Christopher Tremblay 2009 AACRAO Annual Conference | Chicago
A Presentation by Carl Einhaus | Christopher Tremblay 2009 AACRAO Annual Conference | Chicago, Illinois
Purpose of This Session To provide a sample of the growing number of guides which assess colleges on their LGBTfriendliness. Discussion Items • Assessment tools these guides utilize • Helpfulness of guides for both the student and the campus
inside the pride guides
LGBT Friendliness
An environment that is more inclusive, welcoming and respectful for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. -Campus Climate Index, FAQs page
inside the pride guides
Guides in Existence • PRINT • The Advocate College Guide • Finding a LGBT Friendly Campus • The Gay and Lesbian Guide to College Life • ELECTRONIC • Campus Climate Index • Campus Pride • Consortium of Higher g Education LGBT Resource Professionals • Individual College Websites
inside the pride guides
The Advocate College Guide • First Edition • Published in 2006 by Alyson Books • Designed as a companion to the college search • Showcases campuses that demonstrate a commitment to LGBT students • Represents the Best 100 LGBT campuses • Based on 4650 online student interviews • Based on 560 online faculty/staff interviews
inside the pride guides
The Advocate College Guide • 561 known campuses with sexual orientation non-discrimination policies • List of 212 schools made the final cut • “GPA” of 10+ out of 20 • Based on LGBT student perspectives and facts • Gives a “Gay Point Average” to each school • Cited in New York Times in 2006
inside the pride guides
inside the pride guides
The Advocate College Guide • Top 10 Criteria • Active LGBT Student Organization • Out LGBT Students • Out LGBT Faculty/Staff • LGBT-Inclusive Policies • Visible Signs of Pride • Out LGBT Allies • LGBT Inclusive Housing/Gender g Neutral Bathrooms • LGBT Center/Office • LGBT Queer Studies • LGBT Social Scene
inside the pride guides
The Advocate College Guide • Each listing includes 10 elements of data/ information and is summarized in 3 pages • Top 100 • Top 20 (Best of the Best) • Rise above expectations • Pioneering g LGBT Leaders in Higher g Education
inside the pride guides
The Advocate College Guide •American University •Duke University •Indiana University •New York University •Oberlin College •Ohio State University •Pennsylvania State University •Princeton University y •Stanford University •Tufts University •UC-Berkeley •UCLA •UC-Santa Cruz •UMass-Amherst •University of Michigan •University of Oregon •University of Pennsylvania •University of Puget Sound •University of Southern California
inside the pride guides
The Advocate College Guide • Index in Back contains: • By Gay Point Average • By Same Sex Partner Benefits • By Gender Identity Policy • By Religious Affiliation • By Region/State • By School Type • By y Size • By Tuition
inside the pride guides
The Advocate College Guide • Dissecting One College • Introductory Remarks • LGBT Politics Meter • OutSpoken (answers from LGBT students) • Basic Info Sidebar • Outrageous Factoids • Rainbow Rumors • Annual LGBT Events • Academic Scene • Social Scene • Buzz Bites (The Best Of…) • Gay Point Average Checklist and Score • Campus Queer Resources
inside the pride guides
Copyright Permission Obtained by Shane Windmeyer 8/17/08
inside the pride guides
inside the pride guides
inside the pride guides
inside the pride guides
The Advocate College Guide • Tools for Students • Minding Your Ps & Qs • Personal Campus Inventory Quiz • LGBT Factors to Consider • Individual Action Plan for LGBT College Seeker • Campus Visit Scorecard • Advice • How to Come Out on Campus • Advice for LGBT Students of Color
inside the pride guides
The Advocate College Guide • Tools for College Officials • Inclusive LGBT Classroom Strategies • Improving Housing for LGBT Students • Physical/Emotional Health Concerns • Campus Safety for LGBT Students • Improving Trans-Inclusiveness • Reaching Out Through College Admissions
inside the pride guides
The Advocate College Guide • Divide into 6 groups • Discussion Group Questions about Tools for College Officials • What parts of this content are helpful? • What’s missing g from this section? • How you would use this on your campus?
