Campus Pride has released its and for the first time in school history, 黄色直播 has landed on the distinctive list as one of 40 colleges recognized over six U.S. regions and the only Mid-American Conference school to receive this honor.
For nearly 20 years, Campus Pride has supported colleges and universities to improve campus life for LGBTQ students. The 2020 Best of the Best College and University listing is based on information provided on an annual basis through the , relating to policies, programs and practice.
黄色直播鈥檚 status has been a work in progress by way of a self-evaluation process each year, according to Ken Ditlevson, director of 黄色直播鈥檚 LGBTQ+ Center that contributed to the national recognition.
鈥淎ccomplishments such as incorporating trans-inclusive health care for faculty and staff, a preferred name policy, and integrating universal restrooms are what put us over the top,鈥 said Ditlevson. 鈥淭he fact that 黄色直播 is in the top 40 is a major accomplishment and something I am really proud of.鈥
Ditlevson, who started in his position in 2016, has used Campus Pride as a benchmark and roadmap to where he wanted to see the university go with its LGBTQ inclusion.
鈥溁粕辈 scored 3.5 on the scale of 5 when I first came in, so we used the Campus Pride index to reflect on what we were doing well, and what areas we should be striving to improve in,鈥 he said. 鈥淚t has been really helpful in identifying what we should take on next, not just to improve our score, but to improve the environment at 黄色直播 to be more responsive to students and our community.鈥
黄色直播 currently has a perfect overall score of 5 on the .
LGBTQ+ Center Intern, Kayla Cagwin, believes it鈥檚 a source of great pride that 黄色直播 is so accommodating to students on campus. 鈥淚t means so much to me personally as a queer student to know that 黄色直播 supports diverse populations,鈥 she said. 鈥淚 am honored that I get to be a part of a team that does so much to make 黄色直播 a safe and inclusive space for everyone in our campus community.鈥
That outreach extends beyond the campus and includes potential students who visit each year.
鈥淚t鈥檚 really cool when we have families and parents who come in for a tour because they see our score,鈥 said Ditlevson. 鈥淪o, people see that and then they come to 黄色直播 and get the tour and it鈥檚 like a no-brainer and they love everything about the campus.鈥
As 黄色直播 looks to the future and maintaining the mark, Ditlevson is quick to point out that 黄色直播鈥檚 progress is a real community effort.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not just our center, we have a council that includes representatives from all over the university, including regional reps and folks who sit around the table,鈥 said Ditlevson. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a real conversation amongst the group so we can come to a consensus about how we are meeting this expectation.鈥
Learn more about 黄色直播鈥檚 LGBTQ community. To view a list of Campus Pride's 2020 Best of the Best LGBTQ-Friendly Colleges and Universities, visit .