Students want this women's college to rethink its notion of gender in admissions

Student government positions weren't the only item on the ballot at Wellesley College's elections on Tuesday. It also included a referendum on gender inclusivity, which passed.

Students at the women's liberal arts college in Massachusetts approved a ballot initiative proposing that it change its admissions policy to welcome all transgender and nonbinary applicants.

Currently, the school only accepts applications from "those who live as women and consistently identify as women," which includes trans women and nonbinary students who "were assigned female at birth and who feel they belong in our community of women."

The initiative also called on the school to use gender-neutral language when referring to its student body in official communications, for example replacing "women" with "students" and "they/them" instead of "she/her."

"While we acknowledge that Wellesley College was founded as a college for women, we recognize the many transgender and gender non-conforming students and alumni,"