their voices in reports and solution designs

• Delivering high-quality, informative and visually appealing deliverables that guide future phases of the project

Deliverables

• Research Findings and Recommendations

• UX Designs: wireframes, data options and questions 

• Gender Data Definitions and Guidelines

• Faculty Awareness Guide

• Student Voices

• Technology Systems Map  

Services:

• Discovery Research

• Service Design

• Change Management

• Usability Testing