The University of Missouri Board of Curators on Thursday voted to add gender identity and gender expression to the UM System's nondiscrimination policy, making the system's four campuses the state's first public universities to do so.

Curators voted 7-1 in favor of the change, which Curator John Phillips said students and faculty from all four campuses have sought.

Seven private colleges and universities have implemented similar changes, including Washington University, Westminster College and Rockhurst University, among others, according to CampusPride.org.

UM System President Tim Wolfe said the nondiscrimination policy has "always been inclusive. � We never discriminate � ever. Our policy is very broad, and I'm glad the board stepped up and expanded it even more."

Wolfe said he expects other public universities might follow the UM System's lead.

Before the curators' vote, the change was unanimously approved by the board's compensation and human resources committee. While introducing the issue, Phillips, the committee chairman, said the board has received petitions in support of adding gender identity and gender expression to the nondiscrimination policy from students. The new provision also had faculty support from all four campuses.

Phillips pointed out that the federal agencies have implemented similar changes to nondiscrimination policies and said the board was in a position to think about this issue on both legal and human rights grounds.

Steve Owens, UM System general counsel, said the nondiscrimination policy could already be considered to cover gender identity and expression by prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sex. Regardless, he said, there is an increasing emphasis by federal entities for its inclusion in such policies.

Curator David Steward cast the sole dissenting vote. Before the full board vote, Steward asked Owens to clarify that the UM System meets all regulations related to its nondiscrimination policy. Owens said it did.

Steward declined to comment on his vote after the meeting.

Shortly after the vote, student body presidents from all four campuses sent out a joint news release lauding the change.

The gender identity and gender expression addition has yet to be addressed by MU's Faculty Council but will show up as an issue for the council's diversity committee to address during the next two months, Chairman Craig Roberts said.

"I apologize to the students for not getting it on the agenda," Roberts said, adding that there have been priority items the council has had to address with administration changes over the past six months.

This article was published in the Friday, June 20, 2014 edition of the Columbia Daily Tribune with the headline "Gender identity included;�UM System adds to anti-bias policy."