Students at Wellesley College voted in a nonbinding election on Tuesday to approve expanding eligibility for admission to all nonbinary and transgender applicants.
The student body approved the referendum, which asked whether the school should shift its admission policy to allow nonbinary people who were assigned male at birth and trans men to apply to the school, a Wellesley College spokesperson confirmed to The Hill. The referendum also called for the college to use more gender inclusive language in its communications.
The spokesperson said in an emailed statement that there are no plans to change the admissions policy as a result of the elections.
“Wellesley College acknowledges the result of the non-binding student ballot initiative,” the spokesperson said. “Although there is no plan to revisit its mission as a women’s college or its admissions policy, the College will continue to engage all students, including transgender male and nonbinary students, in the important work of building an inclusive academic community where everyone feels they belong.”
Wellesley College is an all-women higher education institution that has produced notable alumni, including former Secretaries of State Hillary Clinton and Madeleine Albright. Its current application policy states that trans men cannot apply to the school, but trans women and those who were born female and identify as non-binary are eligible for admission, according to the website.
