BMC: Kaleidoscope Continuum of Care
Survey Methods: The Collection of Data from Faculty, Staff and Administration
Indicators from the school professionals for the survey are:
Admission Policies and lgbt Recruitment
Hiring Policies and lgbt Recruitment
Student and On-Campus Policies
Lgbt Student Physical and Mental Healthcare
Overall lgbt Continuum
Admission Policy and lgbt Recruitment
Being admitted to college is, for most students, the first contact they will have with the institutions that they will spend two to four years of their life at. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender prospective students, despite their openness about orientation, will look for signs of welcome and reassurances that they will be spending the next years of their life in a welcoming environment. Small things like rainbow stickers or a safe zone sign are signals to students that the institution cares about them. More reassuring ways of welcoming a lgbt student is to post a non-discrimination policy including sexual and gender orientation, as well as setting out goals for recruiting lgbt students.
These are the questions asked of each institution about issues of admission policy and lgbt recruitment:
- Does the institution admit openly lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students?
- Does the institution have goals for recruiting lgbt students
- Does the institution advertise a diverse campus including sexuality?
- Yes
- No
- In what ways is it, if at all, advertised
- Does the admissions department include visual or written messages welcoming lgbt prospective students?
- Yes
- No
- What welcoming messages are there, if any?
Hiring Policies and lgbt Recruitment
The way institutions hire faculty and staff reflects their intentions to create a diverse community. When institutions advertise for and recruit openly lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender faculty they not only enhance diversity at their campus, but also attain a live-in example of how that diversity creates a stronger community.
- Does the institution hire openly lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender faculty?
- Does the institution hire openly lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender staff?
- Does the institution have goals for hiring lgbt
- When advertising for positions, does the institution advertise for diversity in sexual orientation?
Student and On-Campus Policies
There are a range of policies and resources that affect the daily lives of lgbt students, faculty and staff. How lgbt faculty and staff are treated not only determines the atmosphere for the lgbt faculty and staff, but for the entire campus. Students invest much of their lives in the colleges they attend, and lgbt people are no different. Even though a policy, directive or resource may encompass little time, funding, or attention from administration, it can mean the difference between a rewarding campus experience and absence of student support. It is also good to look at the campus atmosphere as a whole to determine how lgbt affirmative a campus may be.
- Does the campus non-discrimination clause for students include sexual orientation?
- Yes
- No
- What is the non-discrimination policy for students?
- Are staff and faculty trained on issues pertaining to lgbt student needs? (i.e. safe zone trainings, diversity workshops)
- Staff:
- Faculty:
- What type of training is offered, if any?
- When an incident of homophobia happens (i.e. hate speech, physical harm) are there procedures for reporting and resolving violations?
- Yes
- No
- What are these procedures?
- Is there a commitment to education of lgbt issues and countering homophobia in the different departments?
- Yes
- No
- Are there specific departments that make a commitment to this?
- Is there a non-discrimination policy for
- Faculty
- Staff
- What is the non-discrimination policy for faculty/staff?
- Are there partner benefits including same-sex couples?
- Are there any difference in policy or procedure regarding living arrangements between lgbt staff and faculty and their heterosexual counterparts?
- Yes
- No
- If yes, what are those differences?
- Is there a lgbt and/or allies student group on campus?
- Yes
- No
- What type of group is it (support, lgbt only, allied)?
- If there is a lgbt and/or allies group, is it treated the same as other campus groups? (i.e. funding, representation, faculty contact, advertising)
- Yes
- No
- If no, in what ways is it different?
- Are there specific opportunities for education on lgbt issues, outside of the classroom (conferences, speakers, vigils, etc…), that the institution offers?
- Yes
- No
- If yes, what are they?
- Does the lgbt and/or allies group have access to campus facilities, fundraising and advertising?
- Yes
- No
- If yes, what type of events?
- Is the administration willing and able to spend time with lgbt students and groups in discussion of policies affecting lgbt students, staff, and faculty?
- Do the campus pastor/chaplain/priest and religious staff strive to meet the spiritual needs of lgbt students in a positive, non-judgmental way?
- Yes
- No
- In what ways are lgbt students included?
- Are sexuality issues included in discussion of other peace, justice, and cultural issues on campus?
- Yes
- No
- If yes, in what forums?
Lgbt Student Physical and Mental Healthcare
Physical and mental healthcare is an important aspect for any student. Lgbt students have unique needs that have to be met in order to provide appropriate healthcare for them.
- Are campus health and mental care professionals trained to meet the needs of lgbt students and to provide positive resources?
- During intake, is there optional self-identification for gender identity, sexual orientation, inclusive partner status
- Are there written policies explaining confidentiality for clients?
- Is there a comprehensive resource list for appropriate referrals for special lgbt health concerns?
Overall lgbt Continuum and Study Viability
The survey gave a chance to campus sources to rate themselves on lgbt quality of life, as well as tell the Kaleidoscope Program about how helpful the survey was. The sources did a quality job on rating themselves, taking an inward look at their campus’ policies and actions.
- On a scale of 1-10 how would you rate your institution in terms of quality of life for lgbt students?
(Poor) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 (Good)
- On a scale of 1-10 how would you rate your institution in terms of quality of life for lgbt faculty/staff/administration?
(Poor) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 (Good)
- Why would you recommend that a lgbt prospective student attend your institution?
- If you rated your institution low in terms of quality of life for lgbt people, how would you improve it?
- If you rated it high, how would you continue to create a high quality of life for lgbt people?
- Was this survey helpful?
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