inside the pride guides
The Advocate College Guide Observations • Comprehensive • Easy to read • Provides 50 pages of tools/resources Drawbacks • Only inclusive of 100 campuses • No real direct relationship to “The Advocate” • 3-4 years old/still accurate?
inside the pride guides
Finding an LGBT Friendly Campus http://www.glsen.org/binary-data/GLSEN_ATTACHMENTS/file/200-1.pdf
• Five factors to consider when seeking an LGBT-Safe School • Chart for students to assess the school’s LGBT-Friendliness • Tips for the admission application process (b outt or not? (be t? If out, t how h to t address dd it) • List of LGBT Resources
inside the pride guides
Finding an LGBT Friendly Campus Observations • Basic • Permission to reproduce Drawbacks • Not current/8 years old • Not easy to find online
inside the pride guides
The Gay & Lesbian Guide to College Life • Published by The Princeton Review • Featuring advice from students and administrators • 70+ schools featured • Student Testimonials • Tips from Parents
inside the pride guides
The Gay & Lesbian Guide to College Life • Guide Touts Ability to: • Find an LGBT-friendly school • Evaluate administrative policies related to LGBT student life • Deal with homo/bi/transphobia on campus • Participate in LGBT student activism • Get support for your health and safety needs • Fully y integrate g yourself y into the campus community y
inside the pride guides
The Gay & Lesbian Guide to College Life • Collaborative effort with the Consortium of Higher Education LGBT Resource Professionals • Many chapters include a “Spotlight On” page
• College students from across the country share their perspectives and experiences with being queer on campus
• More of a guide for college students when on campus – first few chapters focus on college search process • Does not assess colleges, but gives tools for students to assess for themselves • Helpful comprehensive guide for the entire college experience and beyond
inside the pride guides
Campus Climate Index • www.campusclimateindex.org • Development began in 2001 • Owned/operated by Campus Pride • Non-Profit Organization Based in North Carolina • 5 Star Score • 50+ self-assessment questions • The American College Personnel Association (ACPA) honored the index with the “Innovative Response to Social Justice” Award
inside the pride guides
Campus Climate Index Primary Goals • Set forth a national standard of LGBT and Ally inclusive policies, programs and practices. • Offer an ongoing, effective measurement tool to improve the quality of life for LGBT and Ally people on college/university g y campuses and to assist campuses in becoming more LGBT-Friendly. • Advocate nationally for further LGBT and Ally progress by highlighting positive efforts.
inside the pride guides
Campus Climate Index • Based on 8 LGBT-Friendly Factors • Policy Inclusion • Support & Institutional Commitment • Student Life • Academic Life • Housing • Campus Safety • Counseling & Health • Recruitment and Retention Efforts
inside the pride guides
inside the pride guides
inside the pride guides
Campus Climate Index Tested Extensively in National Outlets • Creating Change Conference • National Gay & Lesbian Task Force • Corporate Equality Index Staff • Human Rights Campaign • Consortium of Higher Education LGBT Resource • Professionals/Individual Campuses/Higher Education Professionals in the LGBT field of study
inside the pride guides
inside the pride guides
inside the pride guides
inside the pride guides
inside the pride guides
inside the pride guides
inside the pride guides
Campus Climate Index Premier Campus • 186 current • Star Scores Range from 1 to 5 Honor Roll
inside the pride guides
Campus Climate Index Observations • Easy to use/navigate • Robust/Comprehensive • Appeals to millennial generation Drawbacks • College has to elect to complete the online assessment tool • Self answers • One person is responsible representative of the campus (chance of bias?)
