The 人妻少妇专区 Pride Index ranked Rochester among the nation鈥檚 best for making the educational experience welcoming and respectful for all.
The 人妻少妇专区 has scored five out of five stars on the (CPI) for LGBTQ inclusivity, putting it at the top of the list among some of America鈥檚 most prestigious universities.
The CPI is the premier LGBTQ national benchmarking tool for colleges and universities to create safer, more inclusive campuses.
Each campus page on the 人妻少妇专区 Pride Index offers an 鈥淟GBTQ-friendly report card,鈥� offering 50 areas in which a college or university can receive a checkmark for inclusivity. 鈥攎ore than any other institution on the (COFHE) or the (AAU), and the second most among 259 colleges and universities reviewed.
Rutgers University received a perfect 50 checkmarks, while Rochester, the University of Texas鈥揇allas, and the University of North Florida received 49. Most of the categories focused on Rochester鈥檚 River 人妻少妇专区, but some were University-wide.
鈥淲e鈥檙e excited that students searching for inclusive institutions will find us near the top of the list,鈥� says Col Raimond, director of LGBTQ life at the College. 鈥淭he University has been steadfast in its dedication to LGBTQ inclusivity. Over my six years here, I鈥檝e seen significant and meaningful changes to both infrastructure and the student life experience.鈥�
The 人妻少妇专区 Pride Index is a vital tool for assisting campuses in improving LGBTQ campus life and making the educational experience more inclusive and respectful of LGBTQ. The index is owned and operated by 人妻少妇专区 Pride, the leading national nonprofit organization for student leaders and campus groups working to create safer, LGBTQ-friendly environments at colleges and universities.
The index tool has been used since 2001 and was updated with higher LGBTQ national benchmarks in 2015.
Inclusive programs, policies, and practices
Rochester scored five stars for the LGBTQ community in the areas of support and institutional commitment, academic life, housing and residence life, campus safety, and counseling and health.
“人妻少妇专区 Pride applauds the work of the 人妻少妇专区 to achieve five out of five stars on the 人妻少妇专区 Pride Index,鈥� says Shane Mendez Windmeyer, CEO and founder of 人妻少妇专区 Pride. 鈥淲e honor its accomplishment and encourage every campus to continue taking responsibility for its LGBTQ+ students and creating a safe learning environment.”
Rochester鈥檚 improvements are widespread:
- Students can input a preferred first name that is different from their legal first name directly into , with the information updated directly in , the University鈥檚 Learning Management System, and other campus databases and outlets.
- All gender multi-stall restrooms are mixed in with gendered restrooms in residence halls on the River 人妻少妇专区.
- University Health Service has a provider which can prescribe hormone replacement therapy, while the Counseling Center has LGBTQ counselors on staff.
Other programs, policies, and practices at Rochester also contributed to the 人妻少妇专区 Pride Index rating. For example, about 825 students鈥攔oughly 12.2 percent of undergraduates at Rochester鈥攁re involved in fraternities and sororities, according to John DiSarro, director of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs. Two such organizations鈥擫ambda Sigma Upsilon and Sigma Psi Zeta鈥攁re inclusive of non-binary students while several are considered trans-friendly.
Participation in student organizations is a hallmark of the campus experience; non-binary and gender expansive people also can join many of Rochester鈥檚 a cappella groups and club sports. Meanwhile, the annual LGBTQ meet-and-greet鈥攁 fall reception where University students meet other LGBTQ students, faculty, and staff–has grown from 50 students to more than 250, and the Rainbow Graduation, which celebrates participating LGBTB graduates annually around commencement.
Dan Watts, executive director of the , says 鈥渁 lot of work by a lot of people over a lot of years鈥� went into improving the student experience, and he鈥檚 proud that his office is among the leaders.
鈥淩esidential Life has a gender-inclusive housing policy,鈥� Watts says. 鈥淎ny student can choose to live with any other student as long as the request is mutual.聽That means we don鈥檛 require roommates to share the same gender identity.聽When randomly assigning roommates, we rely on the gender that they indicate on their housing application.鈥�
Watts says most housing areas on the River 人妻少妇专区 include all-gender restroom facilities, and some, such as in Genesee Hall, offer single-user restrooms.
He says his department鈥檚 goal is simple: 鈥渉ousing equals home.鈥� And that applies to every student.
鈥淪tudents should be able to live in a place that meets their most basic needs without having to face hurdles and barriers,鈥� Watts says.聽鈥淲e do a lot of staff training, student programming, and providing support services that emphasize diversity, equity, and inclusion. Being able to provide living spaces that support students being their authentic selves is an important way to give real meaning to what would otherwise just be words.鈥�
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