In This Issue Current Issue Archives

April 2005

GLBT Campus Matters premier issue PDF
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From the Editor
There is no short course for turning our university campuses into nurturing environments for all students, faculty and staff. People come to college with all kinds of cultural, spiritual and personal beliefs; it’s not the institution’s job to change these. But it is the job of educators to respect and uphold the rights of each campus member, despite differences, and to value the richness of ideas and expression that diversity brings to learning.

Slow but Steady: Administrators Taking to Heart GLBT Safety, Services
College administrators gradually are becoming more willing to address gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender concerns on campus, perhaps taking to heart their responsibility to provide a safe space, equal services and respect for all students, faculty and staff.

A Center from the Ground Up: Tamara Cohen at the University of Florida
In starting the University of Florida’s first GLBT center, Tamara Cohen is faced with many struggles, not the least of which is getting out the word that the school now has resources for GLBT students.

Key Resources
Tamara Cohen, the University of Florida’s fledgling director of GLBT affairs, keeps two valuable resources close at hand. More information about these books can be found at Http://wwwlgbtcampus.org, the website of the National Consortium of Directors of LGBT Resources in Higher Education.

Creating A Welcoming Environment
By Joe Bertolino, EdD., and Bil Leipold
Despite decades of education and efforts in support of the queer community, campuses and organizations continue to struggle with GLBTQ issues. No matter what the level of resources...the basic tenets and challenges of creating a welcoming environment remain the same.

CAMPUS CLIMATE SURVEY RECOMMENDATIONS
The following recommendations offer a starting point for policy makers and program planners to maximize GLBT equity on campus, writes author Susan Rankin in the Campus Climate Survey for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender People: A National Perspective. A written action plan should be created, including time-lines, resources (human and fiscal), people responsible for the implementation of the recommendations and a system for accountability. "Change demands committed leadership in both policy and goal articulation," writes Rankin.

From the Desk of...A Career Development Book Relevant to All Higher Education Divisions
By Stephanie K. Eberle
Book Review: Career and Life Planning with Gay, Lesbian, & Bisexual Persons Susan Gelberg and Joseph T. Chojnacki, Ph.Ds