Saint Mary’s College Announces New Transgender Admissions Policy

Saint Mary’s College, a women’s college in Indiana, has updated its admissions policy to be more inclusive of transgender applicants.

The college, founded in 1844 by the Sisters of the Holy Cross and considered a “sister school” to the adjacent, then-all-male University of Notre Dame, announced changes to its non-discrimination policy related to admissions. Applicants “whose sex is female or who consistently live and identify as women” may now apply for undergraduate studies, reported campus newspaper The Observer. The change was approved by Saint Mary’s Board of Trustees in June 2023, and admissions will begin considering transgender applicants in Fall 2024.

President Katie Conboy explained the decision in an email to faculty, staff, and students:

“We are by no means the first Catholic women’s college to adopt a policy with this scope…In drafting the language for this update, I have relied on the guidance of the Executive Team and others to ensure that our message is not only in line with best practices for today’s college students, but that it also encompasses our commitment to operate as a Catholic women’s college.”

Several other Catholic single-gender colleges have adopted similar trans-inclusive admissions policies, including Mount Saint Mary’s University of Los Angeles, California, the College of Saint Benedict of St. Joseph, Minnesota, and St. Catherine University of St. Paul, Minnesota, all of which are included on New Ways Ministry’s list of LGBTQ-friendly Catholic colleges and universities.

According to the new policy of Saint Mary’s College, being more inclusive is inherent to its Catholic heritage, and the school’s mission of educating women. The policy reads:

“The mission of Saint Mary’s College is to empower women, through education, at all stages in life. Essential to this mission is fostering a diverse, equitable and inclusive campus experience. This mission is inherently tied to the vision and values of our founders and sponsors, the Sisters of the Holy Cross.”

The College is still in the process of determining what new practices may result from implementing the updated policy, and Conboy has assembled a President’s Task Force for Gender Identity and Expression to provide recommendations regarding housing and community education.

Saint Mary’s has faced some social media backlash as a result of the new policy, and Bishop Kevin Rhoades of Fort Wayne- South Bend issued a statement critiquing the decision, reported The Observer. Rhoades expressed disappointment that he was not consulted in the policy change, claiming further that the inclusive policy is “at odds with Catholic teaching.” “The desire of Saint Mary’s College to show hospitality to people who identify as transgender is not the problem,” Rhoades remarked, but still argued that it is unacceptable for the College to admit transgender women.

The College has received support for the decision from both alumnae and current students. Many of these students applauded the College’s move to support and educate all women, not just cisgender women. On Instagram, Caroline Dutton, a junior wrote, “smc was founded to educate women who were overlooked or excluded in traditional education environments and trans women can surely relate to that.” 

The National Catholic Reporter detailed the positive response of Mariá Balata Wilburn, an incoming member of the Alumnae Association board who graduated in 2008:

“‘I see this update in language as further clarifying the commitment that St. Mary’s has made for a very long time to be a safe place to nurture the voices of young women and of gender minorities who have been deprived of equal access to power and decision-making,” she said.

“She connects the college’s new policy to Holy Cross Sr. Madeleva Wolff, its third president, who, Balata Wilburn said, promised students ‘the discovery of yourselves, the discovery of the universe, and your place in it.’

“‘This is one way we’re discovering new ways the universe is changing, and we’re called to reflect on how we can make that table bigger, so more voices can be celebrated,’ Balata Wilburn said.”

The support of President Conboy and the entire Board of Trustees suggests that Saint Mary’s is taking seriously its mission to welcome, educate, and support all women, as it sees this move as a way for the College to demonstrate and live out its convictions. Conboy wrote that the full support of the Board “underscores their commitment that as an employer, Saint Mary’s must stand firm in its position as an inclusive community leader, and that as educators, we should continue to create an environment where all women belong and thrive.”

Through this new policy, Saint Mary’s College joins the ranks of Catholic colleges and universities who are demonstrating that LGBTQ-positive attitudes and policies faithfully live out and embody the Catholic faith which is central to their mission and identity.

—Phoebe Carstens (they/them), New Ways Ministry, December 8, 2023