Word comes from Campus Pride that Elmhurst College in Illinois will soon be the first institution of higher learning to include optional questions gathering information students LGBT identity on admission forms.
The admissions application question asks, “Would you consider yourself to be a member of the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) community?” Students can answer “Yes,” “No,” or “Prefer not to say.” The question appears alongside other optional questions asking students about religious affiliation, languages other than English spoken at home and whether they have worked with a community-based organization in their college search process.
“In words and action, Elmhurst College stands by our commitment to welcome and affirm all persons with respect to race, ethnicity, class, gender, religion, faith perspective, nationality, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression into the full life of the college,” said Christine Grenier, Elmhurst College associate director of Admission. “Being able to reach out to LGBT students intentionally will allow us to connect to students earlier, help ease the transition to college and provide valuable resources on campus.”
LGBT college activist, Shane Windmeyer say, “The college admission form is an essential way to gather data on prospective students and to communicate a message of inclusion, worth and value by the questions being asked. The bar has been set.”
Shane Windmeyer, executive director of Campus Pride considers this a "historic step," saying:
“The move by Elmhurst administrators to include this question represents a distinct and unique paradigm shift in higher education to actively recognize out LGBT youth populations and to exercise greater responsibility for LGBT student safety. For the first time, an American college has taken efforts to identify their LGBT students from the very first moment those students have official contact with them. This is definite progress in the right direction—and deserves praise.”
Campus Pride is a national nonprofit organization for student leaders and campus groups working to create a safer college environment for LGBT students. The volunteer organization works to develop necessary resources, programs and services to support LGBT and ally students on college campuses across the United States.
This move is totally in line with a growing trend of Universities nationwide to expand their diversity outreach activities to LGBT student populations. The New York Times reported last summer on the enthusiasm some universities have taken to LGBT-specific recruitment fairs.
S. Caroline Kerr, the senior assistant director of admissions at Dartmouth is quoted in the article saying on the school's participation:
“I have gotten some raised eyebrows” from alumni, who have been surprised to find that there are special recruiting efforts for gay students and have asked, “Do you mean to tell me you are admitting someone based on this?” She counters: “That is not the case. You’re not admitting anyone based on a single aspect of their candidacy.”
From the a university's perspective any plus recruiting is a potential win to the fiscal bottom line. But, it's one thing to recruit LGBT students, it's another to follow through that they will, in fact, enjoy their 4-year college experience once they arrive.
Students who are in search of an affirmatively LGBT inclusive environment would do well to research the campus after the recruitment fair. Windmeyer points out caveat emptor still applies to LGBT students on whether gays are accepted on campus. “Oh, gay people, I love ’em! Is not the way to assess how gay students feel,” he tells the Times alluding to a potential recruiter's pitch. Some things to consider:
- Are there LGBT inclusive non-discrimination policies in place?
- Is there an active network of LGBT student groups that enjoy the support of the administration?
- Are there policies and guidelines to protect a student from potential harassment and discrimination, and avenues for redress?
- Are they prepared to deal with special medical needs, an especially good question for transgendered students to consider.
All good questions for an openly LGBT student to consider when selecting a college.
Rachel Pepper who has served as program coordinator for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Studies at Yale, a co-author of “The Gay and Lesbian Guide to College Life” makes a case these out and proud youth are an asset to a campus. She tells the Times:
“Students who are out in high school and are comfortable enough to put this in their [admission] essay are probably leaders.”
It wasn't terribly long ago being out of the closet at 17 or 18 would have been a tremendously courageous act. Times are a-changing, but I still salute these kids.
Good to see Elmhurst meeting these students where they live.
1:38 PM PT: I didn't anticipate this would be Earth-shaking news when I composed the diary. I did not, however, anticipate there would be news of Earth shaking breaking concurrently as I push "Publish." LOL. Oh the folly of attempting to manage the news cycle.