Growing number of colleges receive Campus Pride’s five-star gay-friendliness rating, nearly doubles from last year

This Fall a growing number of American colleges and universities are taking steps to make their campuses safer and more inclusive for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) students, according to the new ratings from the Campus Pride’s LGBT-Friendly Campus Climate Index. In fact, 33 schools – nearly double the number from last year – received the highest ratings available for institutions of higher education.

The Campus Climate Index lists nearly 300 publicly available campus climate reports online at www.campusclimateindex.org. The nationally-praised Index takes an in-depth look at LGBT-friendly policies, programs and practices. Colleges are rated from one to five stars, depending on their answers to a detailed, voluntary questionnaire submitted to Campus Pride, a national non-profit working to create safer, more LGBT-inclusive colleges and build future LGBT and ally leaders. Launched online in Fall 2007, the Index has become a staple in student and faculty research, campus organizing efforts and benchmarking for LGBT student safety and inclusion on campus.

Unlike other national LGBT-friendliness rankings for colleges and universities, Campus Pride's Campus Climate Index takes into account answers by students, faculty and staff to highly detailed, comprehensive questions assessing LGBT-friendly policies, programs and practices.

REGISTER NOW

WEDNESDAY, MAY 11
3 P.M. EST

$95 per site includes FREE webinar recording
More information online at www.CampusPride.org/webinarseries.asp

FEATURED PRESENTERS:
Shane L. Windmeyer, Campus Pride
with select LGBT-friendly colleges/universities
Dartmouth College
Bryant College
University of Southern California
University of Pennsylvania
Indiana University Purdue University - Indianapolis

Over the last few years, a growing visible population of LGBT youth have emerged for college recruitment efforts. These out LGBT youth want to find colleges that not only meet their academic needs but also provide a welcoming, safe, accepting environment. More and more colleges want to actively reach out to these LGBT youth and share their LGBT-friendly programs and services. Campus Pride provides an analysis of LGBT recruitment strategies, trends and observations from its National LGBT-Friendly College Fair Program and its LGBT-Friendly Campus Climate Index . The webinar will also feature a guests from a few of the leading LGBT-Friendly colleges and universities across the country. Learn how your campus can recruit out LGBT students for the future.

Presented by Campus Pride
in partnership with the CAMPUSPEAK

REGISTER FOR ANY WEBINAR IN THE CAMPUS PRIDE SERIES & HAVE A CHANCE TO WIN A FREE REGISTRATION ($795 value) FOR YOUR COLLEGE TO ATTEND THE CAMPUS PRIDE SUMMER LEADERSHIP CAMP IN JULY 2011. GO TO WWW.CAMPUSPEAK.COM/CONNECT

Workshops, LGBT-friendly College fair among efforts to create safer, more inclusive college campuses; List of U.S. colleges and universities in attendance grows

HOLLYWOOD,Calif. -- Campus Pride, the nation’s leading non-profit working to create safer, more LGBT-inclusive colleges and build future LGBT and ally leaders, is proud to announce the datefor its first Spring 2011 LGBT-Friendly College Fair, to be held at the L.A.Gay & Lesbian Center in collaboration with LifeWorks, the Center’s LGBT youth development and mentoring program, University of Southern California's LGBT Resource Center and the GSA Network.

The event, the fourth in the program’s five-stop 2010-11 tour, will take place on Saturday, April 9 at the Center’s Village at Ed Gould Plaza, 1125 N. McCadden Place, Los Angeles, CA 90038. The event begins with a welcome at 1:30p.m. and ends at 5 p.m with special featured entertainment. The day also includes workshops and other learning opportunities related to scholarships, financial aid, the college search process and more.

Open and free to current or prospective college students and families, the event will bring together a diverse array of colleges and universities that welcome LGBT students at their campuses.

“The schools at our West Coastcollege fair in Los Angeles understand what it takes to create a truly welcoming, safe and inclusive campus for LGBT students, and they’re working to make it happen,” says Shane Windmeyer, executive director and founder of Campus Pride. “In light of last fall’s string of gay youth suicides, widely reported across the mainstream media, these schools’ participation in the fair is a welcome sign of change for LGBT young people.”

Among the schools and organizations participating: Emerson College, Mueller College, San Diego State University, University of Arizona, University of Rochester, Columbia College Chicago, California Institute of Integral Studies, Indiana University Purdue University - Indianapolis, Vanderbilt University, University of Pennsylvania, Mount Holyoke College, Michigan State University, The Art Institutes, Carleton College, University of The Princeton Review, Carleton College, Syracuse University, The University of Iowa, The Trevor Project, SAT/The College Board and The Point Foundation.
Colleges and universities can still register for the event. For more information and to register, visit www.CampusClimateIndex.org/events.

This season, Campus Pride’s LGBT-Friendly College Fair visited Charlotte, N.C., Portland, Ore., New York, N.Y., and Boston, Mass. For more information on the fairs, other events, the LGBT-Friendly Campus Climate Index and more, visit www.CampusClimateIndex.org or www.CampusPride.org.

Campus Pride Climate Index ranks gay-friendliness of American colleges and universities just in time for ‘Back to School’

Nineteen schools nationwide make highest five-star rating; Other schools taking positive steps to 'come out' for their LGBT students

(Charlotte, NC) – As thousands of students return to their college or university campus and as many step onto campus as a new student for the first time this fall semester, they now have one complete and comprehensive national resource ranking for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) inclusion and friendliness.

The Campus Pride LGBT-Friendly Campus Climate Index lists over 230 publicly available campus climate reports online at www.campusclimateindex.org. The nationally praised Index takes an in-depth look at LGBT-friendly policies, programs and practices. Colleges are ranked from one to five stars, depending on their answers to a detailed, voluntary questionnaire submitted to Campus Pride, a national non-profit working to create safer, more LGBT-inclusive colleges and build future LGBT and ally leaders. In development since 2001, the Index has become a staple in student and faculty research, campus organizing efforts and benchmarking for LGBT student safety and inclusion on campus.

Each summer, university officials are encouraged to fill out new questionnaires and update their Index profiles. This year, the Campus Climate Index is proud to announce five-star rankings for 19 colleges and universities – the most ever achieving the Index’s highest ranking since the its inception in 2007-08.