inside the pride guides
Campus Pride How to Choose http://www.campuspride.org/how_to_choose.asp 37 questions to help students Same 8 categories as Campus Climate Index
LGBT Scholarships http://www.campuspride.org/finding_scholarships.asp 15 website resources
Observations • Helpful tools • Online resource
inside the pride guides
Consortium One question on FAQ site http://www.lgbtcampus.org/
inside the pride guides
Methods for Assessment • Self help approach – questions given to students to solicit answers themselves (Princeton, GLSEN Guide) • Specific colleges scored on LGBT friendliness (Campus Climate Index, Advocate Guide) • Many use each other as resources or references
inside the pride guides
Perspective of the Campus
www.suffolk.edu/campuslife/3810.html
inside the pride guides
Perspective of the Campus
www.princeton.edu/lgbt/resources/prospective.htm
inside the pride guides
Perspective of the Campus
http://lgbt.studentaffairs.duke.edu/audiencenav/LGBTfriendly_school.html
inside the pride guides
Perspective of the Campus www.ithaca.edu/sacl/lgbt/resources/pam/
inside the pride guides
Perspective of the Campus
www.gvsu.edu/lgbtrc/index.cfm?id=DDBDF1A2-B6C9-0E74-125F6428DBA23A73
inside the pride guides
College Websites Observations
• Schools are outreaching to LGBT population • Creating “prospective student” sites to complement the information for current students • Part advocacy + marketing • Content varies • Content amount = commitment? • Location varies • Admissions vs. LGBT resource pages or both • Ease of locating
inside the pride guides
On the Horizon • National center for the scholarly study of LGBT people in higher education www.campuspride.org/research/ https://online.survey.psu.edu/lgbt/
inside the pride guides
Other Discoveries • topoutcolleges.com • Announced in October 2007 • Never completed The hot new site where college students rate the LGBT-friendliness of their university, announced its launch on October 19 in a marketing blitz aimed directly at current and prospective college students. "Essentially, we contacted every LGBT campus organization we could get our hands on," says Brent Robinson, owner of TopOutColleges.com.
inside the pride guides
Discussion Campus Visit Scorecard • Complete based on your school • Share and discuss
inside the pride guides
Summary • Observations • Advocate, Climate Index, Campus Pride = Shane Windmeyer Resources • Guide vs. Assessment • Combination of Facts + Perspectives
inside the pride guides
Summary • Helpfulness of the Guides • Provide focused information to this targeted population • Provide questions & answers • Provide considerations when doing an LGBT-based college search • Use a variety of guides rather than relying on one
inside the pride guides
Summary • Possible Limitations of the Guides
• Printed texts can become outdated quickly • Provide subjective recommendations
• Recommendations for Future Guides
• Ask prospective students to evaluate these tools • Ask current students to evaluate these tools • Potential Book Reviews • Print updated editions
inside the pride guides
Purpose of This Session To provide a sample of the growing number of guides which assess colleges on their LGBTfriendliness. Discussion Items • Assessment tools these guides utilize • Helpfulness of guides for both the student and the campus
inside the pride guides
LGBT Friendliness
An environment that is more inclusive, welcoming and respectful for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. -Campus Climate Index, FAQs page
inside the pride guides
Guides in Existence • PRINT • The Advocate College Guide • Finding a LGBT Friendly Campus • The Gay and Lesbian Guide to College Life • ELECTRONIC • Campus Climate Index • Campus Pride • Consortium of Higher g Education LGBT Resource Professionals • Individual College Websites
inside the pride guides
The Advocate College Guide • First Edition • Published in 2006 by Alyson Books • Designed as a companion to the college search • Showcases campuses that demonstrate a commitment to LGBT students • Represents the Best 100 LGBT campuses • Based on 4650 online student interviews • Based on 560 online faculty/staff interviews
inside the pride guides
The Advocate College Guide • 561 known campuses with sexual orientation non-discrimination policies • List of 212 schools made the final cut • “GPA” of 10+ out of 20 • Based on LGBT student perspectives and facts • Gives a “Gay Point Average” to each school • Cited in New York Times in 2006
inside the pride guides
inside the pride guides
The Advocate College Guide • Top 10 Criteria • Active LGBT Student Organization • Out LGBT Students • Out LGBT Faculty/Staff • LGBT-Inclusive Policies • Visible Signs of Pride • Out LGBT Allies • LGBT Inclusive Housing/Gender g Neutral Bathrooms • LGBT Center/Office • LGBT Queer Studies • LGBT Social Scene
inside the pride guides
