Using Technology to Find a Gay-Friendly College

By Shane L. Windmeyer, M.S., Ed.

Introduction

“It was great to have my first college fair be one where I could ask important questions about myself as someone from the LGBT community. This type of college fair was also very important for me as I have two moms – I want to be at a college where I can feel comfortable about my family.” --Isabel Galupo, a high school sophomore from Towson, Maryland, after attending a 2007 college fair hosted by Campus Pride, a national nonprofit group for LGBT students and campus organizations.

It is true, even straight youth are looking for gay-friendly colleges. The complexity of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) issues transcends the question of “who’s gay or who’s not gay?” Students like Isabel come from diverse families and social networks. They want to go to college where their families are safe, welcome – and even celebrated.

Some colleges and universities have realized that embracing diversity related to sexual orientation and gender identity/expression creates a positive impact for all students. It is not a surprise that youth today are by far more open-minded to LGBT issues than those over the age of 35. Despite this, over ninety percent of LGBT youth report being harassed or assaulted due to sexual orientation or gender identity/expression even before college (GLSEN, 2006). When a young adult arrives on a college campus, there is no guarantee that there are LGBT protections to provide a safe, welcoming, learning environment in which they can learn and grow. Only 600 four-year colleges and universities (out of nearly 2500) prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and approximately sixty campuses have explicit protections inclusive of transgender people (Campus Pride, 2007). Overall, Campus Pride estimates that half of all colleges have an active LGBT and / or ally student group or organization that is working to create positive change.

So how do students like Isabel sort through the many colleges and universities to determine which will best meet her LGBT-friendly needs? How do colleges reach out to gay and straight students and their families? A new online initiative called the LGBT-Friendly Campus Climate Index (www.campusclimateindex.org), can assist students in determining how safe, welcoming, and supportive U.S. colleges and universities are.

The Concept

The concept behind the LGBT-Friendly Campus Climate Index was to utilize technology to make an online interface that would create visibility for an often-invisible college population – LGBT and ally people. In addition, the online tool could be also used to support campuses in improving their LGBT campus life and help to shape the campuses’ educational experiences to be more inclusive, welcoming, and respectful of LGBT people and allies.

In development since 2001, the Index was developed by a Campus Pride team of researchers, including Dr. Brett Genny Beemyn, Dr. Susan R. Rankin, and Shane L. Windmeyer. The Index was built on the philosophy that every student has the right to a safe learning environment where they can learn, live, and grow academically and socially. As a result, campuses have the power and responsibility to enact policies, programs, and practices that work to enhance the campus climate for all students -- including LGBT and ally students. In addition to this philosophy, the team relied on a decade of LGBT campus climate research by Rankin, as well as a host of national LGBT best practices and standards. It is important to note that the Index does not assess attitudes or perceptions; instead, it looks specifically at LGBT policies, programs, and practices.

Substantial testing and sampling of the Index was administered at higher education conferences and with individuals on campuses across the country. The key was to utilize the web to develop a dynamic tool that would reach out to the LGBT population and to develop a fair evaluation of four-year colleges of all types and sizes as it pertains to LGBT issues. After testing, the Index tool was narrowed down to 56 self-assessment questions, which correspond to eight different LGBT-Friendly factors. The factors are:

• LGBT Policy Inclusion
• LGBT Support & Institutional Commitment
• LGBT Student Life
• LGBT Academic Life
• LGBT Housing
• LGBT Campus Safety
• LGBT Counseling & Health
• LGBT Recruitment and Retention Efforts

Questions were ultimately weighted to compensate for size and type of institution as well as to add value to specific components of LGBT campus life. The backend database instantly compiles the assessment, generates a confidential report, and provides output scores based on the responses. Results are immediate and provide the college or university with a national benchmark to assess their LGBT policies, programs, and practices.

How it Works – For Campus Officials

The first step for a college or university to participate in the LGBT-Friendly Campus Climate Index is to complete the online assessment tool. The Index allows only one designated campus official that can speak legally on behalf of the college or university to complete the assessment for the campus. The individual goes online and creates their campus account. Campus Pride encourages a team approach to completing the Index, comprised of student leaders, faculty, administrators, and staff. The individuals involved should be the most credible, diverse population of LGBT and ally people who would either know the answers or be responsible to find accurate answers. The Index does not rely on multiple reports, assumptions, or opinions.

