By Kathleen Hatch
As collegiate recreation professionals, one of our great responsibilities is to embrace the larger mission to serve our entire university communities.
We have the amazing opportunity to serve everyone—not just those who were student athletes in high school or people who find recreation centers easy to navigate.
I’m convinced that when NIRSA members have access to information and tools for advancing inclusion, we create magic in our programs that then often influences and informs policies throughout campus. There are so many great examples across North America of talented colleagues who were the first at their institutions to ensure campus-wide access to rec facilities and to remove barriers that often arbitrarily excluded someone.
The Campus Pride Index advocates for further LGBTQ and ally progress on campuses nationwide.One of the problems we often face in our profession is not knowing exactly what challenges many students face—and especially not knowing how LGBTQ students navigate campuses every day. I won’t forget a particular student who had the courage to ask to see me.
They (this individual’s preferred gender pronoun) were in the process of gender reassignment and wanted to figure out how to access the pool. I was honored to have them at Washington State University and I wondered about all the challenges they faced when navigating campus.
Wouldn’t you like to know how LGBTQ-friendly your college or university is? You can find out now using the newly-updated Campus Pride Index. I was recently proud to see WSU on the list of LGBTQ-friendly schools; I know that the work of my talented colleagues at University Recreation contributed to and helped shape our entire university.
Developed by LGBTQ researchers, the Campus Pride Index is a free online tool designed to assess college campuses for their LGBTQ-friendliness and inclusiveness. It is a valuable tool to assist campuses that are working to improve their campus climates, as well as to help prospective students find campuses with LGBTQ-inclusive policies, programs, and practices.
The promotion of social justice is an important part of NIRSA’s strategic values.From now until December 15 is the open assessment period for campuses that have not yet registered to get started. Schools that have already completed the index are eligible to upgrade their status to a Premier Campus for free.
Even though some may say that others on campus have this work in their “job title,” I actually think it is natural for us to have, and to even lead, the LGBTQ conversation where necessary. Conversations about LGBTQ students not only support a key strategic value area of equity-diversity-inclusion, but are opportunities to ensure excellence.
In my August 2014 NIRSA President’s Blog – Inclusivity and Excellence, I reflected on my fundamental belief that the absence of inclusion precludes the presence of true excellence. NIRSA’s partnership with Campus Pride moves to directly support individual and institutional members by raising awareness as well as identifying actions and opportunities for influencing entire campuses.
So lean in, gather data, and chart your course to excellence!
About Campus Pride
Campus Pride is a leading national educational organization for LGBTQ and ally college students and campus groups building future leaders and safer, more LGBTQ-friendly colleges and universities. The organization provides resources and services to thousands of college students and nearly 1,400 campuses annually. Learn more online at CampusPride.org.
Campus Pride Index Partners
Q Research Institute of Higher Education
Consortium of Higher Education LGBT Resource Professionals
ACPA—College Student Educators International
NASPA – National Association of Student Personnel Administrators
NIRSA: Leaders in Collegiate Recreation