The Advocate College Guide • Each listing includes 10 elements of data/ information and is summarized in 3 pages • Top 100 • Top 20 (Best of the Best) • Rise above expectations • Pioneering g LGBT Leaders in Higher g Education
inside the pride guides
The Advocate College Guide •American University •Duke University •Indiana University •New York University •Oberlin College •Ohio State University •Pennsylvania State University •Princeton University y •Stanford University •Tufts University •UC-Berkeley •UCLA •UC-Santa Cruz •UMass-Amherst •University of Michigan •University of Oregon •University of Pennsylvania •University of Puget Sound •University of Southern California
inside the pride guides
The Advocate College Guide • Index in Back contains: • By Gay Point Average • By Same Sex Partner Benefits • By Gender Identity Policy • By Religious Affiliation • By Region/State • By School Type • By y Size • By Tuition
inside the pride guides
The Advocate College Guide • Dissecting One College • Introductory Remarks • LGBT Politics Meter • OutSpoken (answers from LGBT students) • Basic Info Sidebar • Outrageous Factoids • Rainbow Rumors • Annual LGBT Events • Academic Scene • Social Scene • Buzz Bites (The Best Of…) • Gay Point Average Checklist and Score • Campus Queer Resources
inside the pride guides
Copyright Permission Obtained by Shane Windmeyer 8/17/08
inside the pride guides
inside the pride guides
inside the pride guides
inside the pride guides
The Advocate College Guide • Tools for Students • Minding Your Ps & Qs • Personal Campus Inventory Quiz • LGBT Factors to Consider • Individual Action Plan for LGBT College Seeker • Campus Visit Scorecard • Advice • How to Come Out on Campus • Advice for LGBT Students of Color
inside the pride guides
The Advocate College Guide • Tools for College Officials • Inclusive LGBT Classroom Strategies • Improving Housing for LGBT Students • Physical/Emotional Health Concerns • Campus Safety for LGBT Students • Improving Trans-Inclusiveness • Reaching Out Through College Admissions
inside the pride guides
The Advocate College Guide • Divide into 6 groups • Discussion Group Questions about Tools for College Officials • What parts of this content are helpful? • What’s missing g from this section? • How you would use this on your campus?
inside the pride guides
The Advocate College Guide Observations • Comprehensive • Easy to read • Provides 50 pages of tools/resources Drawbacks • Only inclusive of 100 campuses • No real direct relationship to “The Advocate” • 3-4 years old/still accurate?
inside the pride guides
Finding an LGBT Friendly Campus http://www.glsen.org/binary-data/GLSEN_ATTACHMENTS/file/200-1.pdf
• Five factors to consider when seeking an LGBT-Safe School • Chart for students to assess the school’s LGBT-Friendliness • Tips for the admission application process (b outt or not? (be t? If out, t how h to t address dd it) • List of LGBT Resources
inside the pride guides
Finding an LGBT Friendly Campus Observations • Basic • Permission to reproduce Drawbacks • Not current/8 years old • Not easy to find online
inside the pride guides
The Gay & Lesbian Guide to College Life • Published by The Princeton Review • Featuring advice from students and administrators • 70+ schools featured • Student Testimonials • Tips from Parents
inside the pride guides
The Gay & Lesbian Guide to College Life • Guide Touts Ability to: • Find an LGBT-friendly school • Evaluate administrative policies related to LGBT student life • Deal with homo/bi/transphobia on campus • Participate in LGBT student activism • Get support for your health and safety needs • Fully y integrate g yourself y into the campus community y
inside the pride guides
The Gay & Lesbian Guide to College Life • Collaborative effort with the Consortium of Higher Education LGBT Resource Professionals • Many chapters include a “Spotlight On” page
• College students from across the country share their perspectives and experiences with being queer on campus
• More of a guide for college students when on campus – first few chapters focus on college search process • Does not assess colleges, but gives tools for students to assess for themselves • Helpful comprehensive guide for the entire college experience and beyond
inside the pride guides
Campus Climate Index • www.campusclimateindex.org • Development began in 2001 • Owned/operated by Campus Pride • Non-Profit Organization Based in North Carolina • 5 Star Score • 50+ self-assessment questions • The American College Personnel Association (ACPA) honored the index with the “Innovative Response to Social Justice” Award
inside the pride guides
Campus Climate Index Primary Goals • Set forth a national standard of LGBT and Ally inclusive policies, programs and practices. • Offer an ongoing, effective measurement tool to improve the quality of life for LGBT and Ally people on college/university g y campuses and to assist campuses in becoming more LGBT-Friendly. • Advocate nationally for further LGBT and Ally progress by highlighting positive efforts.