Once the campus official compiles responses, the individual goes online to a private login area and completes the assessment for each of the eight LGBT-Friendly factors, making online notes and saving responses at the end. The official may save, change responses, and return to their campus profile at any time, until hitting the final confirmation to submit the assessment for the college or university.

The assessment is then scored and approved by the online administrator. The campus official receives an email invitation to view the confidential report for the campus and can view a special private profile page summarizing the findings with a link to print the full 14-18 page report. The report lists detailed scores from the assessment and also suggests recommendations and readings to create a safer, more welcoming campus for LGBT and ally people. The report is confidential, to be viewed by the campus only. Assessment responses can be updated annually to measure progress year to year.

The final step is for the campus official to determine if the college or university wants to be visible on the Index to potentially reach out to future LGBT and ally students. By clicking a box, the campus can choose to “opt in” or “opt out” of the online database. A choice to “opt in” creates a public profile page for the campus automatically. The profile page sample is available to preview from the private log in area and consists of the name of campus, demographic information, and general star ratings from one to five stars. Should the campus prefer its profile not be available to the public, a choice to “opt out” allows the campus to have access to the confidential report without the profile being visible to the public. All campuses participating in the Index are acknowledged for their commitment to LGBT and ally people and can choose to “opt in” or "opt out" at any time.

How it Works – For Prospective Students & Families

The MySpace, Facebook, and YouTube generation expect readily accessible resources at the click of the button. Finding a gay-friendly campus is effortless with the LGBT-Friendly Campus Climate Index. Youth can search several campus profiles and compare what each has to offer. If a particular college or university is appealing, prospective students click the “My Bookbag” feature and the profile is stored in the student’s “book bag.” All campuses in the book bag receive referrals with contact information, so they may follow-up with prospective students.

The quickest way for prospective students to search is by using the “Campus Search” feature. Users can complete a detailed search by region, size, type of institution, tuition cost, and even by star ratings. On the front page of the Index, a section titled "Spotlight" showcases different campuses with photos. Campuses that score three, four, or five stars are featured in a separate “Honor Roll” listing. Campuses may add personal quotes, photos, events, web links, and much more to profile pages for users to learn more about LGBT campus life at their institution.

Finally, LGBT and ally youth and their families have a reliable, up-to-date resource to help in finding the right college. The dynamic technology of the Index makes it easy to navigate and the various campus profiles provide a tailored look at LGBT campus life. Some LGBT and ally faculty and staff have even commented that they plan on using the Index as a tool to choose their next job in higher education.

Conclusion

Since launching in September of 2007, the LGBT-Friendly Campus Climate Index has grown from profiling 30 to over 150 colleges and universities across the United States. Plans are underway to release an upgrade to allow non-residential campuses and community colleges to participate in the Index. The expectation is that the Index will continue to grow as more colleges learn about the value and benefits.

By using the web, as well as profile pages and features reminiscent of popular search engines, the Index is not only attractive to today’s younger generation, but it also provides a way to reach out to what has often been an untapped population in college admissions – LGBT people. To date, the Index has made over 880 referrals of prospective students and families, and it is beginning to gain increased national visibility in coordination with the Campus Pride College Admission Fairs. There have been over 32,000 unique site visitors, an average of 5,550 per month.

For students like Isabel who have two moms, the Index provides the most up-to-date information regarding campuses’ LGBT policies, programs, and practices. It is a highly reliable online resource to find an LGBT friendly campus that is right for her. And that is what’s most important to remember.

References:

“From Teasing to Torment: School Climate in America.” Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, 2006.
“Campus Facts to Know.” Campus Pride, 2007.

Believe In -- Campus Pride. Campus Pride is the leading national nonprofit organization 501(c)(3) for student leaders and campus organizations working to create safer, more LGBT-friendly colleges and universities. It exists to give "voice and action" in building future LGBT and ally leaders.