The Plight of the Transgender Students

Chapter One

Background

For most of the population entering a college or a University setting, is often a feeling of joy, happiness, mixed with anxiety and fear for the student entering into college. The ultimate goal for students is to graduate and become successful professionals. However, there are populations that are over looked and underrepresented as it pertains to a college education (Pryor, 2015). These populations include minority populations, females, students of a low socio-economic backgrounds and the LGBT population. This paper focuses on the transgender population and the barriers that are evident from enrolling in higher education (Nanney & Brunsma,2017). As a healthcare provider in a correctional facility, I have many encounters with the transgender population and it is obvious that the lack of healthcare is a direct link that decreases the possibility of college enrollment (Woodford, Kulick, & Atteberry, 2015).

This paper seeks out to identify the need for strategic inclusive marketing, training, healthcare (on and off campus) to increase the enrollment for transgender students (Guillory et al., 2018). This paper will also promote Banduras social learning theory when applied to transgender prospective students (Bandura, 1991). The careful dissection of the theory can bring clarity and understanding of what the needs to be changed in order to increase enrollment.

EMERGENCE OF THE STUDY

The absence of recruitment and support for transgender students in colleges and universities is becoming an increasing disparity amongst this culture. The lack of inclusion and understanding of transgender students impedes on the educational process of students wanting to enter college (Daniel & Butkus, 2015). Recently the transgender culture has made headlines focusing on equality and recognition in society including higher education. This population of students are coming out and being open about their gender identity at the average age of 16 (Goldberg, Beemyn, & Smith, 2018).

This is crucial timing because at this age most students begin to search for potential colleges and universities. The initial contact they have with universities, especially with admissions and recruitment representatives, will be one of the deciding factors for the transgender student entering college. This form of segregation interrupts a natural progression of seeking education (Seelman,Woodford,& Nicolazzo, 2017).

Research suggests that transgender individuals face health disparities linked to societal stigma, discrimination, denial of their civil and human rights (Woodford et al., 2015). Experiences of violence and victimization are frequent for transgender individuals, that being said all are relevant and can affect education and the decision to enroll in college (Tuppler et al., 2017). Transgender youth are at a high risk, suicide, psychiatric care and hospitalization, poor school performance, truancy, running away, substance abuse, and sexually risky behaviors. Based on my experiences with transgender inmates, students and research, my questions that I seek to answer and defend; Would the implementation of strategic marketing targeting the transgender population increase college enrollment amongst this population? When I reference strategic marketing, it will address the needs of the transgender student holistically. This will encompass health needs, social media outlets, special training for educators and lastly the importance of promoting a welcoming environment (Byrd & Hayes, 2013).

VINGETTE: PEDALOGICAL JOURNEY

As a director of nursing in a correctional facility I have encountered many underserved populations. My goal as nurse was to always make sure that I delivered the best care to inmates. I am able to do this because I am not concerned with the crime that was committed but more concerned with the person as a whole. I realized quickly that these people are emotionally and physically broken. From the lack of finances, health insurance, jobs, family support, drugs and alcohol -these people are essentially the forgotten ones in society. The transition to teaching was natural because part of nursing is educating. I was immediately drawn to wanting to help the transgender patients. The stories of the trauma and the stories of being scared to go to school was when I knew that something had to change. I feel as though I have good insight to both ends of the spectrum being that I work part time in a community college and still at the jail. I am able to see what is missing from the college its self in terms of targeting and marketing to potential transgender students. Just to make sure that I was on to something valid I googled almost 20 colleges and universities and there were zero faces of students that identified as transgender students. It is my goal to provide insight on how to give these students a potential chance of enrolling in a college with a decrease or no barriers.

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

Enrollment management and marketing have two main perspectives, the first being marketing which encourages potential students to apply, and enrolment that determines which of the applicants will eventually be accepted (Bartholomaeus & Riggs, 2017). Without proper and suitable marketing, even the fairest and most balanced enrolment process would not eliminate the challenges for the transgender community. Normally, marketing is all about communicating a message about a certain issue or product with a view of encouraging a positive impression of it. Further long-term marketing only works if the message being communicated is true. Institutions of higher education, therefore, first need to develop a true narrative about the fair treatment of transgender people then communicate it to encourage them to apply for intuitions of higher learning (Bartholomaeus & Riggs, 2017).

Statement of Purpose

The purpose of this study is to collect and investigate data that focuses on transgender barriers of College enrollment. It will explore topics such as the importance of faculty training. It will also investigate the crucial relationship that healthcare and college enrollment have on one another. For this paper, the focus will be on the transgender student and the obstacles that are faced to enroll into college. It will also highlight on the importance of proper healthcare for the transgender population. Health and education have a very important relationship in terms of college success.