inside the pride guides
Campus Climate Index • Based on 8 LGBT-Friendly Factors • Policy Inclusion • Support & Institutional Commitment • Student Life • Academic Life • Housing • Campus Safety • Counseling & Health • Recruitment and Retention Efforts
inside the pride guides
inside the pride guides
inside the pride guides
Campus Climate Index Tested Extensively in National Outlets • Creating Change Conference • National Gay & Lesbian Task Force • Corporate Equality Index Staff • Human Rights Campaign • Consortium of Higher Education LGBT Resource • Professionals/Individual Campuses/Higher Education Professionals in the LGBT field of study
inside the pride guides
inside the pride guides
inside the pride guides
inside the pride guides
inside the pride guides
inside the pride guides
inside the pride guides
Campus Climate Index Premier Campus • 186 current • Star Scores Range from 1 to 5 Honor Roll
inside the pride guides
Campus Climate Index Observations • Easy to use/navigate • Robust/Comprehensive • Appeals to millennial generation Drawbacks • College has to elect to complete the online assessment tool • Self answers • One person is responsible representative of the campus (chance of bias?)
inside the pride guides
Campus Pride How to Choose http://www.campuspride.org/how_to_choose.asp 37 questions to help students Same 8 categories as Campus Climate Index
LGBT Scholarships http://www.campuspride.org/finding_scholarships.asp 15 website resources
Observations • Helpful tools • Online resource
inside the pride guides
Consortium One question on FAQ site http://www.lgbtcampus.org/
inside the pride guides
Methods for Assessment • Self help approach – questions given to students to solicit answers themselves (Princeton, GLSEN Guide) • Specific colleges scored on LGBT friendliness (Campus Climate Index, Advocate Guide) • Many use each other as resources or references
inside the pride guides
Perspective of the Campus
www.suffolk.edu/campuslife/3810.html
inside the pride guides
Perspective of the Campus
www.princeton.edu/lgbt/resources/prospective.htm
inside the pride guides
Perspective of the Campus
http://lgbt.studentaffairs.duke.edu/audiencenav/LGBTfriendly_school.html
inside the pride guides
Perspective of the Campus www.ithaca.edu/sacl/lgbt/resources/pam/
inside the pride guides
Perspective of the Campus
www.gvsu.edu/lgbtrc/index.cfm?id=DDBDF1A2-B6C9-0E74-125F6428DBA23A73
inside the pride guides
College Websites Observations
• Schools are outreaching to LGBT population • Creating “prospective student” sites to complement the information for current students • Part advocacy + marketing • Content varies • Content amount = commitment? • Location varies • Admissions vs. LGBT resource pages or both • Ease of locating
inside the pride guides
On the Horizon • National center for the scholarly study of LGBT people in higher education www.campuspride.org/research/ https://online.survey.psu.edu/lgbt/
inside the pride guides
Other Discoveries • topoutcolleges.com • Announced in October 2007 • Never completed The hot new site where college students rate the LGBT-friendliness of their university, announced its launch on October 19 in a marketing blitz aimed directly at current and prospective college students. "Essentially, we contacted every LGBT campus organization we could get our hands on," says Brent Robinson, owner of TopOutColleges.com.
inside the pride guides
Discussion Campus Visit Scorecard • Complete based on your school • Share and discuss
inside the pride guides
Summary • Observations • Advocate, Climate Index, Campus Pride = Shane Windmeyer Resources • Guide vs. Assessment • Combination of Facts + Perspectives
inside the pride guides
Summary • Helpfulness of the Guides • Provide focused information to this targeted population • Provide questions & answers • Provide considerations when doing an LGBT-based college search • Use a variety of guides rather than relying on one
inside the pride guides
Summary • Possible Limitations of the Guides
• Printed texts can become outdated quickly • Provide subjective recommendations
• Recommendations for Future Guides
• Ask prospective students to evaluate these tools • Ask current students to evaluate these tools • Potential Book Reviews • Print updated editions
inside the pride guides
