How welcoming are Minnesota campuses to the LGBT community?

You're welcome here (MPR Photo / Alex Friedrich)
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You're welcome here (MPR Photo / Alex Friedrich)

Looks like the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities got five out of five stars in national ratings of how LGBT-friendly campuses are.

You can get more details about the ratings system in the U's announcement below.

Other five-star campuses in the Campus Pride Index are Carleton College and Macalester College. The rest were in the 3-4+ range, although Minneapolis Community and Technical College got one star. (Caveat: It's not a comprehensive list.)

You can access the site here.

U of M receives top ranking as LGBT-friendly campus

The University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus has earned a top rating from the Campus Pride Index, which measures specific components determined to contribute to a more inclusive, welcoming and respectful LGBT and Ally campus.

UMTC’s overall Campus Pride Score is 99 percent, earning five of five stars in the Campus Pride Index rating system for the second year in a row.

"This recognition is a reflection of the LGBT-friendly campus culture at the U of M Twin Cities," said Jason Jackson, assistant director of the GLBTA Programs Office. "We are constantly finding ways to further support LGBT and Allies, all of which provide an inclusive and welcoming campus for all students."

The Index reviews eight areas of focus and the U received perfect marks (100 percent) in six categories, including:

LGBT Support and Institutional Commitment

LGBT Academic Life

LGBT Housing

LGBT Campus & Safety

LGBT Counseling & Health

LGBT Recruitment & Retention Efforts

LGBT Student Life received a 98 percent score and LGBT Policy Inclusion earned 96 percent.

"The commitment the U of M shows to LGBT students, faculty, staff and visitors is something we are very proud of," said Katrice Albert, Vice President for Equity and Diversity. "Our GLBTA Programs Office is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year and continues to be a driving force in creating a respectful environment for all students."

The Campus Pride Index is a vital tool for assisting campuses in learning ways to improve their LGBT campus life and ultimately shape the educational experience to be more inclusive, welcoming and respectful of LGBT and Ally people. The index is owned and operated by Campus Pride, the leading national nonprofit organization for student leaders and campus groups working to create safer, more LGBT-Friendly learning environments at colleges and universities.

The index tool includes 50+ self-assessment questions, which correspond to eight different LGBT-Friendly factors. Questions were weighted in order to emphasize and add value to specific LGBT components which were determined to contribute to a more inclusive, welcoming and respectful LGBT and Ally campus. All eight LGBT-Friendly factors receive the same weight in the overall score. Significant testing and analysis went into determining the weights.

 

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