Radboud University
This guide was created by the Gender & Sexuality Alliance together with the DEI Office.
In this guide, you will find information about formal processes, such as changing your name, as well as practical information about facilities as well as organizations and support groups. This page will be updated regularly; for any feedback, comments, or additions, please reach out to inclusion [at] ru.nl (inclusion[at]ru[dot]nl).
This section contains information on any administrative actions you might want to take to change your legal or preferred name in the systems of the university, like Osiris or email. The information here is split between students and staff members, as the processes between these groups differ.
Your official registration at the university is connected to Studielink. This means that the name and gender marker that is registered in Studielink are the ones registered in the central administration of the university. The only way to change that is to change your name and/or legal gender marker on your official identity documents.
For people with a Dutch citizenship this means changing your name and/or gender on your birth certificate and thus in the Basisregistratie Personen (BRP). More information on this can be found here for people born with Dutch citizenship and here for people who achieved Dutch citizenship.
Please keep in mind that it is currently a complex process, especially if you want to have a neutral marker (X) instead of a F or M.
For people without a Dutch citizenship this means changing your name in your home country. The procedures vary per country of origin. To find these procedures you can start by looking at official governmental documentation and national transgender networks or advocacy groups.
Changing your legal name and/or gender marker in official documents should change your legal name and/or gender marker in Studielink as well, and by extension, with Radboud too. You will need to drop by the central student desk to change your Radboud email address and student card, which is a process that should take 2-3 weeks.
Sadly, changing your legal name and gender might take a long time due to the various legal machinations at work. However, your legal name and gender aren't used a lot within day-to-day communication within the university. There are some actions you can take to make sure you are called by your preferred name. These are described below.
You can change your preferred name in Studielink using the steps below. Changing your preferred name in Studielink will change your preferred name in many Radboud systems, like Osiris.
You can apply to have your name changed within most systems of the Radboud University. This does not have to happen at the same time as your legal name and gender.
To change your name you can contact the Central Student Desk via mail at centralstudentdesk [at] ru.nl (centralstudentdesk[at]ru[dot]nl). In this mail, state your new name and student number.
Following this mail, the student desk will change your information in the seven different systems used by the Radboud University. They will give you a new email address and send you instructions on how to set up a new account for printing with your chosen name. This process should also give you a new student card.
Should you still have issues, for instance by finding your deadname in some systems, contact the Central Student Desk on the email address above.
The official process to change your legal name and/or gender with the government is the same as that of students, as described above, minus the references to Studielink.
To change personal details in the Radboud systems – including your name and gender marker – it is advised to get in touch with your HR officer. There are various details that might be changed, such as your first name, gender marker, function title(s) and your profile page.
For people with a Dutch citizenship this means changing your name and/or gender on your birth certificate and thus in the Basisregistratie Personen (BRP). More information on this can be found here for people born with Dutch citizenship and here for people who achieved Dutch citizenship.
Please keep in mind that it is currently a complex process, especially if you want to have a neutral marker (X) instead of a F or M.
For people without a Dutch citizenship this means changing your name in your home country. The procedures vary per country of origin. To find these procedures you can start by looking at official governmental documentation and national transgender networks or advocacy groups.
This theme deals with physical facilities at Radboud University, and is divided into a few subcategories. The facilities, booking options, and more of all buildings and rooms on campus.
Most restrooms at Radboud University are currently gender-specific. However, each building has a number of gender-inclusive restrooms, although the quantity varies by location. Please note that this list only includes restrooms that are gender-inclusive but not necessarily accessible. In September 2024, Radboud University introduced a new inclusive restroom policy. The implementation of this policy will take some time but is expected to start in 2025.