Education is impacted by health, development, and a host of personal, community, and contextual factors. Barriers to healthcare for the LGBT population include the lack of health insurance and the financial burden that deters this population from maintaining annual healthy assessments. Poor health not only results from lower educational attainment, it can also cause educational setbacks and interfere with schooling. The Institute of Medicine Report on LGBT Health (2011) outlined a summary of evidence-based transgender health disparities including; substance abuse HIV/STDs violence and victimization and self-harm. 

This overlooked population can benefit from relevant educational information in a healthcare and educational setting that will ultimately lead to a trusting therapeutic relationship with health care providers and educators (Diaz, 2012). Teaching an underserved population validates the educator as being innovative and strategic by teaching a complex underserved people that need fundamental education (Diaz, 2012). The educator must gain the trust and respect of the student for information to be truly accepted and understood by the learner. Professors have the obligation to increase learning opportunities for culturally diverse persons, so it’s imperative to be knowledgeable about the social and cultural context of teaching and learning (Adeniran & Smith-Glasgow, 2010). 

Research Questions

Does health have a direct impact on education?

Would the increase of Safe Space training increase college transgender recruitment?

Can the implementation of transgender specific recruitment strategies increase the enrollment and retention rate in colleges?

Assumption

The following assumptions are made regarding this study: The respondents will fully understand the questions being asked. The instrument to be used will illicit reliable answers. The population will have generated from the culture being researched. Specifically, transgender students and faculty in enrollment management.

Limitations

Health research on transgender people has been hampered by the challenges inherent in studying a hard-to-reach, relatively small, and geographically dispersed population. The Internet has the potential to facilitate access to transgender samples large enough to permit examination of the diversity and health disparities found among this population. 

Definition of Terms

This research study the following terms will be defined;

LGBTQ ; is an acronym that stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Queer, and is used to designate a community of people whose sexual or gender identities can create shared political and social concerns.

Access to healthcare; is defined as Components of Health Care Access. Access to health care means having "the timely use of personal health services to achieve the best health outcomes" (IOM, 1993). Attaining good access to care requires three discrete steps: Entering the health care system.

Safe Space; In educational institutions, safe space (or safe-space), safer space, and positive space are terms that, as originally intended, were used to indicate that a teacher, educational institution, or student body did not tolerate anti-LGBT violence, harassment or hate speech, thereby creating a safe place for all LGBT students. The term safe space has been extended to refer to an autonomous space for individuals who feel marginalized to come together to communicate regarding their experiences with marginalization, typically on a university campus. The idea of safe spaces has seen criticism on the grounds that it stifles freedom of speech. Critics also claim safe spaces hinder the exposure of sensitive material that needs to be discussed and explained in an educational environment (Feinberg.northwestern.edu, 2017: 1).

Chapter Two

Literature Review

Members of the transgender community face various challenges which revolve around their perceived eccentricity when it comes to sexual orientation. Even as some societies, mostly Western, speak about equal treatment of individuals regardless of diversity differences, discrimination and prejudice against individuals who identify as transgender persists. In particular, the education sector is one among various institutions whereby members of the transgender community experience plain discrimination through segregation. Unlike their counterparts, those who identify as transgender have little to no opportunity of getting into an institution of higher learning. The processes of student recruitment and management do not demonstrate consideration for diversity, at least not when it comes to their diversity in sexual orientation. While they are not literally cast off, members of the transgender community are perceived as representing an otherness that does not conform to already established social norms. A review of literature focusing on the experiences of transgender students in higher education is warranted.

College experiences play a vital role in determining the likelihood of enrollment especially for minorities whether based on race, ethnicity, religion, sex, gender, among other aspects (Fish, Livingston, VanZile-Tamsen & Wolf, 2017). Some schools have made attempts towards addressing the dynamic needs of minorities, but while these efforts are targeted at doing good, the outcomes say otherwise. Deruy (2016) explained that across the United States, colleges are striving to make students that have traditionally experienced underrepresentation to feel welcome and included. However, “… some of their attempts, however well-intentioned, garner as much ire as support” (para. 1). The argument is that the creation of safe spaces for minorities among whom are LGBT students, comes out as resegregation and is a backward step from achieving inclusivity. Deruy (2016) projected the concern that providing safe spaces for minority students is somewhat a statement that the issue of discrimination and prejudice towards the target group overwhelms the system. Consequently, there is no effective way to respond but to provide safe spaces, a gesture perceived as promoting segregation rather than inclusivity.

Addressing a similar issue, Goldberg, Beemyn, and Smith (2018) considered the perspectives of trans-students on trans-inclusive policies and practices in higher education. The results showed that non-discrimination policies that were inclusive of gender identity and the ability for one to change his or her name on campus records, alongside gender-inclusive restrooms were the chief concerns among trans-students (Goldberg, Beemyn & Smith, 2018). However, the issue of discrimination persists due to lack of attention “… by higher education administrators and consultants—to the systematic ways in which college/university structures and practices serve to privilege and uphold the gender binary, thereby rendering trans students vulnerable to negative personal and academic outcomes (Goldberg, Beemyn & Smith, 2018, p. 2). Thus, the gender binary which involves the classification of sex and gender has not been fully explored thereby exposing transgender students to continued discrimination while at school. The implication is that gender identity provides a basis for microaggressions against those who identify as transgender. Seelman, Woodford and Nicolazzo (2016) cited that there is a higher prevalence of harassment and discrimination against trans-students. Such kind of behavior aligns with the overall patterns within institutions of higher learning whereby cisgender identities are considered as being within the norm while trans-identities face marginalization. Thus, Seelman, Woodford and Nicolazzo (2016) somewhat corroborate Goldberg, Beemyn, and Smith (2018) in arguing that higher learning institutions have done little to address the issues related to the gender binary. There is lack of clarity when it comes to the intersection between sex and gender and the implications on gender identity.

Assertively, the nonconforming nature of transgender populations has exposed them to barriers which limit their access to various spheres of the society. These individuals have, instead, been subjected to discrimination, harassment, and violence which results from lack of cultural competence (Wilkinson, 2014). Consequently, such kind of marginalization has only been the cause for increased vulnerability to mental health issues among trans-students. The effect translates to the extent to which transgender students make use of healthcare services on or off campus. Exploring the foresaid issue, Dunbar et al. (2017) found that compared with members of the cisgender community, sexual minority students reported higher rates of psychological stress alongside mental health related academic impairment. The authors also found that these students were more likely to seek mental health services. However, they mostly used off-campus compared to on-campus medical services stating fear of being embarrassed or their uncertainty about their eligibility for treatment (Dunbar et al., 2017).

Advancing the argument about, Messman and Leslie (2018) cited the efforts of the American College Health Association (ACHA) which has formulated policies to promote transgender inclusion in college health. However, the authors explained that college health professionals find difficulty meeting the directives outline in the ACHA’s trans-inclusive best practices. College health professionals explain that “… the needs and experiences of transgender people in general, and especially transgender college students, are largely undocumented and unknown” (Messman & Leslie, 2018, p. 1). Therefore, the implication is that limited literature on trans-students in terms of their dynamic academic and health needs. Scholars Hargie, Mitchell and Somverville (2017) sought to explain why there is increased segregation in colleges and universities against trans-students. Their finding was that trans-students face intimidation in the locker rooms, they are alienated when it comes to sports, they fear public space as it constrains their ability to interact with others, and lastly, they suffer from being denied access to social and health amenities. The dominating theme is that their non-conforming gender identity deems them eligible for biased and discriminative treatment. Thus, one can notice why these students are exposed to attitudes that focus on excluding them from the cisgender community.

Expanding on the extent to which trans-students face marginalization in higher education, Obedin-Maliver et al. (2011) assessed various institutions’ LGBT-related curricular content. The authors focused on 128 schools which taught students to ask their patients whether they had sex with men, women or both. The idea was to obtain he patient’s sexual history. However, there was a lower frequency of teaching frequency of 16 LGBT-specific topic areas whereby eight topics were covered in 83 schools while all topics were covered in only 11 schools. The statistics imply that limited coverage of transgender literature plays a fundamental role in determining how transgender students are treated in not only higher education, but also in other spheres. Consequently, trans-students find themselves increasingly vulnerable to mental health issues alongside drug and substance abuse compared to their cisgender counterparts. Tupler et al. (2017) found that during a 14-day period, transgender students were most likely to consume alcohol or have the most drinks compared to heterosexuals. Furthermore, the authors also noted that transgender students were most likely to report alcohol related black-outs (ARBs) alongside more negative academic, social and sexual alcohol-related consequences (ARCs) (Tupler et al., 2017). The disparate state of being between transgender students and their cisgender counterparts emphasizes their continued negative experiences in higher education which influences their rate of recruitment and enrollment.