Aula
00.14
Berchmanianum
00.223
01.126
01.314
02.126
02.314
03.126
Lecture hall complex (CC)
00.16
Comenius building A
00.50M
00.50P
Comenius building B
00.48
Elinor Ostrom building
00.840
03.850
Erasmus building high
00.31A
01.01A
02.28A
07.31A
11.31A
15.31A
18.31A
Erasmus building low
01.73
FELIX
01.68
01.68A
01.68B
Forum
01.36
Gele Vlieger
00.26
Grotius building
00.092
01.150
02.160
03.086
-1.082
Gymnasion
00.840
01.820
01.850
-1.582
HFML-FELIX (Magnet Laboratory)
00.12F
Huize Heyendael
-1.11A
Huygens building
00.030
01.053
02.056
03.056
Linnaeus building
01.04
Maria Montessori building
00.104
Mercator I
00.44
Mercator II
-1.53
Mercator III
00.114
Oud Heyendaal
00.07
Paviljoen & Student Chaplaincy
01.05A
Experimental Garden
01.13E
Spinoza building high
00.44
01.17
05.39
07.39
09.37
Thomas v. Aquinostr. 1
0.11B
1.14D
Transitorium
-1.003
Trigon
00.005
01.105A
University Business Centre (UBC)
00.76A
Central Library
00.02A
01.02F
-1.03A
Meeting and conference centre Soeterbeeck
00.07
Wasserij
00.77
Radboud Sport & Culture (RSC), in collaboration with Campus and Facilities, has assigned a gender-inclusive changing room on the first floor. They are still monitoring its success by collecting and evaluating feedback from students and staff. See how to find this changing room.
A number of sports associations are actively working to make their association more gender-inclusive, but this is a process in which there are no set guidelines. It is therefore difficult to know from the outside whether an association is a good fit for you. If you are interested in joining a sports association, but you are unsure about how they deal with gender inclusivity, you can contact the association itself (and by extension the board). Alternatively, you can get in touch with the association’s confidential contact person. Given that they are regulated and trained by the university itself, and they are bound to confidentiality, this can be a good, safe alternative if approaching the board feels too high-key. Go for whatever option is most comfortable for you.
Some sports do feature mixed teams and competitions, or do not differentiate in gender at all. Most ticket hours and courses offered by the RSC shouldn’t be gendered.
Personal coaching should be trans-inclusive in the sense that you approach a trainer with a question or body image in mind that you’d like to have. A trainer will help you accomplish your own personal goals and wishes, based on the input you give, rather than on societal ideas of ‘masculine’ or ‘feminine’ bodies.
This broad theme deals with various things, such as your rights, how the Radboud handles social safety, (and how your identity might come into play in your own environment).
Article 1 of the Dutch constitution states that discrimination on any grounds is forbidden. To this end, Radboud University has several policies and processes that work towards eliminating discrimination. The DEI page contains specific policies and policy plans. For employees, the CAO Universiteiten, Collectieve Arbeidsovereenkomst Universiteiten (‘Collective Labour Agreement Universities’), contains information on your rights and obligation in the workplace. This CAO applies to all Dutch Universities. You can find detailed information on the Universiteiten van Nederland website. Among other things, it contains information on medical leave.
At the time of writing, the CAO does not contain specific information for trans or intersex staff members.
Radboud University has committed itself to creating a socially safe and inclusive environment. In practice, though, it is possible you might face discrimination, harassment, or exclusion on the basis of your gender identity. If you do, you can talk to a confidential adviseor or ombudsperson, depending on your situation, as detailed below:
Both students and staff members can approach confidential advisoers, who will listen to any issues you have run into, and help you with resolving them. Depending on your situation, you might end up filing a formal complaint. The confidential advisoers are there to help you with that process as well. They emphasise that they are always approachable, even if something happened that might seem like a ‘small’ issue, and that is important to notify them of anything you might encounter: this allows them to document the issues people face. The most important thing about confidential advisors is that they are always on your side.
More information about confidential advisors
There currently is an ombudsperson for staff members, and there will be one for students from October onwards. Ombudspeople primarily aim to resolve issues informally, take a broader view, and can offer recommendations to the university beyond an individual’s complaint. While they, like confidential advisors, will listen to any problems you face, an ombudsperson will remain impartial. An advantage is that they can serve as a mediator, a disadvantage is that, unlike a confidential adviser, they are not on ‘your’ side.