Literature reviewed demonstrates the negative treatment towards transgender students based on their nonconformity. Authors Perez-Samaniego, Fuentes-Miguel, Pereira-Garcia and Devis-Devis (2014) addressed how transgender students are imagined in physical education and sport. The authors discussed the themes of abjection (casting off) and alterity (otherness). They found that students situated in abjection rejected transgender students, genitalization, and exposed them to symbolic violence and stigmatization. However, for students who were situated in alterity acknowledged their limited ability to comprehensively imagine the experiences of transgender whether intra or interpersonal. The findings imply that between abjection and alterity, students have different experiences when it comes to their tolerance of different normalities (Perez-Samaniego, Fuentes-Miguel, Pereira-Garcia & Devis-Devis, 2014). To illuminate further on the themes of abjection and alterity, Pryor (2015) analyzed the experiences of transgender students in a public university. Four themes emerged which were coming out, interaction with instructors, existence of lack thereof off peer support in the classroom, and course context college environment. From these themes, the respondents explained that they experienced marginalization mainly from peers and instructors (Pryor, 2015). Understandably, the imagining of transgender students has led to both negative and positive perception. However, Pryor’s (2015) study demonstrated the dominance of abjection compared to individual’s inclination towards alterity which demands a more culturally competent approach towards transgender students.

Evidence gathered reveals the unfair treatment of transgender students who are, for instance, uncertain about their eligibility when it comes to accessing various amenities on campus. Such an experience is just one among many of the adverse events that transgender students face. The Healthy People 2020 noted that based on research, LGBT individuals encounter health disparities associated with social stigma, discrimination, and denial of civil and human rights. Due to biased treatment, members of the LGBT community become vulnerable to psychiatric disorders, suicide, as well as substance abuse (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Health, 2018). However, some scholars have focused on various factors that could help reduce the impact of discriminative treatment in colleges and universities. Woodford, Kulick, and Atteberry (2015) found that self-esteem and LGBT friends moderated the impact of cisgender harassment on the risk for alcohol abuse, while instructor relations moderated the relationship between cisgender harassment and negative physical health symptoms. The findings demonstrate that while transgender students are likely to face health disparities due to social stigma among other discriminative behaviors, there are certain protective factors which can promote positive health outcomes. Woodford, Kulick and Atteberry (2015) noted that, for instance, a high self-esteem in trans-gender students can protect them from the effects of heterosexist harassment.

One can argue that the continued exposure to negative or unpleasant experiences at colleges and universities influence transgender individuals’ likelihood to enroll. Their fear of discrimination and social stigma due to their nonconforming gender identity determines their behavior in higher education. A number of scholars explored various methods of recruitment and what emerged was that members of the LGBT community were best recruited via social media compared to face-to-face interviews. Guillory et al. (2018) found that sexual minorities were more likely to be recruited via social media compared to in-person intercept interviews. The authors also found that interviewer misrepresentations affected the recruitment process explaining why the recruitment exercise was not as effect using face-to-face interviews (Guillory et al., 2018). The findings are consistent with literature discussed above. For instance, Seelman, Woodford and Nicolazzo (2016) explained that transgender students are exposed to victimization and microaggressions. Such experiences shape their view of reality and hence withdraw from being overly active in the social sphere. Pryor (2015) explained that transgender students most complain of discrimination based on their relationships with instructors and peers. Thus, the information demonstrates that the college environment is not as conducive when it comes to promoting positive learning experiences for transgender students.

Arguably, the negative experiences that transgender students face are due to lack of cultural competence which stems from various factors. One is that there is no clear discussion of the gender binary and how the distinct view of sex and gender as different entities influences the perception and experiences of transgender students. Furthermore, imagining of transgender students form positions of abjection and alterity demonstrate variation when it comes to tolerance of normalities. Such a state of being could be due to lack of sufficient information which helps discuss the various issues that transgender individuals face and how they can be addressed. Graham et al. (2011) emphasized that in already existing literature, there is limited coverage of transgender issues compared to those of lesbians and gays. Thus, the lack of research has influenced the understanding of various needs among transgender students. Messman and Leslie (2018) noted that college health professionals find difficulty implementing the ACHA’s directives due to limited literature published on members of the transgender community. Furthermore, it was also noted that not many schools expose their students to LGBT-related curricular which could explain why there are many cases of abjection compared to those that demonstrated an understanding of alterity. Thus, there is a need for institutions of higher learning to consider how these issues undermine positive college and university experiences for transgender students (Nanney & Brunsma, 2017). Qauye and Harper (2014) advocated for competent and open-minded approaches of student engagement. Integration and promotion of inclusive policies is one way of achieving the desired goal.

Summary

Transgender students face a myriad of issues which expose them to various physical and mental health risks. The limited understanding of the gender binary has exacerbated biased treatment against transgender students. However, universities and colleges can adopt measures that seek to maximize enrollment of transgender students. Such a goal can be achieved through an exploration of the various needs of the target population. In that regard, universities and colleges will be able to adopt more competent recruitment, enrollment and student retention practices.

References

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