More information about the ombudspersons
Outside of Radboud University, there are other places where you can report or talk about discrimination, harassment, or exclusion. Depending on the situation, there are several options.
Vizier is a professional, advisory organisation that offers advice and support for people who have experienced discrimination or other kinds of exclusion. Their services are free and confidential. You can get in touch with professionals that can listen, give advice, and if need be, help you with filing a report with the police or direct you to other organisations for help.
The National reporting point discrimination and Victim Support Netherlands are also places where you can talk about discrimination and exclusion. As they are a bit more high-key and less specialist, it is recommended to first contact Vizier. They can refer you to other places to find help, tailored to your situation.
National reporting point discrimination
The Dutch police can help you out if any crime against you has been committed. You can file a report online (in Dutch only), or go to a police station to file a report there. Although this is something you can do individually, keep in mind that it might prove helpful to have someone else there to help you – for instance, through Vizier, or through family/friends. The Dutch police has a Pink in Blue network with officers who have affinity with the LGBTQ+ community; you can ask to be helped by a member of this network. You can also call them directly through +31 88 16 91 234. In case of emergency, always call 112.
Outside of Radboud University, there are also different types of resources and support. Read more about peer support group on a local levelinformation related to inclusive healthcare, including information for transition.
Below is some information on healthcare. Keep in mind that this is only a brief indication of how things work in the Netherlands and is by no means complete. For more information, look on www.seksediversiteit.nl for intersex people or www.transgenderinfo.nl for transgender and non-binary people.
In the Dutch healthcare system your first point of contact is almost always your GP (huisarts). You can contact them for any questions relating to your healthcare. They will refer you to specialist care. Most of the time you need this referral to have your costs reimbursed by your insurance. Sadly, not every GP is friendly for lgbti+-patients. Be assured that you can always choose to switch your treatment to another general practioner.
Firstly, a quick note. If you are not a Dutch citizen, you might not have a Dutch healthcare provider. You should look into the policy you have with your healthcare provider to see how you are insured. If you want to switch to a Dutch provider, consider the guide below. If you are an international student looking into healthcare insurance providers, you can contact the Social Workers at Student Support for aid in this matter.
Dutch Healthcare is completely structured around insurance companies. You need to be insured to have access to most healthcare. Everyone who lives and/or works in the Netherlands is legally obliged to have a health care insurance and every health care insurance provider must accept anyone applying.
More information about Dutch Healthcare
All treatments for intersex conditions should be included in the basispakket,’basic insurance policy’. Transition healthcare at University Hospitals is completely covered in the basispakket. Transition healthcare via other routes (see below) is partially insured, based on your insurance.
You should be careful in choosing your insurance and insurance policies. For people looking for transition healthcare, consider the guide ‘Zorgverzekering Vergelijker voor Transgender Personen 2023’ by ‘Trans in Eigen Hand’ (Dutch): https://transineigenhand.nl/voor-transgender-personen/keuzegids-zorgverzekering-2023/.
Transition healthcare is only possible after a diagnosis from specialist psychiatrists. This means that if you want to have some kind of transition healthcare, e.g. mastectomy or hormones, you first need to get this diagnosis.
Dutch transition healthcare is centred around transgender healthcare expertise centres at various university hospitals. These expertise centres contain all the needed specialists for every aspect of your medical transition. Most people who wish some kind of treatment are referred to these expertise centres. You can ask your general practitioner or other organisations, such as Psytrans for a referral.
There are different expertise centres at different hospitals for intersex conditions in the Netherlands. They all have different specialization on specific intersex conditions. You can find them here: https://www.seksediversiteit.nl/data/dsd-behandelcentra/. Your general practitioner can refer you to the necessary specialist.
The Gemeentelijke Gezondheidsdienst (GGD), ‘Regional Healthcare Service’, is a governmental organization dedicated to protecting and improving the health of citizens by facilitating healthy choices and providing some basic healthcare, like vaccinations. Nijmegen is part of GGD Gelderland Zuid. You can check their site for detailed information: https://ggdgelderlandzuid.nl/. The GGD also offers services related to sexual health.